Seattle Bike-Transportation Jackpot!

Seattle is a bike-friendly place. (If only they could do something about that liquid sunshine... but that's what they're famous for! That, and coffee, and grunge-nostalgia.) (Oh - and the Space Needle, and those dudes who throw fish back and forth.) But it's not as bike-friendly as Portland, and Mayor Greg Nickels wants to change that! This article from The Seattle Times touts a $240 million bike-facility improvement dream, which includes 100 miles of new bike lanes, bike/ped improvements to bridges, etc. ($27 million is already budgeted; the rest remains on the planning table, at least for now.)

To Mayor Nickels' credit, he has involved actual bicyclists in the planning and prioritizing. What a novel concept! (His detractors point out that he gets to and from work in a chauffeur-driven limousine. Hmmm...)

So - are dedicated bike facilities good?

Absolutely!

There are a certain number of would-be cyclists who don't feel safe in traffic, but who will use a dedicated path or lane. A supporter says, "children and novices need paths to build confidence and skill before they venture into road lanes."

Are dedicated bike facilities bad? Silly question?

The way I see it, only where there is ignorance about bikes-as-transportation. (Many cyclists disagree. The Times article, linked above, mentions the differences of opinion.)

Unfortunately, there are folks who don't understand that cyclists can legally ride in the roadway. (Idaho State Law is quite clear on that.) And dedicated facilities can add to the misconception - a mistaken belief that bicycles belong only on dedicated bike paths, or bike lanes.

(Of course, a large segment of society believes the money would be better used to add more car lanes. Somehow, they're convinced that what failed miserably in Los Angeles will be successful in Seattle... or Boise... or wherever. I say no matter how much asphalt you make available, people in their cars will fill it, so you'll always need more.)

Transportation cyclists should be familiar with the name John Forester. He is a transportation scientist - in fact, he may be the "Yoda" of bikes-as-transportation. I agree with his declaration, "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." Dedicated facilities go against the "vehicular cyclist" grain, just a little bit. Or so it seems to me.

Besides, there isn't a bike path to every possible destination.

Wherever there is a dedicated bike facility in my riding area, I'll gladly use it, and be grateful for it. (I generally won't alter my route to take the bike path, if it adversely impacts my trip time... unless the path is super-sweet and I'm in no hurry.)

My dream street design is Adams Street, in Garden City (between Vet's Parkway and the Fairgrounds area). It has a nice wide lane in each direction with no parking and plenty of visibility, a center lane for turning and passing slower-moving vehicles, and no special bike striping or designation. THAT is the way it should be done.

Why Bike Transportation? Reason #4

Reason #10 – "Unrighteous Pride"
Reason #9 - The Environment
Reason #8 – Sense of Achievement
Reason #7 - Social Responsibility / Conservation
Reason #6 - A Feast for the Senses
Reason #5 - Independence and Self-Reliance

Reason #4 - Exercise and Physical Health

In the space of two generations, consider how society has evolved.

Fifty or sixty years ago, many more people lived in rural settings, and had plenty of physical labor. Those who lived in the city did manual labor at shops, factories, etc. (That was back before bureaucratic stuff like OSHA and 50-pound lifting limits.)

Criminy! As recently as the early 70s, I got a job unloading 100-pound flour sacks out of a box car, and into a local bakery. (I didn't last too long in that job. Even though I only did it once a week, I discovered it took a week to recuperate, after lifting 650 or so of those things!)

There's still some hard work out there, but not nearly so much. (Much of it is done by immigrants, because us gringos are unwilling. But that's a different, much-belabored story.)

When I was a kid, there was P.E. at school... and when you came home, you played tag, kickball, cowboys and injuns, etc. Nowadays P.E. has been largely done away with, and after school kids play Nintendo, or watch TV, or yap on their cell phones.

But it goes beyond that. We conquered physical labor... now we are striving for a totally sedentary existence! Everything is remote-control, so it can be operated from the easy chair. Electric garage door for your car (with power steering, power brakes, electric fold-down seats and electric windows)... riding mower with electric start... escalators... electric knife... can opener... toothbrush...

What are we saving our strength for? (Just a rhetorical question... our strength is gone!)

When I tell my kids I used to have to get up and walk across the room to change channels on the TV, they look at me like I'm from Neptune. Nowadays there's an electric, automatic flusher on toilets!

Lack of physical exercise has caused an epidemic that we hear a lot about these days... the OBESITY epidemic.

But it's not just obesity. It's mobility and overall health, too. I regularly observe people who appear to be about my age or younger (I'm 53), who just kind of waddle about, looking as though movement is very uncomfortable and distateful. That is SCARY! (Use it or lose it!)

(If Darwin was right about that evolution thing, at this point we should slowly be evolving into humanoid-like creatures with tiny, underdeveloped legs, barely suitable for mobility... and puny girly-man arms... and hands with huge, super-strong remote-control-pushing thumbs! I'm envisioning Jabba the Hut, but with giant thumbs.)

Strangely, we've got more "leisure" time than at any period in history. And yet many people can't find the time (or perhaps it's the inclination) to do anything of a physical nature. It's so much easier to sit in the La-Z-Boy, punch the buttons on the remote, and eat Cheetos.

My employer is doing a "Physical Activity Challenge," to improve overall employee health. The "challenge" is to do 800 minutes of exercise over an 8 week period... that's 14.3 minutes per day. This "exercise" can be either moderate or vigorous, and qualified activities include brisk walking, slow cycling, gardening, or "hard work around the house." Wow! I get tired just thinking about it! I believe I'll go sit down and eat some ice cream.
(-;

Some people are concerned enough that they try to take action. They get involved in after-hours sports teams, jogging, hiking, and the like. Others join a health club, where they have access to weights, exercise machines, etc.

I've tried jogging - made my shins hurt and took time away from other pastimes. I've tried the fitness center - it was WAY too much like hamster-on-a-treadmill.

(I don't want to pick on the fitness-center people, because it's great if you can do it. But it always has seemed very odd to me to drive your car to the fitness center, change into your bike clothes, ride a stationary bicycle for an hour, take a shower and change back into your street clothes, and drive home. But the world would be boring if we all thought alike, huh?)

What if I told you there's an activity that would give you some daily quality exercise, requre very little additional time out of your schedule, and drastically reduce your transportation expenses?

Too good to be true?

NOPE! Straddle that two-wheeler!

Even if I just ride to and from work, that's 30-35 minutes of quality cardiovascular exercise. (I met the office "Physical Activity Challenge.") And that's in addition to all my OTHER good reasons for riding. If you can't remember, time for a little review.

If I drove to work every day, I figure driving, parking, and walking to the front door of the office would take about that same amount of time.

So, am I the picture of sculpted physical perfection? Are people always mistaking me for Lance Armstrong? Heck no! I'm a middle-aged fat guy! But I'd be way fatter... or dead... or forced by my doctor to give up Hershey bars (which would be worse than being dead!)... without the bike-exercise. (It's not just the chocolate. It's both a blessing and a curse to have a wife and daughters who are excellent cooks.) When I go to the doctor once a year, I'm consistently declared VERY healthy - heart rate in the low-to-mid-60s, normal blood pressure and cholesterol, blah-blah.

Physical work - it's a good thing. Bicycling is a great form of physical work, for so many reasons.

With Friends Like These...

UPDATE on April 6...

Commenters (including eyewitnesses) have shed much light - see the comments. (In particular, commenter "Bike" provided this link to what seems a well-balanced video report.) At this point, I'd say the Matier/Ross article definitely blew the incident way out of proportion. Nevertheless, there was an unpleasant confrontation, and damage was inflicted by several parties. ($5300 in damage to the van? I'm not seeing it... a couple scratches and a broken back window. And it would seem that the van driver was not the totally-innocent victim that she's playing.)

Hopefully this was an isolated incident. As a somewhat partial outside observer, I like the Critical Mass "in concept." But the participants must realize that it's a public-relations opportunity. If non-cyclists are routinely victimized, the tide of public opinion could easily turn against cyclists.

THANKS for all the thoughtful opinions.

---

I ran across this distressing article today.

Have you heard of "Critical Mass" rides? They take place mostly in larger cities, supposedly to assert cyclists' rights to the roadways, and to raise bicycle awareness.

San Francisco is home to one of the more prominent Critical Mass rides; it takes place once a month.

At the March Critical Mass, a surburban family was victimized. They came into town to celebrate their 11-year-old's birthday. (Mom and Dad and their five kids in the family truckster.) They unknowingly crossed paths with hundreds of rambunctious cyclists, who proceeded to terrorize them. (There's no other word for it.) The kids were terrified; their vehicle sustained $5300 in damage, including a bicycle thrown through the back window, spraying the interior with shards of glass.

The cops were summoned. They suggested that Dad write an indignant letter to the mayor. The SFPD spokesman said, "We sit there and they just go right through the red lights ... What else can we do? Arrest one rider while 500 keep going?"

That would be a start. How about driving a squad car through the intersection when the cross-light is green? It might take a few times, but even (surviving) lawless anarchists would catch on eventually. (Tough talk from Bike Nazi, huh??)

I very much resent cyclists who ignore traffic laws. They are part of the problem, NOT part of the solution. They stir up animosity and resentment on the part of other roadway users, and who needs that?

SAME ROAD - SAME RULES - SAME RIGHTS - that's my motto.

(By the way, I once participated in a Boise "Critical Mass" ride. We started at the Co-Op on Fort Street with maybe 30 riders. Our destination was an ACHD Commissioners' meeting... in Kuna! Commissioner Sherry Huber, who's never been very bike-friendly, decided to hold the meeting out on her turf. I believe about half of the starters made it all the way to Kuna, including one guy on his vintage single-speed "cruiser" bike. I was impressed! Far as I know, my friend Woody and I were the only ones who rode back home afterwards, on our bikes.)

Turn, Turn, Turn

"Remember the big Folk-Music Scare of the 60s? That stuff almost caught on!"
- Martin Mull

Commie / folk musician Pete Seeger claims to have written a song, made famous by The Byrds.

To every thing, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
etc.

In reality, the words were written by some guy named Ecclesiastes, and can be found in the Old Testament. (Look it up in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3.)

So... what does any of this have to do with bicycling?

Sometimes people get defensive when they read my words promoting bicycling.

A guy (? - perhaps a woman; went by the handle of "Shamrock") out of Carey, Idaho, had this to say:

"Question- how many groceries can you haul on that hog? Can it pull a loaded horse trailer, a load of wood, and just how far do you sail when you get blown off the road?"

If you've never been to Carey, you've missed out. In my estimation, it is a charming, rural place. It's located about halfway between Ketchum and Craters of the Moon. US Highway 20 goes right through the middle of town, and "town" is maybe 2 blocks wide and 6 blocks long. The population (2000 census) is 513. If you could do without big-city amenities, and could find employment (mostly agricultural in those parts, I'm guessing), it would be downright tolerable. I'm sure "Shamrock" loves it in Carey.

And you know, he's right! As much as I hate to admit it, I can't pull even an empty horse trailer with my bike! Load of firewood? Fuggeddaboudit! (I'm feeling so inadequate today!)

I was conversing with a friend yesterday. He said, "Hey, I ran across your blog. I read some of it - seems like you were railing against people who drive to work."

Wow? Is it that harsh? That's certainly not my intention.

My intention is to share with readers my enthusiasm for bicycle-as-transportation, and why. I reserve the right to occasionally make comparisons between driving-to-work, and riding-to-work. I feel I'm qualified, because I'm experienced at both.

There are obviously hauling and towing tasks that cannot be accomplished with a bicycle. (And I'm guessing "Shamrock" doesn't drive himself and his sack lunch to an office building, 5 days a week.)

To every thing, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn...

A time to ride the bike... a time to fire up that Super-Duty Diesel Pickup.

Does it make sense now?

I doubt they've ever had a traffic jam in Carey... or a yellow air-quality day... unless it happens on the weekend of the big Alfalfa Days Festival or something.

Now, I'm sure there are some gentleman ranchers, and maybe even city slickers, who have to haul a load from time to time. And if it's a bulky or heavy load, a bicycle obviously wouldn't do. But what does that have to do with getting said rancher or slicker to his girly-man "day job," 5 days a week? Is he stuck driving the F350, like it or not, even if he only needs its hauling/towing capabilities 3 days a year? (I s'pose it would be pretty embarrassing, if somebody who knows him, saw him riding his girly-bike to his girly-job. After all, he has an image to maintain.)

I try to REGULARLY mention... it would be hard to go through life, surrounded by our 21st-century car culture and car infrastructure, without an automobile. (People seemed to do it just fine, 75 or 100 years ago.) I'm grateful we have a car in our family (the wife's minivan) for use when the time is right.

To every thing, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn...

Exotic Bikes

Steel is what the original bike was made out of. And steel is still the most popular frame-building material. If your bike is from K-Mart or Target, the frame is pretty much just sections of thin-wall pipe welded together. As you spend more $ and upgrade, you get better material, and better manufacturing and construction techniques.

There are a lot of alternatives to steel in the 21st century. Aluminum is popular. At the higher end, frames are constructed of titanium, carbon fiber, etc.

I've attached some photos of truly-exotic bicycle frames. One is bamboo. (Actually rather ingenious - it's organic, but it's strong and lightweight, and its fibrous composition gives it a lot in common with oriented carbon fiber.) The other is wood. It's Clancy's homemade wooden bicycle. He built it himself, and I am totally impressed! You may see him riding it, on the streets of Boise. (It looks a little heavier than some of the bikes out there. And I've told him he needs to be careful on windy days... a sudden side-gust could send him airborne. But it is beautiful, functional, and ingenious.)

If you're interested, there's an article about bike frames on the Wikipedia. (I'm cautious about using the Wikipedia when I'm looking up information that's disputed. But bike frames aren't that controversial, huh?)

Greenbelt Lore #1

I once heard the Greenbelt described as "Boise's Crown Jewel."

(For readers who might not be familiar with Boise's "Greenbelt," it's a series of mostly-paved pathways that run parallel to the Boise River. It stretches almost 20 miles, from Lucky Peak Dam at the east end, to Garden City on the west end. For the most part, the pavement is probably 8-12 feet wide - adequate for single-file, 2-way, non-motorized traffic. That traffic is close to non-existent in winter, and extremely heavy on a perfect summer day.)

And indeed, it is a fabulous resource for recreation and communing with nature.

Less so as a transportation corridor, unfortunately.

Although many non-riders can't seem to understand why.

I was once riding on Cole Road, and was asked by a motorist, "Why don't you people stick to the Greenbelt?"

Well, mister, the Greenbelt is nice, but it just won't take me to the orthodontist's office. (All three of my daughters were wearing braces at the time... I was giving the doctor some serious help with his boat payments that year.) A transportation cyclist, like his counterparts in their cars and trucks, has to pick a route that will take him to his destination.

The Greenbelt has other drawbacks. My colleague Danielo has waxed eloquent on the mix of humanity that floods the Greenbelt on a nice day. They make it tough for transportation cyclists.

Here's a typical recipe:

- Put 2 people on the Greenbelt.
- Add 2 more people, on bicycles, who happen to know the first 2 people.
- They cross paths. So the cyclists park their bikes (on the pavement), and the 4 of 'em engage in jovial conversation (on the pavement).

Are you getting the idea? If you're driving down I-84 and see some people you know, do you stop your car in the middle of the road, and then all of you stand in the middle of the road to chit-chat? I'd guess not.

- Add a guy with an unleashed dog. (Sure, the sign says "All dogs must be on leash," but his dog is apparently "special.")
- Add a gal with a leashed dog - one of those 30-foot spring-loaded retractable leashes, so her dog can run from side to side or make 30-foot circles around her.
- Add 3 or 4 wankers on their BMX bikes, chattering and riding like squirrels, only less predictably.
- Add a "roller blader," whose back-and-forth gliding motion occupies 7.5 feet of the 8-foot-wide pathway.

Is there any thing that compares, on a public roadway? Would motorists, and the law-enforcement community, tolerate such a situation?

- Add a few cell-phone yakkers. (Both on foot and on bike. If I have to talk on my cell phone, I stand still, out of traffic. Maybe it's because I see cell-phone-yammering people do such stupid-looking things when they're on the move. Totally unpredictable.)
- Add some gal whose head is obviously in the clouds, as she stares up at them. (Not a bad pastime... but NOT while you're strolling on a public, mixed-mode path!) She starts... she stops... she wanders from side to side.
- Now add some bonehead Lance Armstrong wanna-be, decked out in his lycra team colors, dodging the other users at 25mph on his road bike. (A poser. REAL road-cyclists use the... you guessed it - ROAD!!)
- Now add 3 sweet little blue-hair ladies, who like to chat as they walk. So they walk 3 abreast, mostly oblivious to other pathway users. (I'm always afraid to approach or say something, for fear one of 'em will get startled and have a heart attack.)

- Now add the MOTORIZED traffic.

"But Bike Nazi!" you exclaim. "There are 'no motor vehicle' signs everywhere! Surely motor vehicles would create hazards!"
One would think.
But apparently "official government" motor vehicles are somehow exempt. (Ain't that ALWAYS the case!) I see park maintenance vehicles, "greenbelt patrol" vehicles, police vehicles. NONE look like they belong. (I've actually seen Garden City cops driving a regular squad car on their stretch of Greenbelt. If that isn't an accident-waiting-to-happen, I don't know what is.)

Like Danielo says, it's totally frustrating for somebody who's just trying to get from Point A to Point B. (Unlike during winter, when all those incompetents stay indoors.)

March Bicycling Report

I rolled up 572 miles, on 31 days. All but 2 days were at least 10+ mile days. (I keep track in 5-mile increments; my longest day was >30 but <35 miles.) Non-bicycle trips to work - ZERO again.

I've switched to the high-pressure skinny tires now, and am thus enjoying lower rolling resistance, although I'm slightly more vulnerable to flats - particularly from goatheads.