I went for a walk during the morning commuting hour yesterday, which I don't usually do. I was surprised by the number of people I saw riding bicycles through the neighborhood streets. This shouldn't be too surprising as I used to see a large number when I commuted by bike, but what I really noted was the high proportion of females and the number of riders who weren't clad in Lycra. In fact, I didn't see any Lycra. I take this to mean that there are more people using bikes to get around than you generally notice, which is a good thing for several reasons. First, bikes are superior to cars when it comes to pollution, fitness, and possibly mental health as well. They are quiet, consume less space, are less likely to severely injure or kill a pedestrian or bicyclist if they collide, and they don't use any fuel or produce greenhouse gasses. If we're not noticing them, that also means that they are less obtrusive than cars. Sadly, many people have given up riding and discourage others because they do not feel there are safe locations to ride.
This post has been moved. Read the entire post at http://wombats-and-cents.blogspot.com/2005/11/bike-lanes-and-ridership.html