Lane Envy
By now I’m sorta tired of reading about how great bike infrastructure is in a place like the Netherlands.
But slowly the U.S. is getting a little better at building those ordinary bike paths. Reading about new things happening in each city gets me wondering if the bike lanes are greener on the other side.
And as I follow for every bit of news about improving infrastructure it’s frustrating to learn about ridiculous places that are way ahead of my own locale.
Sometimes it seems to make more sense to move rather than wait for slow incremental change around me.
Solar Roads?
Google “Solar Roads are Bullshit” to see two videos to explain why they are not now and not likely to be in the future anything like break even.
Boston is getting one mile of cycletrack! WooHoo indeed. Y’all c’mon down to B’moretowne. But One mile of cycletrack. “Stop complaining. It has to start somewhere.”
And I agree. Boston is putting in one whole mile of feel good shiny thing. It’s a good intention that goes from nowhere to no place.
And we all know what the road to Hell is paved with.
Maybe put the solar panels up in the air as a sort of roof, to provide shade and some protection from the rain, snow, and hail. Such a thing exits in South Korea — not very scenic, since it’s in the median of a highway, but the structure works. http://road.cc/content/news/148063-south-korean-solar-powered-bike-lane-whizzes-cyclists-along-six-lane-motorway
Yes, sharrows and BMUFL signage are absolutely infrastructure. They make it crystal clear to motorists that cyclists are allowed use of the road just like they are.
I prefer roads that are car-free.
Also may I suggest a CyclingSavvy course, such as one near Boston in Providence, RI? Instead of waiting for things to change around you, or moving to a whole other city, perhaps a class like CS can help increase confidence so that you can go anywhere by bike, regardless of what infrastructure exists or doesn’t exist.
I have cycled many thousands of miles in the last 3 years, much of that using CS principles. But I only just got to take the full CS course last month, and I found there was still more to learn.
I don’t think BikeyFace is just complaining, this she does is also activism, reaching people far beyond her arms length and in a very effective language.
Love your work, so I hate to be picky but … “Antarctica.”