As Gas Prices Soar So Does City Biking 342
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)."
Tracking (Score:5, Funny)
Tracking commuters has been on the increase with the use of license-plate scaners. When you get them to use a bicycle, that advantage is no longer an option.
So, either we need a very fast computer system to track bicycles based on the images, or we need legislation to ensure every bike has a proper license plate that can be scanned and tracked. Also, a locked down holding container should be placed on each bicycle for the Feds to place their GPS equipment. Last but not least, a mandatory encircled cross on the rider's coat which would make a remote killshots easier. You never know when you need to set an example of environmentalists.
Re:How do you Americans do it? (Score:4, Funny)
When I was a kid, a long long time ago, I asked my mother if they had bikes when she was a kid. She said of course they did. And I unthinkingly said, oh yeah, they had them in the 1800s.
Re:Biking is better (Score:4, Funny)
Odd, my car club encourages us to not have any passengers and to drive as fast as possible without going anywhere. I spend a weekend driving the same route in a circle over and over and over again and trying to do it as fast as I possibly can.
Car clubs in Great Britain are very different than what we have here.
Re:Biking is better (Score:5, Funny)
Odd, my car club encourages us to not have any passengers and to drive as fast as possible without going anywhere. I spend a weekend driving the same route in a circle over and over and over again and trying to do it as fast as I possibly can.
Car clubs in Great Britain are very different than what we have here.
If you don't use apple maps you probably won't have this problem.