VC-ism is not to blame for the current situation.
But, if the question is whether VC-ism has an answer, I'm pretty sure it doesn't.
I strongly suspect that, if you asked, the VC-ist brain trust would say that they don't know how to teach young children how to ride safely on the sidewalk.
If that's indeed what they'd say, that's pathetic. My brother knew how to do it. It's a real weakness of VC education if they can't teach something as simple as that.
The VC education know-it-alls would probably also tell you that they can't teach anyone how to ride on a MUP (heck, John Forester even claims that there are no rules of the road on a MUP- what a hoot!). Instead, VC-ists teach group riding and pacelining-- real usefull stuff for rules of the road cycling-- Whew, boy! --and they find nothing funny in any of this.
Learning how to ride safely on the sidewalk was an essential part of my cycling education. While I wouldn't call a cyclist incompetent if they don't ride on the sidewalk, I would call someone who claims to be a cycling teacher a poser if they can't teach the simple but important stuff my brother taught me.
Existing VC education programs are half-assed because they don't teach safe sidewalk riding. For ideological reasons, they don't teach important stuff. Do they have so little faith in the greater efficency of vehicular cycling? My brother didn't have that problem. After he had taught me to ride safely on the sidewalk, it didn't take long for him to convince me that riding on the road was the way to go.
I know this is heresy but it would be more effective, especially for young riders, to teach sidewalk riding first and then point out the inefficiencies. It sure worked for me.
But, hey, nobody but John Forester knows anything.
My brother must have been an anti-motorist
.
Or maybe a motorist.
Or surely a member of some other group John Forester dislikes (which, if you've been paying attention, includes just about everybody).