People traveling by foot often feel under siege from both speeding cars and unpredictable bicycles.
Like many street-level conflicts, this one is about territory.
Who owns the streets?
But shared custody is possible.
After all, each of these adversaries fits into more than one camp.
Recent research shows that bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike.
Here’s how:
1.
“It reduces the frequency of crashes.
It calms traffic, which makes streets less chaotic and safer for everyone.”
They’re great for drivers because they make it safer to get in and out of parked cars.
They’re great for walkers because it creates more distance between the sidewalk and speeding vehicles."
Bike lanes also reduce the distance pedestrians are in contact with motor vehicles while crossing the street."
The same holds true in the city of Arlington, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C. “It’s not just cars and crime you have to be careful about, but also bikes.
“Everyone is nervous because no one knows where the bikes belong.
Protected bike lanes take that chaos and disorganization away.
We’re not all fighting over the same space.”
And improved civility goes both ways.
A study of protected lanes on Chicago’s Kinzie Street shows that half of cyclists reported improved motorist behavior.
Less Congestion
It makes sense that having more people on bicycles will lead to less roadway congestion.
“The quality of the air is better and the amount of noise is less.
You’re more likely to know your neighbors and stop for a conversation.”
The Cultural Trail has also bestowed considerable cachet on this often-overlooked city.
Sharing the Road
Protected Bike Lanesphysically separate bicyclists from motorists and pedestrians on busy streets.
(Think of them as sidewalks for bicyclists.)
Off-Road Bike Pathsare essentially walkways and trails that people use in parks and vehicle-free areas.
Our employees are healthier, happier and more productive.
We are attracting some of the best talent in the industry.”
“We can’t just pluck anybody for our jobs.
The people we want are mostly younger, and biking is part of the equation for them.”
Memphis is also pushing protected bike lanes.
“My job is to convince emerging companies that they can get the workers they want to come here.
“Biking and walking are healthy.
Biking and walking can save people money.
We need to create a culture of biking and walking.”
“And it would help middle class families to switch from two cars to one.”
“We need to get more use from the streets we already have,” Rybak said.
“It really is the idea that bikes belong.”
The health benefits of bicycling look almost like a miracle.
Employees and shareholders at businesses have a stake in bicycling, too.
However, QBP figured it was the right thing to do since the company makes its money from bicycling.
Turns out, it was the right thing to do for economic reasons as well.
By contrast, other companies suffered an average 25 percent jump in health care costs over the same period.
More bicycles on the streets and fewer cars also lessen other forms of air and noise pollution.
“The biggest jump we’re seeing in biking is among older people,” Roskowski says.
Published September 2016
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