Thanks. I'm basing my assumption on my past years of commuting by car in Detroit, and in the far-flung suburbs, where it is difficult to commute by bicycle -- mostly due to the distance. I do not recall ever seeing a bicycle commuter on my routes to work -- but most commuting in this area is done on the freeways. Unlike other cities where it is desirable to live close to downtown, such as New York, Chicago, or San Francisco, with strong public transportation services (that would complement bicycle commuting) , most people with any wealth moved far away from Detroit, thanks to the system of freeways that make it possible to live 50 miles away and still reach the office in under an hour. This is still the Motor City, where everyone drives a car, and few take the bus; fewer still walk or bike. Most bike riding is done close to home, or with the riding clubs after business hours.

There are no MUPs, no bike-only lanes. Right turns are allowed on red. And I've noticed in the past few years, pedestrians no longer cross immediately on the green, instead waving the traffic by them before daring to venture in the street. And, as you pointed out, the pavement often can be unfriendly to bicycles as well.

But for the past five years, I have been fortunate enough to work no more than three miles from my house, so I don't know whether commuting by bicycle is increasing in southeastern Michigan. I know of only three other dedicated riders at my building. I still get compliments and praise for biking to work from other employees who see me; I have to believe it is still such a novel idea that people are half in disbelief.

Sorry for the discourse, I am not trying to hijack this thread. Joey's biking is controversial, to be sure, but I'd be hypocritical if I said I never ran a red light on my bike. I pick my spots. Because my ride is so short and, let's face it, relatively uneventful compared to anyone else's urban ride, I can choose to poke along on the sidewalk. But I'm getting tired of it -- the pavement is really bad in places and I have the extra challenge from drivers who pull into the crosswalk because they are not expecting bicyclists OR pedestrians -- all their attention is on finding an opening in the oncoming traffic. I'm ready to believe what others have been saying here -- it's actually safer for me to ride in the street. Seeing Joey's video gives me a lot to think about.