Cycletracks in more U.S. cities

[PotomacCyclist]

http://blogs.bicycling.com/blogs/thehub/welcome-to-the-protected-bike-lane-boom

Pittsburgh, Honolulu and Houston are all adding new cycletracks. Cycletracks can help to increase the popularity of cycling, especially among those who have concerns about riding near city automobile traffic. When cycling becomes more widespread, other road users (drivers) may become more aware of safety needs. (Yes, I know we still have many aggressive drivers in the D.C. area, but I do see many drivers looking out for bike and pedestrian traffic.)

As cycling grows in popularity outside of the traditional cities like Portland and Minneapolis, perhaps we will see continued movement on transportation planning issues. As NACTO and AASHTO incorporate bike lane designs, then city and state planners will become more comfortable with including bike infrastructure to new projects and to repaving of existing infrastructure. Perhaps bike infrastructure and transportation planning will become less of a partisan issue. (I’m still not sure why car driving, to the near exclusion of all other modes of transportation, is seen by some as “conservative.” If nothing else, all that gas consumption helps to prop up world oil prices, and there are some not-so-friendly oil-producing countries out there.)

While the U.S. won’t become Denmark or the Netherlands any time soon, at least it is becoming more bike-friendly than it was 20 and 30 years ago.

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