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As Gas Prices Soar So Does City Biking
Hugh Pickens writes "As California's gas prices hit record highs, the millions of dollars spent in recent years on commuter bike lanes and public transportation projects in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major cities are being seen in a new light by many drivers. Jason Dearen reports that San Francisco is seeing a 71-percent increase in cyclists in the past five years, and Los Angeles is reporting a 32 percent increase from 2009-2011. Both findings gibe with the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which found a 63 percent increase in bicycle commuters from 2000 to 2010 in the nation's 70 largest cities. 'In some ways it's a perfect storm of events that is starting to take place,' says Claire Bowin, head of policy planning for Los Angeles' planning department. Getting people out of cars 'is a very daunting task, but on other hand we have largely benefited from a growing community here that is demanding these things.' Los Angeles is building almost 1,600 miles of bike infrastructure (PDF) over the next five years. Los Angeles County's Metrolink, which features open train cars for bike riders is seeing record ridership. Changing attitudes about cars — caused by climate change — are helping these efforts as people in their twenties and thirties have adopted biking in larger numbers than previous generations (PDF)."
It's healthier and it's more fun. The idea that the car equals freedom is pretty much dead these days if you live anywhere with a dense population. Cars are for the fat and lazy.
Bicyclists darn sure do pay taxes for roads.
Interstates are paid roughly 100% with federal gasoline taxes. Bicyclists don't pay those taxes, but don't use interstates either.
State roads, depending on the state, are paid approx 10% - 50% with state gasoline taxes, the rest with general revenue. Bicyclists do pay general revenue.
Local roads -- which are most roads -- are paid for with state/fed grants and a big chunk of local taxes. The most common local tax is property tax, and bicyclists typically live somewhere, and therefore pay the tax directly based on the home they own or indirectly through their rent.
If gas taxes paid 100% of the road maintenance costs, US gas taxes would rival the UK.
Support a few technologists in Washington.
Yes it is. 15 miles one way is exactly my commute, I use a heavy mountainbike and I am fat. A lighter person on a light road bike would have it even easier.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
Minneapolis/St. Paul: It's becoming more common to see folks using incredibly fat-tired mountain bikes in all weathers, but regular bikes (even road bikes) are now seen every winter, even below 0F. Credit to determined riders and cities that make an effort. Bike trails are plowed by specialized equipment, although at a delay like you mentioned, riders still venture out on the streets. Thanks to all for using bike lights, even during the day.
I live 20 min drive from work, 10 min bike. Driving in the downtown core of a major city is counter-productive.
AccountKiller
Why it doesn't automatically give you a walk signal is beyond me.
At most intersections pedestrians aren't trying to cross the road. So the lights are shorter to keep traffic following. By pressing the button it extends the amount of time on that cycle to give pedestrians time to safely cross the street.
It works reasonably well in Stockholm. Maybe just because I seldom start off towards work until 8 am and by then the plowing is usually done even on the bike lanes. Over the last two winters with really heavy snowfall I was only forced to use some other transportation once or twice due to snow. (I chose not to take the bike on many more occasions but that's a different story.) I use studded tyres during the winter of course.
Nope. The US problem is that you have built all your cities for cars instead of for people. Rural areas are about the same in any western country, you will need a car for some things. I live in Sweden and in the countryside most people need cars to get around as well. Our cities however are built for people, with sidewalks, bicycle lanes and decent public transport.
Having a car engine designed for gas mileage instead of as a penis extension also helps a lot with gas costs. I was in the US last summer and drove around the south with my brother. The car was a small, normal car but it used at least 1.1 litre of gas per 10 km. A comparable car in Europe uses something like 0,6-0,7 litres per 10 km. Plenty of cars are avilable over here that use 0,4-0,5 litres per 10 km, and no, they arent just Priuses.
Now the world has gone to bed, Darkness won't engulf my head, I can see by infra-red, How I hate the night.
Hi, 6', 220lbs, 52 here. 9.5 miles one-way over the 300' hill (max grade is 10%), 10.5 if I take the flat route, 12.5 if I take the fewer-cars-buy-groceries-on-the-way route. I have two advantages -- I raced as a kid, so I *knew* what was possible for "old" people, and I have a really bad attitude, which is a force that can be used for good.
So. The first time sucked. The second time sucked. So did the third time. Somewhere in there I did a one-week, 300 mile bike trip with a bunch of boy scouts (sleeping, first three nights, involved finding a part to lie down on that was neither a sore muscle nor a poky bone -- i.e., none of the available parts). That helped a lot, but even afterwards I noticed definite improvement for the next few months.
It continued to slowly get easier for the next three years, and since then has reached the don't-give-a-shit stage. The legs just go, though sometimes I'll noticed that they're sore if I do a lot 4 days in a row. So I would say it probably goes on a scale of weeks-months-years. I know that in the space of a few months there were substantial improvements in my blood chemistry (because you know, cholesterol, triglycerides, crap like that).
What I recommend: (1) do NOT obsess about weight. The weight weenies have ruined cycling in this country. I break bike parts, because the weight weenies wanted to save a few more grams, and the manufacturers complied. I ride a bicycle that weighs 65 pounds. (2) Get good tires. I recommend Schwalbe; they sell sizes that fit very many bikes, excellent quality, low rolling resistance, durable. If you have an old mountain bike or hybrid, you might be able to manage Big Apples (huge slick tires) or Fat Franks. (3) You probably want to avoid those straight flat bars that so many mountain bikes come with. Why do they put those on bikes? I have no fucking idea, they are poison to my wrists, and the same for many of my friends. You want "North Road", "Albatross", "Porteur", or "Left Bank" (I recommend Left Bank). Don't be afraid to complain, don't be too afraid to spend a little money (filled up my wife's car today, that was the cost of a pair of handlebars). (4) Saddle. Not sure I can help you there; I seem to have an iron butt. Brooks leather saddles are popular, look nice, have modest snob appeal, and work for me, but they don't work for everyone. Be wary of the plush-fat-ass saddle; that's a great short-term solution that may not work for very many miles. A little padding might be all you need; you don't want to bruise, but all that squoshy stuff on some saddles will also provide friction over a large part of your butt, and may also squoosh into places that it is not welcome (use your imagination). A hard saddle might be improved by a seat cover, especially a slippery one that provides a trace of padding (Aardvark is the brand I like).
The tire and handlebar advice are doubled if you must ride with traffic -- you want to see the cars, you want them to see you, and you want a tire that will be your friend if you have to eat a pothole or hop a curb because some clown failed to notice you in the road and you need to be elsewhere fast.
Also, lights. I'm not organized enough to keep batteries charged, so I spent money for a dynamo hub, and just run my lights all the time, day and night. Modern LED lights are awesome, though pricy. I built my own (3 caps, 4 diodes, hex-puck mounted CREE power LEDs, stock lenses, aluminum angle for heat sink and mount, acrylic mirror to keep the light out of my eyes, and P clamps and bell clamps for mounting hardware).
For winter riding, you want relatively narrow tires with soft compound rubber, with studs. About the narrowest studded tire for 700c wheels is around 32mm.
The studs are for ice.
The soft compound is so the tire is compliant in colder temperatures.
The narrowness helps cut through snow down to the road surface.
A fat tire will ride on top of the snow, where there's zero traction.
Please help metamoderate.
Step-through bikes are the norm and are not considered "women's" bikes.
That one isn't true -- In the Netherlands step-through bikes are still considered a female model (originally made that way to accommodate wearing a skirt/dress), Men's bikes pretty much all have a horizontal bar closing the gap to increase structural integrity. That said, it's not that rare for men to ride a women's bike and vice-versa
While a Dutch bike is comfortable to ride on flat surfaces, they are less suited for hilly terrain -- which is a non-issue in the Netherlands since the whole place is about a flat as can be. They suck to have to climb a hill or bridge on a windy day, though.