Three Elements for Building A Bicycle Culture

There are Three Elements which are essential for building a successful bicycle culture.

Safety

Currently residents are reluctant to casually cycle in our city or allow their children to cycle to school because our streets are simply too dangerous for all be experienced sports cyclists.  The accident resulting in the death of a boy cycling to school both accentuated the problem resulting in even more parents driving their kids to school.

It is clear that until residents Feel our roads safe for their children and themselves to use they will not ride their bikes casually on our dangerous streets.  The City must take measures that will alleviate the concerns of resident that the streets are safe before biking can even begin a popular casual pastime and major transportation alternative for students to get to school.

Appeal

 Once residents have overcome the fear of unsafe streets for biking there needs to be more intensive for increasing the number of residents cycle around town.

Making bicycle routes more attractive with tree shaded and landscaped routes and interesting and safe destinations such as parks and shopping will attract more bicyclists.  The more amenities there are on major bicycle routes the more residents will use their bikes instead of cars as a transportation alternative.  Providing interesting bike trails will help bring out bikers.

Convenience

Biking must eventually be made more convenient than driving.  Small mixed use shopping and housing communities can be designed throughout the city in the more distant future to make shopping much closer to where residents live instead of large shopping developments that one must drive to.

Progressively closing off such roads in additional to other residential areas in the future when bike are far more popular will result in shorter bike trips but long car rides will make the city of the future increasingly more convenient for bicycle riding.  Bicycle expressways can be designed to enhance bicycle mobility.  Such infrastructure is far less expensive than building and expanding roads.

Bicycles used as the primary mode of transportation for short intercity traveling will eliminate future traffic gridlock and car traffic as well as car related serious accidents making our streets far safer and Sustainable for future population Growth.  The space saved in reduced parking space, street widths will allow more classrooms and housing units to be built into the future resulting in further Sustained Growth.