What would convince you to use a bicycle for transportation?

[taterguy]

This is a serious question and not intended to incite a flame war. I'm asking because I'm considering getting involved with the local bike committee. I know why I ride a bike. What I don't know is what would inspire others.

Can anyone help? I'd prefer suggestions that are feasible and don't involve vast expenditures of money if that's possible.

[InternalDialogue]

1. I use a bike as well, so I'm not in the "need to be convinced" camp.

But I also walk a lot, and sometimes to places I could cycle to more quickly. In those cases, it's the lack of adequate bike parking that dissuades me.

I think that's number one on a general list of what helps convince people to cycle. In fact, there are a lot of recreational cyclists who don't use it for commuting or general transportation, but they already ride. Adequate parking makes it really simple. And it doesn't need to be a huge complex or bike lockers, just solid racks in a visible area near transportation hubs or large public facilities.

Another thing that might stand in the way of people using bicycles as regular transportation is lack of knowledge about how best to deal with changing clothes, storing a helmet, transporting work materials, etc. I think most people would be amazed at how efficiently you can pack a bike rack or panniers if you just have them on the bike. And you can do a lot with a small backpack for a change of clothes. A simple demonstration of how to go from bike-ready at home to office-ready at work might turn a lot of heads.

I remember attending a software seminar a couple years ago at a hotel about 15 miles from me. At the time, I had no vehicle, so I used a weekend to do a pre-ride, getting the route figured out. I went to the hotel and asked their bellhop if they'd store my bike for me. He said I just had to drop it at the front door as if it were a car, and they'd securely store it for me and give me a claim tag. Just that detail there made the whole thing so easy. I wonder if the bike committee would consider doing an education/outreach program with local businesses to see about the possibility of offering secure bike storage or valet service to anyone who rides? Maybe develop a program where participating businesses post a card or sticker at their place of business to let people know they're bike-friendly?

[taterguy]

3. Thank you

Those are excellant suggestions and just the sort of input I was looking for

[mainegreen]

2. Safe bike lanes like they have in the Netherlands.

[EFerrari]

12. Ditto! I love riding but am not comfortable outside of car free zones.

I don't want to die that way or even get hurt that way. :(

[Der Blaue Engel]

15. I'll "third" that one

I think we both live in the same place. It scares me just having someone on a bike next to me when I'm driving. I'd hate to be the one on the bike, because I know that my nervousness would probably get me killed.

[EFerrari]

18. Yeah! There's a path out here by the beach that is nice but

doesn't really go anywhere. I'd love to bike to the errands that I don't walk to, I don't want to die! Especially now that people seem to be incapable of driving without a phone glued to their head.

I just bought a car for the first time in 8 years. Mom is elderly and 60 miles away so, I thought it would be a good idea. But, I look for every opportunity to walk instead here in town or use Muni. Biking would be so great (and healthy!) if it were safer.

:hi:

[taterguy]

20. I haven't died yet

I live in an area that doesn't invest anything in bike lanes, etc. However, I manage. I'm either lucky or good I guess.

[EFerrari]

24. Are you familiar with CA drivers?

lol

You're not going to believe this but the other night I saw the world's longest limo and it was A HUMMER. That thing must have blind spots the size of small aircraft. And it was double parked because there is no parking place in this town that is that long. It was hilarious.

Is there any way to determine if one is lucky or good? I've had a bike in my Amazon queue for MONTHS.

[taterguy]

27. I live in the birthplace of NASCAR :)

I'm not sure it's fair to generalize entire states. I spent a couple lovely days renting a bike in Monterey but I realize that might not be representative of the entire state of California.

[EFerrari]

29. What fair? This is war.

Monterey must have great places to bike through. When there were four of us, we used to go to Yosemite every year for a week, park the car and jump on our bikes. My boys still remember that and they're in their 30s. :)

I have Golden Gate park a few blocks away and that's great for rec but doesn't solve the Irving Street where I shop and where Hummers congregate problem. Maybe I should just invest in a really mean looking hat.

[Gormy Cuss]

31. San Francisco is a nutty place to bike.

It's the typical big city play-in-traffic gambit (crowded streets with many pedestrian crossings, traffic stops, frequent buses and double parking) combined with hills every other block in many parts of town. I live in the East Bay and there are many bike-friendly areas around here, even in some of the more congested communities.

When I lived in Boston I wouldn't bike most places but out here I'll bike anywhere within a 5 mile radius of my if I can. It's far more pleasant than driving.

[pitohui]

45. good for you but people do get killed, my husband's colleague did

he was run over and killed on his bike, and no one was ever found or prosecuted for the crime

he was in his 30s

it just ain't worth it

[taterguy]

53. People die in cars, what's the difference?

Nothing in life is risk free. How do we calculate what's an acceptable risk? Is it based on rational facts or just something primal? Is the unfamiliar always more frightening?

[LSK]

56. when you get hit by a car while in a car

You have 2 tons of metal and airbags protecting you.

What protects you on your bike from that 2 ton car???

Come on, this is easy stuff. ;)

[taterguy]

58. Dead is dead

If cars guaranteed me that I'd get to my destination alive then obviously I would drive every trip. However, people die in cars. The question becomes more complicated. There might be more of a risk riding a bike but how much more, and does that outweigh the benefits of cycling? I don't know the answers, I'm just trying to explore them by having a dialogue.

[LSK]

64. well I dont know the statistics

But it just makes more sense that you are safer in a car if you are crashing into a car.

On the other hand a bike is going slower.

[taterguy]

66. That's part of the problem, there are no reliable stats

The stats don't indicate when the dead person did something that contributed to their death. And since I'd never do anything that stupid I'm safe right?

A cyclist was killed in my area at dawn today. However, the news article didn't indicate if he was using a light and if he has wearing a helmet and whether or not those would have helped. Maybe I don't want to know.

[pitohui]

76. this case appears to have been a murder but could have been manslaughter (accident)

in the case of my husband's colleague, it appears as if a car or another large vehicle drove him off the road, killed him, and then went on without being observed on a country highway

either a deliberate murder or maybe a drunk who freaked and ran when they realize that they'd killed someone

either way the police never got far finding out who did it

you can deliberately crash your car into another car and kill that person, ask laura bush, but it's at much higher risk to your own safety than driving your car over a bike, and there are crazies out there

i just dunno, the amount of distance this guy was riding every day, it seems like it was almost inevitable that something bad would happen

and i, as a woman, if i was biking all around all the time, esp. at night, it just wouldn't be reasonable to expect to have a long life expectancy, some bad guy with a vehicle would get me sooner or later or some crackhead would run me down for jollies, that's just the way it is

i wish the world was a better place but it ain't

i need to be on equal terms and equal ability to move and get away from psychos and drunks, and i think most people do, even though a young man like my husband's colleague thought he was invulnerable

[Lost-in-FL]

60. And the right of way to bikes...

Great fines if you don't give the right of way to a bicycle and it gets uglier if you hit someone riding a bike. It is almost as bad as DUI for what I hear.

[mopinko]

4. get yourself a mayor that is a bike freak.

http://www.bike2015plan.org/

seriously, making public transit bike friendly has done a lot in chicago. there are bike racks on the front of buses, and bike cars on the commuter trains. it encourages me to bike farther, knowing that if i poop out, i can hop the bus home.

[underpants]

5. A seatbelt, something to hold my coffee, and a radio

Just kidding. I used to ride a bike pretty much everywhere but I live too far away from work and if there was an emergency I would have to go home and get my car and then go get my little girl.

[ronnykmarshall]

6. Move my office 18 miles closer to home.

[AllegroRondo]

7. a less than 40 mile commute

if I was able to live less than a 30 minute bike ride from work, I'd do it. But its just not possible now.

[Breeze54]

8. Start a Community Bicycle Program!

http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/freebike.htm

Bikes Not Bombs
http://www.bikesnotbombs.org/index.html

Youth programs
http://www.bikesnotbombs.org/eab-it-man.htm

[One_Life_To_Give]

9. A Star Trek Transporter

20+ miles to work, shortest route by Interstate.
Mrs. OLTG heads in opposite direction for work.
Then some of my other activities that are another 20+ miles beyond work. Add in the occasional professional society meeting, etc. And of course my weekly grocery shopping trip. Guess I would need a trailer for the 5 mile ride back to the house. Come holiday shopping that distance would become quite a bit more. And then hope none of it had to be done in snow.

In short probably not going to happen.

[Westegg]

10. bike riding in NYC

I have a bike, it's locked up in the basement of my building here in Manhattan. I bought a helmet too. (I should note that a friend gave me this bike a few months ago.) I'm afraid to go out and ride amongst the insane drivers and cabbies of NYC. Any of you NYC riders who want to tell me how to get over my fear? I'm all ears.

[liontamer]

34. i don't ride, but my friends that do

say that it's not bad, because cars are aware of bikers more than in other cities. The trick is to avoid penn station and grand central :)

[Gormy Cuss]

11. Bike racks convenient to shopping, bike lockers at large office buildings and transportation centers

Perhaps the cheapest first step for a bike committee is to develop a bike route map. The local bike group has printed maps and online ones that are quite detailed but even simple maps can designate roads with wide lanes and paved shoulders, and marking roads with significant elevation changes (good to know when the road suddenly goes up hill for a mile, for example.


I use printed bike maps outside of my local area and they're a godsend.

My local bike group: East Bay Bicycle Coalition
http://www.ebbc.org/maps.html

[Maineiac]

13. I am on the board of Directors of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine

I ride my bike because:
A. it's fun
B. Health reasons
3. I can zoom past all the cars stuck in traffic
D. I sneak the wrong way down one way streets and nobody gives a shit
13. I can park inside
Q. It's better than supporting shurb's quest for more oil. My tires are non petrolium based so no oil required to keep me going
1. It's cheap.

Steve

[guitar man]

14. Job close enough to home

I'd be the first one to ride a bicycle if my job was say, 10 miles or less away and there were decent bike lanes to ride in.

But, right now th job is 96 miles away, so until that changes, my bike is going to have a motor on it ;)

[cwydro]

16. A bike path.

Very dangerous highway that I have to use if I ride.

Showers and changing rooms would be a bonus.

[jakefrep]

17. Flatten all of the hills

And I also agree with the above mentions of bick racks, convenient paths, etc.

[Maineiac]

19. Flatten the hills?

Hills build character and sexy looking legs.

[jakefrep]

36. "Build character" is a euphemism for "unnecessarily painful"....

...besides, I already have sexy legs.

[Maineiac]

37. But in that pain, some of us find pleasure

The best ride around here is a mid Fall century on Mt. Desert Island. At mile 85 we get to climb Cadillac Mountain. 3.5 mile access road to go 2500 feet up. What a view from the top.

[Pithlet]

43. I've riden my bike to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Non stop the whole way up. And coasting back down was a blast.

[Maineiac]

47. Cruising down scares the shit out of me

I'd rather go up twice than down once.

[hfojvt]

46. "straightening the curves, flattening the hills

someday the mountain might get them,
but the law never will..."

sometimes the wind is worse. Not to mention the rain. And traffic.

[wildhorses]

21. a job closer to home--

and then i would prefer to ride a horse:bounce:

[idgiehkt]

22. if the crazies on my road would slow down

I haven't ridden since I've been here. I can't ride 50 feet out of my driveway without fearing for my life. This town is definitely not bike friendly at all. Thanks for asking, though.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. New knees.

And more crotch padding.

[skygazer]

25. Two new knees

I'm afraid that would require rather an expenditure, though.

I'm actually hoping to be able to bike once I get my darn knees rehabilitated. The stationary bike is good for them right now but riding very far on a regular bike is out of the question at the moment.

I know around here a big problem for a lot of people is the length of their commute and the fact that not all mass transit is bike-friendly. Some busses are set up with bike racks, some aren't - I'm not sure about the trains.

I think a better integration of mass transit and biker's needs, as well as bike lanes and parking would help a lot of people make the choice.

[Dora]

26. I rode a bike for three years.

I rode in a bicycle lane on many routes.

If there wasn't a bike lane, I rode on sidewalks wide enough for me to share with pedestrians.

I lived in a region that was flat as a pancake. Here in Austin, I'd only be willing to use a bike as primary transport if I had an electric-assist on the hills. The electric bikes are too $$ for me right now.

I rode in a part of town where drivers were mostly cognizant that they shared the road with bicyclists. Here, bikes are seen as targets.

I loved the benefits - the meditative mind-time was fantastic, and I was never in better physical health than I was then.

[MissB]

28. Commuter facilities

Covered bike parking (bike lockers are great), shower facilities (some companies have these already).

Monetary benefits from employers to employees who choose to bike instead of drive.

None of the above really applies to me, as I don't work. I don't drive much anyway. I do own several bikes and a bike trailer, though. We have bike lanes all over town. I use them recreationally, not for shopping.

My dh's company moved to a different part of town a few years ago. It meant many employees would have to drive into the downtown core, which is a pain in the ass if you have to drive and park. Dh helped their internal bicycling committee set up a few local places that would allow their employees to park their bikes in a locker, use shower facilities and utilize lockers for hanging clothing for only $20 a month. Plus his employer offset the cost of parking by increasing wages by $100 a month, which gave the biking people an incentive to continue biking.

[seemunkee]

30. Safe road to ride

My office is only 9 miles away, unfortunately 1/3 of that I have a choice of two roads. One road has a roadside memorial about every mile, the other is country highway with no shoulder. I do take the bus partway and ride the rest a few times each week when weather is good and I don't have to go to meetings.

[AllegroRondo]

32. bike friendly cities, like Europe has

I used to live in Europe, and biked almost everywhere. The cities there are much more suited for biking. Small, winding roads that cars just cannot fly through. bike trails that parallel major roads. pedestrian zones in downtown areas. And public transportation for longer trips.

Oslo was by far the best bike city Ive seen. We landed at the airport, unpacked our bikes, and could take a bike trail that paralleled the highway all the way into town. Everything was marked, crosswalked, and just easy to use. And the drivers actually LOOKED for bikers, and didnt try to run them over.

[huskerlaw]

33. I'd have to move somewhere

where riding a bicycle wouldn't literally endanger my life.

Sorry, it's absolutely not feasible where I live/work.

I do take mass transit though.

[crim son]

35. Decent bike paths

and not having rheumatoid arthritis. Seriously, I'd ride despite the arthritis if there were paths in town, but don't even have sidewalks in places & where we do, it's illegal to bike on them.

[Maineiac]

39. LD 432, baby

[crim son]

41. Hi!

I really AM studying but I check in after each practice session. Should have known I'd find you in this thread. :hi:

[Maineiac]

48. Well, Duh!

I stopped at BCM HQ before the interview to say hi to my buds. i left extra early because the roads sucked and got there an hour early so I hung out for a while.

[Roon]

38. A friend of mine takes the bike everywhere he goes

our busses allow the bike rider to take his bike on the bus...so he rides the bus within the general direction he wants to go, and he peddles the rest of the way. It's a pretty sweet setup...I would do it..if i had a bike :-(

[mike_c]

40. I don't need any convincing-- I love riding my bike....

My only real impediments are weather and my schedule, both of which have worked against me this semester. But I'll be back on my bike next semester.

[qwlauren35]

42. Flatten the roads.

I'm overweight. Hills would kill me.

But, honestly, 25 years ago, I used to ride my bike around campus, until it got stolen. Here are a few thoughts.
1.) bike lanes
2.) bike closets or slightly more individualized, easier to lock, bike racks.
3.) easier_to_lock bikes.
4.) bike sections on buses and trains
5.) better designs for bike accessories that allow one to carry groceries, etc.

[pitohui]

44. nothing, it simply isn't safe in my area (new orleans)

you would be too limited in where you could go, what you could do, and how fast you could get away from hurricanes and bad guys

in this city it is simply irresponsible not to be able to maintain and own an automobile, these storms are not going away

[Left Is Write]

49. I'd like to (I could trailer the kids), but it's just not safe to bike most places here.

There are plenty of trails for pleasure biking, but nothing in the way of bike lanes for commuters or those running errands.

[LSK]

50. Chicago. Winter. Any questions?

Not going to happen.

[taterguy]

51. I don't mean for all your transportation

I mean for the days when the weather does make it feasible. So what do you do on the 5 or 10 days a year when weather in Chicago doesn't suck? :)

[LSK]

52. well I just dont see it as practical

I work in a corporate environment and working up a sweat to get to work in business clothes just doesnt seem to work.

Also I was never a fan of riding my bike on the side of the road. Maybe if there was a direct bike path maybe.

Maybe on a weekend I will try to see how long it takes to get there. Its 5 miles one way.

[Maineiac]

54. My organization, BCM WWW.bikeMaine.org works with employers to make bike commuter friendly work

places. Including relaxed dress rules, facility showers and locker rooms, and monetary benefits for cycling to work.

[Downtown Hound]

55. Another vote for safe bike lanes

I rode on a bike for three years, through rain, hail, and wind. None of those things bothered me, but the fact that I was almost killed at least once a month by a careless driver did. I'm actually amazed I came out of that phase unscathed. I finally took to riding on the sidewalk, even though it was illegal. It was either that or ride in the cramped, crowded little street with idiot drivers. I decided I'd risk the ticket, but it seemed like a raw choice to me. Either ticket or safety, or the law and risk death.

[northzax]

57. well, if my bicycle

had a steel frame surrounding some sort of internal combustion engine, comfortable seats, windows, a nice transmission and drivetrain system, and a decent stereo. that would be a start.

[taterguy]

62. You finished below me in the NCAA tourney bracket

Your opinion has no validity.

Sorry, couldn't resist. :)

[grace0418]

59. Living somewhere with better weather.

There would only be a few precious weeks I could bike to work and not be either frozen, soaking wet with rain, or covered in sweat from the humidity.

[SPKrazy]

61. bike racks at work

and i'd ride there

or let me ride it in and up the elevator to my office :shrug:

i might do that anyway, :wtf:

[ThomCat]

63. If I could physically ride one

and if I had a place to safely stow it at work then I'd do it.

[Lost-in-FL]

65. What would convince me?

A tightening of traffic laws, a change in peoples attitude about driving. Just knowing that I am not going to get killed by some asshole if I use my bike. I think that increasing fines for accidents involving bicycles would force people to be careful around bicycles. I don't know, some people might not agree with this but this is how it works in the Netherlands and it seems to work beautifully.

I wish police not just give tickets for speeding which is only done to collect money and not for security reasons but fines for those who fail to yield the right of way, things as simple as using car signal lights, and respecting the basic traffic rules, etc. Driving here in FL is very bad and at times drivers chase bicycles off the road just for the fun of it. There is just some evil people out there.

I work only 16 miles from my home (one way) and I know I can ride more than that. I would lose much needed weight! Weather here in FL is an issue specially during the summer. I would use my bike at least from late November to around this time of the year when it is still comfortable. I wouldn't mind it at all.

[Chan790]

67. Honestly...

if I didn't live in the mountains of NW CT where the temperature is cold year round and everything is 20 miles away, I'd ride a bike everywhere. When/If I move to NYC (or London)I'm trying to move to either.) I'll probably be a bike person as much as possible.

Things that would encourage most people (both of these require lobbying municipalities or public-service bureaucracies, but not money.):

1.) Greater cooperation from public transit. I'd may not be able to ride my bike everywhere but if I could take a bus from here to Hartford or New Haven with my bike, I'd ride the bike wherever I needed to go once in the city. Currently, I take a car directly to my destination because I can't take the bike on the bus except on rural routes during non-peak hours.

2.) Depending on where you live, a biking waiver of some sort (i.e. save $250 on your property taxes for using your bike instead of a car to get around town on daily tasks) b/c you're reducing wear and tear on roadways and not polluting and staying healthy meaning less strain on public well-being. (These all save your city and state $$$ far beyond the $250 a year.) It might work. You'd have to show them it'd work though.

[Ilsa]

68. I only need two things to resume biking again:

My left rotator cuff to heal;
It not be so hot around here for so long.

I really can't do much about either one right now, but I was riding my bike for all of the nearby stuff I needed to do, and this city is NOT pedestrian friendly. But after my accident (in the home, BTW) in which I hurt my shoulder, That wasn't possible. Even after getting some motion back, I couldn't take a chance on falling an re-injuring myself.

[Maine-ah]

69. riding a bike in the winter

doesn't really thrill me :shrug: Plus I'm 7 miles from town

[alarimer]

70. If all the idiot drivers suddenly learned how to drive

and if it wasn't 95 fucking degrees all summer long, you might convince me it is a good idea. Here it is just to damn hot most of the time. And it is very, very unsafe for bikers here. No bike lanes and people too busy talking on their cell phones to pay attention to bike riders.

But I for one am not going to ride 6 miles to work and be all sweaty before I even start work (I work primarily outside as well so the last thing I want to do is ride my bike 6 miles home after spending all day outside).

[Dastard Stepchild]

71. Safer streets for bike riders...

It's the one thing that keeps me consistently away from my bike. I live in a very crowded, urban area. Aside from choking on car exhaust, which seems detrimental to my health, I've been nearly run off the road several times.

I would love to be a bike riding individual and use this as my primary mode of transportation, but I just don't trust that it won't impact my short/long-term health.

I know that some cities raise the bike lanes up a few inches to act as a barrier between the bikes and the cars. That might possibly convince me. Might. I'd prefer to be able to ride on the sidewalks when no pedestrians are present, though.

[xmas74]

72. If I lived in a city I would ride nonstop.

I would ride my bike to work if I didn't have to travel a couple of miles on a highway.

I enjoy the exercise and I like saving money. My daughter and I either ride or walk when we can.

I don't know-good bike paths would be a plus.

[LynzM]

73. Living less than 33 miles from work

I don't mind biking for stuff in town, would be nicer here if more places had bike racks, though.

[realisticphish]

74. a place to store it

but I live in a campus area, where's there's a lot of stuff within walk/bike distance. It's just that for a lot of people who commute to work, a bike just isn't feasible.

[RandomKoolzip]

75. Well, my car just died, so...

I actually HAVE been riding my bike everwhere. So that's over 25 miles of riding per day, as the college I attend is 12.5 miles from my aparment, and my work place is an additional mile away from said apartment.

It's a hell of a work out, but I like the exercise.

[Jamastiene]

77. a bicycle lane and a decent cart to attach for carrying

my groceries home from the store. Where I live, you don't walk or ride a bicycle if you know what's good for you. The Humvees and the pickup trucks with monster tires will leave a big tire track on your ass, unfortunately.

[helderheid]

78. living in Holland or Boulder, CO

[XemaSab]

79. If I magically gained a sense of balance

:P

[BreweryYardRat]

80. If I lived somewhere other than Florida and was more coodinated.

[ContraBass Black]

81. Is the ground outside littered with violently killed cyclists?

If not, I'm riding to class tomorrow.

[Skittles]

82. nothing

you'd have to be nuts to ride a bike around the DFW metroplex

[NC_Nurse]

83. Fix my knees without surgery.

[unpossibles]

84. I did it for years, but here's my 2¢

1 - safe bike lanes for sure - most car drivers do not seem to realize that bikes are vehicles and allowed on the road, assmuing they see you at all.

2 - I'd have to change jobs. Right now, it's a 30 minute drive or a 45 minute scooter ride and it took me a year to find this job. I love being able to ride/walk to work though.

3 - a third solution would be if we had good public transportation where I live.

[Phillycat]

85. Well, I walk to work and also lots of places in the city. :)

I prefer my own two feet - less of a chance of getting hit by a car that way. :) But I'm guessing I'm not in the group you're trying to convince!

[electron_blue]

86. Make bigger bike lanes

Serious ones, not the narrow ones that basically just encroach into the regular lanes that cars see as "theirs". Serious lanes would be ~5 feet wide and have a double line separating them from traffic. Even better, make bike lanes AWAY from traffic, as I saw in Boulder. What a joy to ride a bike to work or shopping if the lane is physically separated from traffic and goes underneath intersections, instead of having to navigate through lights. I biked to work/school for 15 years and that's the only major complaint I had about the whole experience. I felt like my life was most in danger at intersections and avoided them however possible.

eh, never mind. I now see that you want ideas that don't involve large sums of money. Until cities are ready to spend big money on this, nothing is really going to change.

[TheBaldyMan]

87. I like cycling, I've always enjoyed it.

even in chilly or rainy weather if you are wearing the right gear it's the nicest way to get around, even better than walking.

[Pacifist Patriot]

88. Safe bicycle lanes and less suburban sprawl.

[SacredCow]

89. I commute 35 miles one way....

Sorry, but it ain't going to happen for me.

[Deep13]

90. Thoughtful auto drivers.

[chaska]

91. Somewhere to go that was within biking distance, and...

a safe route. Unfortunately....

I wish I could ride my bike to some destination other than "around the block".