Bike lanes cause quite a stir

-
DodgertonSkillhause

Recently I was fascinated with seeing the amount of bike lanes when visiting Cambridge, Massachusetts. It looks like an innovative program which encourages citizens to travel by bike rather than automobile. That very idea has been done on a smaller scale in Atlanta. Just like the streetcar in the downtown area, bike lanes' reception has been lukewarm to motorists, who seem to be in more of a hurry these days than every before in the city's history. So, there's no doubt the common complaint is that the lanes take away from sedans, SUVs, trucks and minivans. 

Especially here in the car-loving U.S., there's no doubt that implemented bike lanes is a risk for any city leader. Just ask current Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, who was once chewed out on ABC-TV's The View by co-host Whoopi Goldberg. It would be an understatement to say that Ms. Goldberg has been nonplussed by the bike lanes in New York City.

I came across this awesome article on BBC's website about slow streets. If you have a moment, give the article a read. I like how the article touches how COVID has played a role in bike travel as well as how cities like Oakland, CA, Paris, Rom, Bogota, Colombia have changed with more cycling. Another great point in the piece is that bike lanes seem to only be created in areas where there is a decent economy or an expected economic boom. Check out the feature - it is interesting. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Most viewed

Condos. Cutting-edge restaurants. Trendy shopping.

-
There’s a whole other side to Orlando beside the massive Disney World in nearby Lake Buena Vista. If the ordinary Disney trip doesn’t interest you this year, try an extraordinary visit to Orlando and its neighborhoods. You’ll quickly learn that the area is full of historic districts and ethnic diversity. (more)
Read more

Take time out for Virginia’s Shenandoah region

-
About 30 years ago my family made a classic 1970s trek to Washington, D.C. Even though the sights and sounds of D.C. left an impression on me, it was the trip through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley that introduced me to the region’s natural beauty. Dressed in our blue “Virginia Is For Lovers” T-shirts (which I kept for several years after), we rolled down the windows of our spacious Oldsmobile to take in the scenery. Click here for the full story.
Read more

Flashback: Billy Joel's Sax Player (Mark Rivera profile-March 2007)

-
It is 2:30 in the afternoon at Midtown Atlanta's Four Seasons Hotel and Mark Rivera is pacing his hotel suite bursting with ideas. The task of keeping up with Rivera's thoughts is daunting to say the least. The words explode from him like a Fourth of July fireworks show on steroids. From stories of working with John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Peter Gabriel and most notably -- becoming Billy Joel's ever-conspicuous sax player/backup vocalist, Rivera is on a big, white, puffy cloud every time he conjures up those legendary memories. Who wouldn't be? The challenge for Rivera on this balmy late-February afternoon is to fit those anecdotes and personal thoughts on the future and state of the world into a half-hour conversation which must conclude before he boards a bus to Birmingham for his role in that evening's Billy Joel show. Indeed Rivera will be back in his Atlanta hotel room in about 48 hours, but there will be no time for follow-up questions. He will be handling
Read more