Promoting Cycling Culture
Riding today through Chicago on my bike, I was reminded that the more cyclists there are on city streets, the safer it is and the more cyclists there likely will be. And the more cyclists there are, the more they will demand supporting infrastructure.
In Copenhagen, Europe’s great biking city 56 percent of cyclists say they ride because it’s fast and easy, 19 percent say it’s good exercise, 6 percent say it’s inexpensive, and 1 percent say they do it for the environment. Mikael Colville-Andersen, who runs Copenhagenize Consulting, insists that the formula to increase cycling is to make the bicycle the fastest way to get around the city, market cycling effectively, reduce the number and speed of cars, and re-humanize urban cycling. My experience says he’s right—particularly reducing car speeds and re-humanizing cycling.
New Chicago Active Transportation Alliance Executive Director Ron Burke is participating in The Connectivity Challenge December 8, 9, 10 in Chicago. You can, too. You can post ideas here on how to achieve (the audacious) ambition we will tackle: We should be able to meet our daily needs without owning a car.
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