rollagain

Mods, feel free to move this; it's mostly about infrastructure.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-64354089

TiHabanero

Kinda neat in a way. My winter commuting days are long over, but did last 20 years. Michigan winters can be brutal and scary dangerous at times when sharing the road in a white-out. The closer to the lake shore the deeper the snow and typically more severe winter weather.
If there is a bike path to use it is typically rutted from foot prints and a very slow ride. Roads are easier to navigate in that scenario. Good for the Fins. I'll stick with my truck now. It really makes sense at my ripe old age.

rsbob 

Definitely have their priories in order. Health, fitness and cycling paths.

wolfchild

People in Finland and Europe have a different mindset than people here in North America. Here in North America cycling is strictly done for sport and performance, when winter comes everybody hides in their basements and does Zwift....Even if we had the same cycling infrastructure here as in Finland I highly doubt people would be biking in winter.... Here in North America it's rare to find cyclists who will go ride outdoors when it's below 50F.

zandoval 

It certainly looks good when it is working. Oulu is a gem. But I am not sure how this little gem could apply to our neck of the woods...

Oulu - About as big as Central San Antonio Texas

Population (2021-12-31) = 209,648
Population age 15-64 = 66%
Average income = 65000 USD/Yr (Debatable!)
Gasoline Per Gallon = 7.55 USD

Municipal tax rate = 24.5%

And that's not the income tax rate either. So what would your city do with a 24.5% municipal tax rate?

Unfortunately bicycles come after golf courses around here...

SkinGriz

Many US cities would use a 24.5% tax rate to bribe some MNC to build a factory in their town… then complain about wealth inequality the next election cycle.

datlas 

It’s worse than that.

Most Americans see a bicycle as a child’s toy.

A minority see it as exercise equipment.

A teeny tiny sliver see it as viable transportation.

rsbob 

Unless safe infrastructure exists, this statement will remain true.

Leinster

Americans will fish on frozen lakes or sit in a duck blind in the dark and wet for hours. It’s not the conditions, it’s the infrastructure.

Calsun

General Motors, Firestone Tire, and Standard Oil, conspired after World War II to privatize the electric trolley operations and then they ripped out the rails and burned up the streetcars and forced people to buy their own cars. Eisenhower made it worse with the federal government paying 90% of the cost to built the interstate highway system. Ike thought the German freeways were great but did not realize that the war material and troops were moved by the railroads during the war.

Freeways spread out communities and created longer distances to travel to school or to go shopping or to work. Great for the auto industry and oil companies but terrible for everyone else. Many families in countries with good public transit systems put in by their governments they do not even own a single car but rent them for holidays if needed. Big difference when governments work for the people instead of a few capitalist elites.