American Bicycling - It's a Wilderness Out There

When roads are designed with an automobile-only mentality, the health of the citizenry suffers.

I live in what - geographically - would be an ideal walkable and bikeable neighborhood. My wife Vickie and I both teach at the university two blocks away. There are a dozen restaurants, a grocery store, the city zoo, three coffee shops, a variety of retail offerings, churches and several liquor stores within easy walking and biking distance from our house.

Problem is there are very few sidewalks and no designated bike lanes.
So people drive their cars. Everywhere.

I, however, refuse to bow to "autonationalism" - a term coined by architect/futurist Doug Michels to describe the romantic American ethos of automobile-only travel - and drive two blocks to the university like all of my neighbors do. So I walk or ride my bike on unfriendly terrain, including the there-and-back dash across a busy 4-lane state highway. Though it does get the blood pumping, I feel a bit like Lewis and Clark traveling without the benefit of "trail." Most of the time, I come out unscathed.

(Read a past newspaper column about the time I didn't.)

John Paul Frerer (18) from Tupelo, Mississippi wasn't so lucky. He was recently hit by a truck and killed while riding his bike on a public road in preparation for an upcoming triathlon.

The trouble with autonationalist roads - aside from the health disadvantages - is that they breed a mentality of complacency in drivers. The underlying assumption is that no one travels without a car, so why look out for them.

And then it's over.

Streetsmarts with Streetsblog

Get your dose of local mobility at the Streetsblog network.

Streetsblog.net links to over 300 local blogs from around the country that focus on sustainable transportation. From Savannah to San Francisco, or Miami or Missoula, you'll find what's going on in communities throughout the United States - maybe yours!

The site also links to sustainable transportation advocacy groups, so it's a convenient jumping-off place for research on complete streets, walkable and bikable neighborhoods, and transportation policy. Give it a look.

Know Your Bicycle

From The Complete Book of Bicycling by Eugene A. Sloane, 1970.

The Green Life Cycle

This week's Hattiesburg American column:

Last week I flipped over on my bike and came to terms with the asphalt pavement.

It was a sudden and stunning development. Out of nowhere, a savage concrete curb - otherwise known as a ”No Entry (or Exit)” sign to cars - appeared beneath me, disconnecting two perfectly good parking lots.

And there I lay, contemplating the possibilities and nuances of bike-friendly street design. OK, that last part might be hyperbole, but the thought did briefly cross my mind.

Now, with a clearer head, the question begs to be considered: Instead of frontier justice for cyclists, what if we integrated a system of bike paths into the fabric of our cities and towns? What would happen?

For starters, more people would ride bikes. When dedicated bike routes are convenient, clearly marked and connected, a ride to work or school becomes a desirable option. And step one of a recreational bike ride does not necessarily involve strapping a bike to the back of an automobile.

As a sustainable practice, biking cuts down on fossil fuel use and does not pollute the environment; riding a bike burns calories, not gas and oil.

And the health benefits of regular cycling are obvious. Americans have become ever more obese as auto-dependency has increased. (Who has time to go to the gym with all that driving around?) Why not exercise daily as part of the normal commute?

Biking is a sensory experience. Being in touch with the elements fosters a greater awareness of the surrounding environment. Biking promotes social interaction; try communicating with someone in a fast-passing car.

But it doesn’t stop there. Real money is at stake.

The economic benefits of a cycle-friendly environment include lower health care costs and higher property values. The requisite number of automobiles needed for living a “normal” existence decreases along with associated car maintenance, gas and insurance costs. A hike in biking results in a reduced number of cars on the street extending the road’s surface life. Traffic congestion is relieved allowing shorter travel times and a more pleasant commute for those who do drive.

Here’s the trade-off. Pay a little more for adding bike lanes when it’s time to resurface existing roadways, and we reap the benefit of a higher and healthier quality of life along with the aforementioned economic plusses.

For generations now, the car has ruled as transportation planners designed roads solely for the ease and convenience of the automobile, sacrificing cyclists and pedestrians in the process. By default, the jacked-up price of full participation in society has become one vehicle per adult.

But there is a concept for addressing a wider menu of transportation options than just automobiles - it’s called “complete streets” and involves accommodating bike and pedestrian traffic with equal vigor. In most cases, this can be accomplished without acquiring additional right-of-ways.

Isn’t it time we recycle the way we think about bicycles?

A Solution for High Gas Prices

Nothing makes the point like a timely 3-D art installation. James Moore, proprietor of a local bike shop, fashioned this nice assembly in full view of the "$4-a-gallon" parade. It instantly illustrates, in a very creative way, the ever increasing cost benefits of riding a bike instead of always defaulting to automobile transportation.

James is a great example of being the change you want to see. A long-time bike shop owner and, more recently a city alderman, he is a tireless advocate of "complete streets" and was instrumental in the creating of a local recreational bike trail - a Rails-to-Trails project - now 39 miles in length with additional construction in the works.

"Turn any car into a hybrid" he explains, "by attaching a bike rack to your vehicle." Drive in to work, park your car and run local errands on your bike - brilliant!

And James is slowly educating me on bike-riding etiquette and safety issues. A great example of why buying local is a key element of sustainable living. No Wal-Mart sales associate, cheap Chinese Huffy in box, will ever give you the "hows and whys" of biking 101, but at this local shop, it comes naturally.