It’s the infrastructure, not intractible cultural differences, that make bicycling safe and possible
Or so says this article (pdf).
In the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, cycling levels are more than ten times higher than in the UK and USA. Dutch, German, and Danishwomen cycle as often as men, and rates of cycling fall only slightly with age. Moreover, cycling is distributed evenly across all income groups. In the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, cycling is truly for everyone and for all trip purposes.
Moreover, cycling in those countries is not viewed as requiring expensive equipment, advanced training, or a high degree of physical fitness. Nor are cyclists forced to muster the courage and willingness to battle motor vehicles on streets without separate bike lanes or paths. On the contrary, Dutch, German, and Danish cyclists ride on simple, inexpensive bikes, almost never wear special cycling outfits, and rarely use safety helmets. Even timid, risk-averse, and safety-conscious individuals can be found cycling, unlike the many millions of Americans and Britons who are terrified by the mere thought of getting on a bike.
[But] cycling was not always thriving in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. Cycling levels plummeted in all three countries from about 1950 to 1975 (Dutch Bicycling Council, 2006). It was only through a massive reversal in transport and urban planning policies in the mid 1970s that cycling was revived to its current successful state. In 1950, cycling levels were higher in the UK than they are now in Germany: almost 15% of all trips. Just as in these other countries, cycling in the UK plummeted from 1950 to 1975, but British cycling never recovered. It continued to fall to its current level of 1.3% of trips, only slightly higher than the 0.9% bike share of trips in the USA
So maybe there is hope for us.
(I got this article off The Stranger’s blog, which asked of the recent Seattle Critical Mass affair, “Who was the biggest asshole?” Luckily they didn’t spend much time on that question and instead looked at broader questions of the bicycle predicament.
Oh and I almost forgot: the Stranger’s article concludes that Seattle cyclists are 25 times more likely to be injured per mile than in cities where proper infrastructure exists.
–Erik Ryberg
July 31st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Is this proper infrastructure?
http://www.geekarmy.com/html/Proper-Cars-Bike-Lanes.html