Promoting Cycling With Math And Science

sometimes you have to get people to accept something emotionally, and sometimes you beat them about the head and neck with cold hard facts till they suffer greatly and give up. This is that kind of book.

In their new book, John Pucher and Ralph Buehler come right out and state their belief in plain English: “Cycling should be made feasible, convenient, and safe for everyone.” The editors of City Cycling, just published by MIT Press, aim to further that cause by gathering together as much data as they could find to support their case that “it is hard to beat cycling when it comes to environmental, economic, and social sustainability.”(via)

Bicycling in cities is booming, for many reasons: health and environmental benefits, time and cost savings, more and better bike lanes and paths, innovative bike sharing programs, and the sheer fun of riding. City Cycling offers a guide to this urban cycling renaissance, with the goal of promoting cycling as sustainable urban transportation available to everyone. It reports on cycling trends and policies in cities in North America, Europe, and Australia, and offers information on such topics as cycling safety, cycling infrastructure provisions including bikeways and bike parking, the wide range of bike designs and bike equipment, integration of cycling with public transportation, and promoting cycling for women and children.

City Cycling emphasizes that bicycling should not be limited to those who are highly trained, extremely fit, and daring enough to battle traffic on busy roads. The chapters describe ways to make city cycling feasible, convenient, and safe for commutes to work and school, shopping trips, visits, and other daily transportation needs. The book also offers detailed examinations and illustrations of cycling conditions in different urban environments: small cities (including Davis, California, and Delft, the Netherlands), large cities (including Sydney, Chicago, Toronto and Berlin), and “megacities” (London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo). These chapters offer a closer look at how cities both with and without historical cycling cultures have developed cycling programs over time. The book makes clear that successful promotion of city cycling depends on coordinating infrastructure, programs, and government policies.(via)

Seems like an interesting read.

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Bad Science: Morning Ride Poll

I know this is not statistically or scientifically valid, but on my morning ride in I like to poll the other cyclists I see.

Today I saw the following (all numbers estimates):

about 30-40 cyclists (high for a day like today)
95% wore a helmet
60% ladies
40% gents
30% single speeds
70% geared bikes

I am excited to see so many ladies out riding, I feel like there has been a giant increase in both the amount of people riding and the quality of their riding. Many more people are following the law, riding in a normal manner, and the increase in the number of lady cyclists tells me that the city is starting to feel more bike friendly (ladies tend to have better common sense and take less risks).

What was your morning commute like?

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