People say cars give you freedom and while in a lot of places that you can't get anywhere without one by design that may be true, being able to get around under your own power has always felt like freedom to me.
While I like to cycle, I also like to go places. Where I live, some places are just too far to get to by bike (I don't have a shower at work and 70km one way is a decent ride).
To me a car provides a considerable amount of freedom. A bike provides me a different kind of freedom.
It's really just situational mode of transport. If everyone ride a bike for trip shorter than 10km, if there's great public transport and bicycle infrastructure to support the biking system, and if places are build in way that's easier to have public transport to serve, then car will have the kind of freedom it promise.
Still, motorcycle does solve the issue, it's a middle ground for car and bicycle, it can go long range with less emission, it can free up a lot of space that car will take, and it also help you explore places. In Malaysia, there's almost an equal amount of car and motorcycle on the road. Sure, it does have problem with people riding like a racer and weave around due to not having enough enforcement, but I'd imagine the traffic get worst without it. And it's not like car didn't do that as well.
I lived rurally most my life and now I live near a downtown core. I still miss the country but i do love being able to walk to the majority of my needs.
When I'm in my car, I feel trapped into going to places with decent parking lots. When I'm in my bike, I can go anywhere. I park right next to the entrance of stores, I can ride into and across parks, I can stop right next to the lake front, etc. Oh, and I never need to fill up gas or plug in my bike, I just hop on and go.
Exactly. If those lanes exist, they're right next to parking, and I'm much more worried about getting doored than hit from behind by a car. Nobody looks at their mirrors before getting out of the car...
If there's a good bike lane, I'll take it every time.
bicycle lanes are usually death gutters. they're better than nothing but it can be safer to not use them depending on where you are
there should be separated bicycle paths/lanes separated by barriers that motor vehicles can't... y'know... easily go into or open their door in front of
also I have legitimately never seen people on bicycles disrespecting road laws unless those road laws enforce something that is unsafe. like disallowing rolling stops. car drivers violate road laws all the time though, not including speeding but i'm pretty sure almost every driver sees speeding as normal too
I have legitimately never seen people on bicycles disrespecting road laws unless those road laws enforce something that is unsafe
Come to Philly where you can see guys on fixies blowing through red lights without even looking left and right first. Or go anywhere and see people (of all ages, surprisingly) riding against traffic on the wrong side of the road - something that is the perfect blend of illegal and stupid, although not quite as illegal and stupid as the first thing I mentioned here.
I don't think I've ever seen a cyclist blow through a red light, most cyclists don't have a death wish. I've seen tons of cars do it though. And my area has a lot of cyclists vs most areas.
i was waiting for the part where a tractor trailer passes them at 55 in a 40 without even considering moving over into the left turn lane and runs them off the road or kills them
biking is the way. never been happier than when I'm commuting by bike. just wear a helmet, you can't predict drivers and some of them get pretty pissed that you're able to get places faster than them.