What would it take to make cycling popular

[igo]

I think that big changes are needed to make biking popular/ respected in mainstream America. First of all gas is still way to cheap to have the average joe bike 10 miles (or more) to work. Thats, the second problem is most of America is too spread out (...like suburbs). Bicycling is most popular it is in a fairly dense city with good bike infrastructure.

Basically I am saying the suburbs suck for making biking popular.

[SVOboy]

Extreme poverty xor the inability to take a car because of road restrictions.

[newtonsfirstlaw]

High fuel prices wrt discretionary income (can either be low discretionary income, high fuel prices, or both), or legal restrictions as per SVOboy.

Of course, a massive media campaign, with celebrities being picture in the magazine riding bikes etc. Which would require there to be massive amounts of money being made off bikes, which have minimum maintenance costs, meaning minimum money to be made off people regularly, meaning no advertisersing money... ain't going to happen sorry. Would need a benevolent dictator for that to work.

[MetroMPG]

igo - I think you've got a good point about infrastructure design. Urban planning issues are critical.

I e-mailed our city's planner to complain this summer because the city neglected to put a bike/walking path from the end of a cul-de-sac through to the road behind it. Not having that option forces cyclists/pedestrians to go 1.5 km out of their way. This is the same planner that didn't add a sidewalk on the bridge reconstruction to get to the *mart big box retail area.

She at least had the decency to admit it was an oversight (the cul-de-sac path).

[newtonsfirstlaw]

One thing I forgot: the power of the internet to bring specialized knowledge to the masses. It might catch on of its own accord.

[newtonsfirstlaw]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I e-mailed our city's planner to complain this summer because the city neglected to put a bike/walking path from the end of a cul-de-sac through to the road behind it. Not having that option forces cyclists/pedestrians to go 1.5 km out of their way. This is the same planner that didn't add a sidewalk on the bridge reconstruction to get to the *mart big box retail area.

There are negative costs associated with doing that - cul de sacs have lower crime rates, because there are so many eyes, only one exit, and thus only the people who live there really have business being there, strange comings and goings are noticed.

[MetroMPG]

I'd say that's an acceptable objection to interconnecting pathways if you live in a gated, privately owned community. But not appropriate where the street & infrastructure was built from & is maintaned by common taxes.

[igo]

The most bike friendly places always have good infrastructure. Bikes need there own lanes and lights. Also, it needs to be safe enough that a 12 year old or a 70 year old can ride with little to no risk. High speed traffic is also a bike utopia killer.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by igo

Bicycling is most popular it is in a fairly dense city with good bike infrastructure.

I agree with this completely. Here most bike lanes have cars park in them and the ones that don't the street sweepers have swept all the glass and debris in the lane so it unusable.

Maybe some one from Europe can chime in but cycling in the US is a fringe sport. The sport of cycling is big business in Europe. Kids grow up riding bikes and there are races just about every day. I think this spills over to more of a cycling society. Here we have Nascar and football. Now that Armstong is no longer riding the Tour de France the popularity and exposure will decrease even more

[MetroMPG]

A little OT, but have you seen the movie The Triplets of Belleville?

EDIT: metacritic link for the movie: http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...f%20belleville