We have positive additions to our cycling infrastructure happening every year, just look at the recently finished bike lanes coming downtown on 17th Street, and previously on P and Q. We know connectivity is essential to getting around in a city, and that trails can’t take you everywhere you want to go. Ever wonder how other cities make themselves easier to bike in? I’m including here a Streetsblog piece about just that- “We’re Not Copenhagen’ Is No Excuse Not to Build a Great Biking And Walking City A team of researchers identified eight under-the-radar cities leading the local active transportation revolution — and a menu of strategies that other communities can and should steal.”. No, we’re not all Copenhagen, but we can be good places to bike and the featured cities of Hoboken, London, Montreal, Buenos Aires, Konstanz, Leiden, Osaka, Nairobi show different ways to make biking better. Sometimes we might think that things can’t change enough to get significantly more people on their bikes, but these examples show us it is possible. It’s good to think outside the proverbial box. It’s the cumulative effect of removing barriers, adding incentives, and making connections, among other things that makes the magic happen.
The Dutch Cycling Embassy puts it this way. “The Netherlands boasts over 35,000 kilometres of separated cycle paths, half of which have been built since 1996. This (surprisingly recent) success is built on five core design principles which are embedded in urban planning and together form a deliberate, systematic approach to infrastructure design:
Cohesion: Building well-connected network of cycling routes.
Directness: Ensuring cycling is fast and convenient by giving people the shortest route possible.
Safety: Reducing conflicts between cyclists and other road users.
Comfort: Ensuring that cycling is a smooth, pleasant, stress-free experience for everyone.
Attractiveness: Making cycling routes and the urban environment visually appealing.
WATCH the full 4:22 video on “The Dutch Approach to Cycling”: https://youtu.be/pdsUjjncUp0“
The more people that cycle, and cycle more often, the better off we all are.
Adding fun events and destinations is also an important element, here’s one, and of course the Nacho ride every Tuesday evening to Bailey’s Local in Eagle.
