Austin is widely acknowledged as the bicycling capital of Texas and with gas prices heading higher, more Austin residents are starting to consider their trusty bicycle as a legitimate replacement for the car or bus when it comes to getting to work, shops or just around town. Austin is the only Texas city ranked by the League of American Bicyclists as “bike friendly.” The city shares a silver ranking (behind platinum and gold) with other bicycle friendly communities like Ann Arbor, Santa Barbara, Gainesville and Colorado Springs.
Using a bicycle to commute offers numerous advantages, not only to the rider but to the city as a whole. The rider saves money on fuel and the cost of an automobile while combining his or her commute with a workout. The community benefits from less crowded roads, less noise and cleaner air in the short term. Over the longer term, cities with large numbers of bicyclists benefit in other ways which include a healthier population, the replacement of wide roads with tree lined boulevards and more.
There’s no better example of this mindset at work than in Bogotá, Colombia, where former mayor Enrique Peñalosa pushed for the creation of a citywide network of bicycle routes or ciclorrutas which would enable poorer Bogotáns to be able to safely commute while allowing others to enjoy the health benefits and cost savings that come from cycling. In addition, Peñalosa also started the Ciclovia, a Sunday event where the city closes roads to motorized vehicles for several hours. The result is a citywide party where bicyclists, walkers, and others get to know each other in a way that just isn't possible while sitting in traffic on IH 35.
Though Bogotá's network remains a work in progress, it is now widely acknowledged as the most extensive system of bicycle routes in the world and residents have responded by dramatically increasing bicycle usage. By some measures, Bogotáns now make close to 500,000 bicycle trips per day.
So what makes Austin a good place to ride a bicycle? According to the report, Austin is tops in encouraging people to ride and does a decent job in the areas of education and development of bike paths and bike lanes. The city lags other silver award winners in the area of evaluation of existing resources and planning for future needs.
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Comments
A nice thought, when is the city going to enforce the traffic laws for bicycles? I am so effing sick of coming up to an intersection where I have right-of-way, and have a bicycler run the light/stop sign and nearly causes me to have an accident. This happens to me multiple times every time I leave my driveway. Where is the road insurance bicycles need to have, so that when they plow into the side of my car, I have recourse to get my car repaired? Why do I have to pull into the oncoming lane because three ppl on bikes want to ride abreast outside their lane so they can 'chat'? Bah. Outlaw the jerks or insure and prosecute them just like auto drivers. And bikers, HANG UP THE CELL PHONE AND DRIVE! If it is illegal for me, it's illegal for you too!
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