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Wharf Street? Sounds kind of Klingon to me.

Davis has been bike paradise for over 30 years. I was there in 1979 and could not believe it. What a contrast to the madness of Boston and Providence where I had been riding. It helps a lot that it is sunny and flat.

"But he'd have to agree to ride the Metro."

Seriously? If he is interested, take what you can get and score big with people not usually following bike opportunities.

Thanks for the pointer to the Davis article--very interesting. I like their emphasis on how attitudes about bicycling correlate with actual riding.

Arl, no not seriously. I would not require him to ride the Metro.

"while good infrastructure is necessary to get many people bicycling, it is not sufficient for getting most people bicycling."

Short of Carmageddon, nothing will get most people in the US bicycling. That's okay, because it should be about having viable choices.

It depends on how you define "most people bicycling". Can you get most people to bike like me (in the 30-50% of trips range)? Probably not. Can you get most people to bike like my wife (2-3% of trips)? Probably.

Also, as US society becomes more urban over the coming decades--and as trip distances get shorter--it becomes more feasible to provide bike infrastructure, which means more people will bike.

The point of the Davis article isn't that we need "carmageddon," it's that we need a serious effort to encourage bicycling. European cities have cycling rates that put Davis to shame because the leadership and employees of those cities measure cycling rates and constantly update infrastructure, education, and marketing in order to increase those numbers.

I, for one, am tired of hearing about how Americans can't or won't bicycle more. When did we become a nation of pathetic wimps?

@JK,

1980?

Do we need a serious effort to encourage bicycling? Is our goal to proselytize?

We should make it easier and safer. And if lots of people using their own free will, with good choices and information, stay in their cars, that's okay, too.

I will fight for my right to be a wimp, dammit!

@Crickey7,
You gotta fight for your right to parking?

You mean like this?

http://www.break.com/index/fight_over_parking_spot.html

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