Colin Fiske, Guest Contributor
Biking is great for the environment, great for health and great for local economies. So it stands to reason that we should encourage more people to bike. But not everybody who bikes or wants to bike thinks about biking the same way.
Types of Bicyclists (and Potential Bicyclists)
Research shows that there are four common attitudes toward biking: “strong and fearless” bicyclists, “enthused and confident” bicyclists, people who are “interested but concerned,” and finally people who have no interest in biking. In our region the first two types are the majority of regular bicyclists. That’s because most streets and roads in the region feature high-stress biking conditions that only “strong and fearless “or “enthused and confident” bicyclists will tolerate.
Most people, however, fall into the “interested but concerned” category: people who want to bike more, but don’t because they worry, mostly about safety. So to get more people to bike, we need to provide infrastructure that is both objectively safer and that feels safer. We can roughly measure how safe people feel by looking at the “Level of Traffic Stress,” calculated from factors like vehicle volumes and speeds and the type of bike infrastructure available.
Only on streets with very little traffic and very low speeds do most people feel comfortable biking without a protected bike lane or path. A typical painted bike lane often does not add much comfort when traffic and speeds increase. Therefore, on streets and roads with substantial traffic volumes and/or speeds, an acceptable level of traffic stress for “interested but concerned” bicyclists can only be provided by some kind of physical separation from traffic. These “Class IV” bike lanes can be protected by anything from plastic posts to grassy berms to parked cars.
But bicyclists don’t just bike on streets and roads—they also cross them. Busy streets and highways are often major barriers for bicyclists. So in assessing traffic stress, we have to consider not just bike lanes and paths, but also intersections. Thankfully, a variety of intersection designs can provide bicyclist protection and lower stress. The best designs separate bicyclists from drivers in space and/or time, using barriers, signs and signals.
To get your own idea about biking stress levels, just imagine how comfortable you would be biking on a particular street or intersection. Even better, if you are an adult without any disabilities, imagine how comfortable a kid or an older person or someone with a disability might feel biking there. Our goal should be to allow potential bicyclists of all ages and abilities (using the full range of pedaled and small-wheeled devices) to feel safe and comfortable.
Bikeability
In order for a community to be bikeable, there must be a complete low-stress network of bike lanes and paths that lets riders get from any place to any other using a reasonably convenient route. This is why it doesn’t help to just tell bicyclists to use low-traffic streets and avoid major arteries. Getting around town almost always requires using or crossing those busy streets, and busy streets are usually lined with important destinations like stores, restaurants, hospitals, schools, and government offices. For more people to bike, we must transform the most stressful streets and roads into places where everybody feels safe and comfortable biking.
Bikeability also depends on distances, because most people will not bike more than a few miles to get somewhere. This means that getting more people to bike also requires building more homes near existing jobs, schools and other destinations. Planners call this “infill development.”
Finally, real bikeability requires accommodations for bicyclists at their destinations. The most important accommodation is plentiful, secure and weather-protected bike parking. Other accommodations can also be important—for example, employers provide employees with a place to shower and change, or even financial incentives for biking.
Bike Advocacy & “Bikelash”
These basic principles—safe, low-stress networks for people of all ages and abilities, along with infill development, and amenities like bike parking—should inform all bike advocacy. Bikeable communities don’t get that way by chance—they are the result of determined leadership and grassroots support.
Supporting a bikeable community means showing up when decisions are being made about street, road and trail design, as well as land use planning and individual development projects. These decisions are generally made by city councils (in incorporated cities) or the Board of Supervisors (in unincorporated areas), or by the city or county planning commission. If you live or work in Eureka or Arcata, you should also pay attention to the Transportation Safety Commission (Eureka) or Transportation Safety Committee (Arcata), which often make important recommendations to their respective city councils. Decisions about bike infrastructure on state highways are made by Caltrans.
A lot of bike advocacy involves supporting proposed bike improvements (like new bike lanes) and demanding they be even better (like providing physical separation from traffic). Even the most basic bike safety improvements can provoke what bike advocates call “bikelash” from people worried about change, especially if the project involves removing any parking or car travel lanes. So always show up to support proposed bikeability projects and programs.
Bike advocacy may also require opposing projects and policies that would make biking less safe or less feasible. For example, there are still occasions when decision-makers want to increase traffic speeds, remove or downgrade bike infrastructure, or approve sprawling, car-dependent development. Often, projects or policies are proposed that just ignore the needs of bicyclists. Bike advocates should show up to ensure that the needs of all types of bicyclists and potential bicyclists are considered.
Strategies and Tactics
Usually, speaking at a public meeting and having one-on-one conversations with decision-makers are the two most effective ways to advocate as an individual. Writing a personalized email can also be effective. When talking or writing to decision-makers, it helps to tell a personal story about how you’ll be affected by their decision.
Organized grassroots efforts are even more effective than individual advocacy. If a pro-bike group asks you to sign a petition, show up to an event, or otherwise raise your voice in coordination with other people, don’t be shy. Even a few people taking action together can have a dramatically bigger impact than one.
In our region, the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP) is a good source of information about bike-related issues and organized support for pro-bike policies and projects. Our weekly email newsletter, The Collector, lets readers know about important local decisions that affect our transportation system and opportunities to get involved. If you want to be a more effective bike advocate, consider signing up for our email list and becoming a member of the Coalition.