Bike Cities
Cities are mostly designed for cars and trucks these days, but some are trying to reincorporate the bike into their transportation equations, and some never abandoned the bike.
I was recently in Vancouver, BC, Canada, for a quick business meeting. I've ridden in Vancouver before, and loved it. Bike rental shops are plentiful, the bikes are excellent, and riding through the city is easy and rewarding. Seeing the bike signage, bike lanes, and bike racks again made it clear that Vancouver is still committed to remaking itself as a major biking city. It has to, because it is growing very rapidly, and even its mass transit system is bursting at the seams. Bikes provide space-efficient, zero-emissions, affordable transportation.
Vancouver also participates in the World Naked Bike Ride, an annual event held in a number of cities around the world on the same day in June to draw attention to a host of environmental and anti-war issues. On my recent trip, the ride was scheduled for the Saturday I was in town, but weather unfortunately forced them to delay it a week.
A few weeks later, I found myself in Amsterdam, arriving after an overnight flight and taking the train from the Schipol Airport to the center of town, and being greeted by a riverfront railing draped in bicycles, bikes speeding by in cobbled bike lanes, and people of all ages and types of dress pedaling around town, having full right-of-way.
Amsterdam is a city that became a bike city and never gave it up. It makes too much sense for them, and their city's design remains compact and approachable. Of course, Amsterdam has a canal system, another odd transportation option compared to most cities, but one that is mainly used by tour companies, tradesmen, and a few devoted boaters.
The cyclists in Amsterdam are nonplussed by biking, carrying umbrellas in the rain, chatting on cell phones as they ride, and riding with groceries. Cycling is completely practical and integrated into daily life.
As US cities like Boulder, Portland, Salt Lake, and others move to become cycling-friendly, other mayors and town planners should pay attention. It is a way to make a city more livable, more pleasant, more efficient, and more rewarding for its residents.
I was recently in Vancouver, BC, Canada, for a quick business meeting. I've ridden in Vancouver before, and loved it. Bike rental shops are plentiful, the bikes are excellent, and riding through the city is easy and rewarding. Seeing the bike signage, bike lanes, and bike racks again made it clear that Vancouver is still committed to remaking itself as a major biking city. It has to, because it is growing very rapidly, and even its mass transit system is bursting at the seams. Bikes provide space-efficient, zero-emissions, affordable transportation.
Vancouver also participates in the World Naked Bike Ride, an annual event held in a number of cities around the world on the same day in June to draw attention to a host of environmental and anti-war issues. On my recent trip, the ride was scheduled for the Saturday I was in town, but weather unfortunately forced them to delay it a week.
A few weeks later, I found myself in Amsterdam, arriving after an overnight flight and taking the train from the Schipol Airport to the center of town, and being greeted by a riverfront railing draped in bicycles, bikes speeding by in cobbled bike lanes, and people of all ages and types of dress pedaling around town, having full right-of-way.
Amsterdam is a city that became a bike city and never gave it up. It makes too much sense for them, and their city's design remains compact and approachable. Of course, Amsterdam has a canal system, another odd transportation option compared to most cities, but one that is mainly used by tour companies, tradesmen, and a few devoted boaters.
The cyclists in Amsterdam are nonplussed by biking, carrying umbrellas in the rain, chatting on cell phones as they ride, and riding with groceries. Cycling is completely practical and integrated into daily life.
As US cities like Boulder, Portland, Salt Lake, and others move to become cycling-friendly, other mayors and town planners should pay attention. It is a way to make a city more livable, more pleasant, more efficient, and more rewarding for its residents.
posted by Recycled Cyclist | 2:23 PM
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