Taking a Hint: The Conversion to a Bike Friendly Nation

Western Europe is leaps and bounds ahead of the United States in terms of committing to a healthier planet through the creation a bicycle friendly environment. Here in Los Angeles, a city that is flooded by cars as well as cyclists (see picture left), riders can be hesitant about taking to the streets since often road conditions are so poor they are hazardous. A concern for safety and bike theft are two of the greatest reasons why more people choose not to ride bicycles according to polls done in San Francisco and Philadelphia. Drivers who are reluctant to share the road are a result of poor public education about the California Vehicle Code. They often force cyclists to the side of the road which may cracked, lined with drains, or simply of lesser quality. Many drivers believe that bikes are to be ridden on the sidewalk or in the lane reserved for parked cars where drivers swing open their doors without so much as a glance into traffic. However, according to the Vehicle Code, bicyclists ought to ride as close to the right of the street as is “practicable,” meaning that a large pothole or broken glass is justifiable cause to momentarily ride nearer to the middle of the street. Public concern in California for environmental issues is nowhere near that of other parts of the world that have begun to take significant steps to enable their cyclists in an effort to become more eco-friendly.

Other states have begun to recognize the importance of protecting their cyclists by instating a law to protect them with a three-foot minimum for passing. In California, however, bicycle legislation is at a standstill. Could it be the excessive traffic burgeoning within an inadequate number of lanes? Or perhaps the refusal to admit that cycling is already quite prevalent in many cities, and would be even more so if it were safer? I will have to agree with K.C. Butler, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition and say that “bicycling still isn’t seen as a serious mode of transportation by many policy- makers, organizations and a good portion of the public.” This is the inherent struggle of attempting to create a bike friendly city. In order to achieve this many roads must be repaved, greater transportation networks are needed in areas which otherwise are not bicycle accessible, and the general public should be provided an education as to how to drive with bikes when first learning to operate a car. The list goes on and on. While these changes would require an upheaval of the current methods, not to mention the political fuel and funds to carry them out, the benefits of creating a city in which cars and bikes can coexist are manifesting themselves in a number of cities.

Along with China, the United States tops the list of countries using the greatest quantities of oil; two thirds of that oil is used to fuel vehicles. In the past, politicians have cited economical reasons for their refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which required participating countries to lower their emissions by 5.2% from their numbers during 1990 over the course of 4 years. All fifteen of the then current members of the European Union ratified the agreement.

Copenhagen is one of the most eco-friendly cities in the world. They have made environmental consciousness one of their greatest priorities. Over there, 36% of the population commute daily by bike (see picture, above). Their local government has been instrumental in creating accomdations for its cyclists. Some of the initiatives being debated in Copenhagen to encourage bikers might seem extremist or unnecessary to Americans. For example, one proposal is to close one of the city’s busiest streets, Nørrebrogade, to automobile traffic to make it safer for cyclists to travel along its relatively narrow lanes. This has been well- received among the people of Copenhagen. Since so many in Copenhagen rely on their bicycles as their sole means of transportation, safer conditions and an abundance of bike parking facilities have become a necessity.

A government that caters to its cyclists can make a number of positive changes for both its citizens and the greater world, and without political support these changes are next to impossible. In Copenhagen, for example, by increasing the number of everyday bicycle commuters in the city by 14%, officials anticipate that their citizens will be able to lower their carbon emissions another 80,000 tons every year. Although President Bush does sometimes address environmental issues, the trend is to focus legislation on what can be done for cars rather than what can be done to facilitate other less destructive means of transportation. This is simply Bush changing the rules to appear productive instead of designating the appropriate funds to actually invest in a solution. The recent signing of the energy bill is just another example of this as the bill raises the standard for fuel-efficiency for new cars from 25 to 35 miles per gallon. A Copenhagen-esque biker’s utopia may currently seem a bit futuristic or improbable to Californians, but in no way is the achievement of a bike-friendly society out of our reach. In order to acheive this kind of city, Los Angeles will have to foster greater public education and concern about the effect of our carbon emissions on the environment, and explore methods to improve our effect.