Excitement about new cycle tracks

In a weird article, Harry Jaffe first writes about how great cycling is, then throws in one line about being concerned about a backlash from drivers, and then finishes by discussing two people who have pushed to make DC more bike friendly. And it was the one line, unsupported by any information, that was chosen for the title. So I wrote a better one for this post.

Let's face it: Biking is so green and carbon free and good for you it could solve all the world's problems.

Statistics, however, show that few of us will hop on a bike in downtown D.C. Just more than 2 percent of commuters come to and from the city on two wheels and pedals. It's farfetched to imagine all the lawyers pedaling in from Bethesda. How would they dictate memos by BlackBerry to their secretaries?

I fear we bikers are tempting a backlash from four-wheelers.

I don't fear a backlash. I think most people get it. Looking at comments on the Post's article about the bike lanes (usually not a bike friendly place), most people are supportive. I think most people, cyclists or not, get it. And I don't think Harry is reading the statistics right. Statistics show us that few of us hop on a bike, but not that few of us "will" hop on a bike. In fact, Portland bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller puts it closer to 65% who will, if the conditions are right. He goes on..

Paul Meier is the godfather of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, a biking path that follows the rail and Metro corridors from Silver Spring to Union Station. Meier, a Dutch-born physicist who taught at Catholic University, has been hectoring bureaucrats and lobbying for the trail's completion since before Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton got $8.5 million in 1998.

Rarely have the political stars been aligned in favor of retrofitting a major city for biking. European cities -- and New York, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Denver and Gainesville, Fla. -- are pushing hard to trade cars for bikes. Under Fenty, D.C. could become the cycling capital city of the country.

Are you ready?

Comments

[g]

Jaffe's article also puts too much emphasis on Fenty being a triathlete, or on the personal bike connections of 2 people in his administration. Improving bike infrastructure and promoting clean & active transportation is part of an international trend & there are also federal forces at work here in DC. (Though he mentions other cities, he makes it sound like they are unrelated to each other or a larger trend.

[Richard Layman]

Paul has taken up the idea of the MBT and is the godfather. The idea was first expressed by Patrick Hare, who then worked for MNCPPC and lived in Brookland.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73900509.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+24%2C+1989&author=&desc=Geared+to+Everyone%27s+Interests-A+Brookland+Bike+Trail

[Brendan]

This is one small backlash: if bike lanes or tracks exist, cyclists will be required to stay in them.

When my "stay to the right" ticket went to a hearing in Arlington, the judge asked only one question: "Was there a bike lane available?" The answer was no, so I'll never know for sure, but I bet if there had been one, the judge would have made me pay the fine. As it was, I was successful in my hearing and the ticket was voided.