Bicycle Infrastructure and the Revival of the American City

Bicycle Infrastructure and the Revival of the American City

Joseph Giampietro . Cindy Trivisonno

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Bicycle Infrastructure and the Revival of the American City Joseph Giampietro . Cindy Trivisonno

For over a century, the bicycle has been recognized as a recreational activity

and mode transportation. Not until recent decades though was the bicycle directly

accommodated for in a system of transportation infrastructure. In the United States

there seems to still be a level of apprehension even as major cities modify their

transportation systems to add accommodations for cyclists. Cities such as New York

City; Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis have taken on the identity of a bicycle friendly

city. As these role model cities continue to adapt and improve their systems, the rest

of the country can observe their successes in improving road safety, lowering

carbon emissions and pollution, creating jobs, and strengthening community. As a

growing culture, bicycling is slowly beginning to make a comeback in the United

States since the rise of the automobile and national highway system. While this

culture is still somewhat new to Americans, and even unappreciated by a portion of

the population, there is no doubt that bicycle transportation and infrastructure is a

huge opportunity for success on many levels. With more education and awareness

on the topic, we as Americans can learn how to become involved and save our

country’s inefficient and declining transportation system.

By studying European bicycle cities and the European approach to

transportation, it is apparent that a system of bicycle infrastructure is something

that can work in an urban setting. Countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands

have been sharing the road for decades and have adopted bicycle transportation

into their culture as a norm. With strategies such as bike-‐share programs, bicycle

education, integrated traffic signage, and more, cities like Copenhagen have

integrated cycling into the daily lives of all its citizens as they together sustain a

greener, more democratic city. In the United States, as we move toward the goal of a

sustainable city, incorporating cycling into the urban transportation system is a

major advancement towards a long term goal.

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Research Question/Goals of Study:

Through the research and analysis of successful European and American

bicycle studies and the associated design strategies, cultural adjustments, and

greater impacts, the study will acknowledge the construction, cooperation,

experience, influence and benefits of bicycle transportation and bicycle

infrastructure. Research of these aspects will reflect that bicycle infrastructure can

result in the revival of the American city and how it has already begun to do so.

Research and an improved understanding of modern bicycle infrastructure will

allow for the development of a conceivable approach to the

transportation/infrastructure deficiency in the United States and the resolution by

way of bicycle infrastructure.

History of Transport: Informing Urban Design

In contrast to the typical European city, the American city is substantially

younger and has been developed in accordance to transportation technology

current to the time of its planning and construction. Because much of America’s

development has happened simultaneously with and after the development of the

automobile in the early 20th century, many American cities have been planned with

the automobile being the primary means of transit. Because European cities

typically predate American cities, they have been designed to be accessible by

means of transit that predate the automobile, thus the European city is more

compact and pedestrian friendly. The European city has been designed from the

perspective of the pedestrian whereas the American city has been designed with

respect to the automobile and the opportunity of traveling greater distances that

were previously impractical.

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The increase in railroads in the late 19th century and the development of the

automobile in the early 20th century gave Americans unprecedented freedom of

travel, which in turn shifted city development from the urban compact to a more

expansive metropolitan area. Railroads connected satellite cities to urban city

epicenters that allowed people to live outside of

the city and commute to work. This reduced

urban congestion and connected people to places

outside of their immediate environment.

“Contemporary transportation planning was

born with the dawn of the interstate highway

system, and the institutions, financing

arrangements, and modeling techniques familiar

to us today were developed to address a singular

project: the task of building a national highway

system”1 The increased use of America’s

highway system reduced America’s reliance on

railroads for long distance travel and gave

Americans the freedom of

independent travel and opportunity

to travel wherever and whenever at

their own convenience. Because

Americans had the opportunity to

travel at their own freewill, the role

of public transportation had

diminished. City designers and

planners shifted the focus of design

to accommodate the mass quantities

1 Boarnet, Marlon Gary. Transportation Infrastructure: the Challenges of Rebuilding America. Chicago:

Railroad Map

Highway Map

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of automobiles rather than the pedestrian. Because of the reduced necessity for

public transport, design of pedestrian infrastructure became secondary to

automobile infrastructure.

The rapid expansion of suburban areas along with poor design

considerations has led to suburban sprawl. Suburban sprawl is essentially an

inefficient network of single use zones connected by highways and arterial roads

that lack cohesion and accessibility. It is a landscape built for the automobile that is

devoid of human scale as public services are spread out making the city less

accessible. The limited means of access and inefficiency in public and personal

transit to these public services and infrastructure causes the city to become less

democratic and functional whereas “a democratic city is one where all its residents

have equal opportunities to benefit from the city’s assets and to participate through

representative governance in shaping the identity and the destiny of the city.”2 The

lack of design, which constitutes suburban sprawl, requires the citizen to rely on

automobile based transit causing pedestrian based transportation to become

irrelevant, as the city was not designed to be experienced by means besides vehicle-‐

based transit. To borrow Gehl’s observation that “architecture and planning should

fit man and man should not try to fit planning and architecture, perhaps the same

analogy can be made for pedestrians and bicyclists: transportation planning in large

central cities should fit pedestrians and bicyclists and pedestrians and bicyclists

should not try to fit transportation planning.”3

Current global concerns have caused city planners to address urban issues in

the context of climate and environmental protection4. America’s current highway

system is in a state of disrepair and “In 2010, it was estimated that deficiencies in

America’s surface transportation systems cost households and businesses nearly

$130 billion. This included approximately $97 billion in vehicle operating costs, $32

billion in travel time delays, $1.2 billion in safety costs and $590 million in

2 Sabini, Dr. Maurizio. "Infrastructure and the Democratic City." Pg. 2. Print. 3 Cerreno, Allison. "Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Guidance." Home | Federal Highway Administration. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. 4 Calthorpe, Peter. Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change. Washington, DC: Island, 2011. Print.

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environmental costs”5 causing other means of long distance transportation to

become a necessity. Inner city transportation must be rethought and redesigned in

accordance to the current issues America faces in today’s world.

Copenhagen: A Model Bicycle City

Copenhagen is an example of a successful European bicycle city that has

effectively integrated bicycles into the transportation fabric with a cohesive

infrastructural system. The Danes emphasize the importance of the bicycle as part

of their culture with accommodations on every street as well as designated bike-‐

specific routes and parking throughout the city. On smaller quieter streets bicycles

ride directly on the street with motor traffic and on busier and larger streets, bike

lanes or elevated paths are utilized allowing people to feel safe. The busiest street

in Copenhagen reaches an average of 36,000 cyclists daily.6 The network allows for

people of all income and age groups to travel the city in an affordable, healthy and

sustainable manner. In school, children are taught transportation laws and bicycle

technique, introducing kids to the bicycle lifestyle at an early age. Families travel

together and often use cargo bikes to transport groceries or other goods, similar to

the American use of the SUV, allowing the bicycle lanes to become utilitarian. The

people of Copenhagen fully embrace the use of bicycle infrastructure with a

noticeable passion and dependency on the bicycle as a primary mean of transit. This

apparent pride contributes largely to the continuing success of Copenhagen as a

model bicycle city.

5 "Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Surface Transportation Infrastructure « InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure." InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. 6 "Cycling Copenhagen, Through North American Eyes." Streetfilms. Web. Dec. 2011. <http://www.streetfilms.org/cycling-copenhagen-through-north-american-eyes/>.

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Gehl Architects: Export of Danish Cycling Culture

Danish architect Jan Gehl, principal of Gehl Architects works to integrate

cycling design and culture with a People First Design approach to shape innovative

mobility projects around the world. The firm calls themselves “Urban Quality

Consultants,” emphasizing their focus on the experience of urban living and quality

of life beyond formal architecture.

New York City [2007-‐2009]:

Project: Urban Realm & Bicycle Strategy

Client: City of New York, Department of Transportation

“Gehl Architects is working to promote quality of life and livability in New York. [Their]

strategic recommendations will help make New York a lively, attractive, safe,

sustainable and healthy city.”

New York City, currently a leading global power city demonstrates such great

potential for adapting a new urban system of living with enhanced mobility and a

more sustainable approach to the existing complex infrastructural grid. The plans

and programs outlined by the NYC Department of Transportation reflect an

awareness of the “spaces between buildings” and an acknowledgment of the city’s

diverse communities, innovative residents, and strategies for sustainability and the

public realm. With a major concern being congestion, the city must take action

before matters become worse and the population becomes unmanageable. An

example of the circumstances of NYC is Times Square prior to intervention, which

only allocated 11% of the total street space to “soft traffic.” This comes nowhere

close to meeting the needs of the population that constitutes 4.5 times as many

users as those travelling by car.7

7 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009. Copenhagen: Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants, 2009. Print.

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The current condition of the city combined with the potential for immense

improvement has attracted Danish architect Jan Gehl to the scene. Specifically, his

firm was called to advise on improvements tied to the Mayor’s PlaNYC Initiative: A

20 year vision for a greener, greater NYC. The unique approach taken by Gehl

Architects incorporates the pride and success of Copenhagen as a role model city

into personalized plans for cities around the world including New York, Mexico City,

Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Los Angeles and currently Bejing and San

Francisco. The attempt to improve or “Copenhagenize” these cities can be achieved

through a design with the implementation of bicycles and other sustainable design

strategies inspired by Danish culture.

Gehl’s plan for New York aims at “reclaiming space and easing congestion” on

major streets including Broadway and Times Square [see NYC diagram A].8 With the

focus on the behavior of the people and study of movement patterns at key nodes

throughout the city, Gehl pushes

for a balance between modes of

transportation through the

development of several new public

spaces complimented by a

comprehensive bicycle lane

network. The image to the right

diagrams the city of New York

conceptually with regard to bicycle

routes and rail stations.9 Taking a

sustainable approach to the

construction of bicycle infrastructure can be simply done by taking advantage of the

current transportation system and infrastructure. This method of incorporating the

two systems addresses and improves mobility even further by lessening the gap

between destinations throughout the city. Of course, with such a portable vehicle as 8 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009. 9 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.

NYC Diagram B 1

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a bicycle, making the connection between road and rail can be quite smooth. Cycling

becomes ideal for those who had never considered it practical for their lifestyle.

The Quantitative goals of the project include:

• 30% reduction of C02 emissions

• Planting of 1 million trees

• Implementing 300 km of cycle lanes

• Ensuring all citizens are within a 10 minute walk of a public open space

• Doubling the percentage of cyclist commuters

• Reducing traffic related deaths by 50%10

In 2009 the initiative spread

further and Green Light for Midtown was

launched to address congestion in the

target area of Midtown Manhattan

including Broadway Boulevard

improvements. As part of the project,

two pedestrian malls were created

along with the reduction of six-‐way

intersections simplified to allow more space for pedestrians and bicyclists. The NYC

Department of Transportation estimates that traffic times will improve on the

parallel streets by 27%.

Since 2007, New York City has doubled the quantity of bicycle lanes, reaching

450 miles in 2009. The new policy allowing bicycle parking inside office buildings in

addition to awareness campaigns has resulted in a two-‐fold increase in bicycle

commuting to work and school. Preliminary surveys show a 84% approval rate

among users in the Madison Square Park area while even local businesses seem to

be benefitting from the changes according to the Times Square Alliance. Measurable

10 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.

Pedestrian Malls

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improvements also include 50% drop in traffic-‐related accidents along Broadway

Boulevard, which already meets goals laid out by PlaNYC. 11

NYC Diagram A

11 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.

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Copenhagen, Denmark [2008]:

Project: Metropolzonen – Urban Realm Strategy

Client: Copenhagen City Council

Although Gehl Architects puts so much focus into improving the cities of

other nations, they also acknowledge the potential that Copenhagen has to improve

even further. The work done at “home” parallels the efforts of their global projects

resulting in a very unique, comprehensive, and synergistic design approach.

Metropolzonen is the most centrally located area of Copenhagen. It is home

to many popular destinations, various modes of transportation, and many

opportunities for public space. The high level of activity requires a certain

organization effort to be made on an urban scale. Through analytical studies of the

city and different conditions of the area, Gehl Architects developed a vision plan for

the area of Metropolzonen incorporating different types of public space and streets

into a functional network of improved urban living. 12

12 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. Copenhagen / Denmark / 2008. Copenhagen: Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants, 2008. Print.

Vision for Metropolzonen

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Bicycles in the American City: Progress Toward a More Bicycle Friendly Nation

Extensive research by Bicycle Magazine has produced a full list of “America’s

Best Bike Cities” ranked one to fifty.13 In order to make the list, the cities had

populations of 100,000 or more and displayed a “vibrant and diverse bike culture.”

According to this list as well as many others, Minneapolis, Minnesota leads the

United States as the most bicycle friendly city with approximately 7,200 of its

380,000 residents biking to work [as of a survey conducted in 2008]. This equates to

about 3.8% of all Minneapolis commuters in 2007.14 Followed by Minneapolis in the

top three are Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado.

Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan:

Minneapolis’s clear sense of motivation and ever-‐progressing initiative plays

a large role in its success as a flourishing American bicycle city. As of 2008, the city

of Minneapolis has been working on an improved bicycle master plan for the city

with the final report in June of 2011. The new master plan will build from and

replace the 2001 Bikeways Master Plan and 5-‐Year Bikeways Plan [see Master Plan

2]15. Through various programs, construction projects, education, and community

involvement, Minneapolis continues to pursue their vision that “(a)ll bicyclists enjoy

a welcoming environment; riding safely, efficiently, and conveniently within the City

of Minneapolis year-‐round.”16

Prior to development of the new Bicycle Master Plan, Minneapolis was

already supporting 127 miles of on-‐street and off-‐street bikeways, over 17,000

13 "America's 50 Best Cities for Cycling | Bicycling Magazine." Bike Reviews, Gear, Bicycle Maintenance, Cycling Gifts | Bicycling Magazine. Bicycling Magazine, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. <http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-‐stories/bicyclings-‐top-‐50>. 14 "Bicycle Commuting up Nearly 50 Percent in Minneapolis." City of Minneapolis, Minnesota -‐ Official Web Site. City of Minneapolis, 29 Sept. 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/news/20080929BikingUpInMpls.asp>. 15 Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan. Minneapolis: City of Minneapolis, 22 July 2011. PPT. 16 Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan. Minneapolis: City of Minneapolis

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Master Plan 1 -‐ 2011 Bicycle Master Plan

Master Plan 2

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bicycle parking spaces, various bicycle

events each year, as well as many

programs including Bike Share and Safe

Routes to School, an international

movement to support, promote and fund

walking and bicycling to school. The city

is also currently making use of

innovations such as bike boxes, colored

lanes, bicycle boulevards, left-‐sided bike lanes, separated trails, cycle track, creative

bike racks, and more [see Design Strategies: Systems and Signage].

The City of Minneapolis admits that the plan is rather ambitious considering

a few of the goals to add 183 miles of bikeways and 300 parking spaces, as well as

ensure that all residents are within one mile of a trail, a half-‐mile of a bike lane, or a

quarter-‐mile of a signed bike route by 2020. This is merely evidence of all that is

required of a city in order to reach such a level of success. Other cities can use

Minneapolis as a role model case study to understand the process of improving a

city with bicycle infrastructure and the timeframe in which to expect results.

Midtown Greenway:

One of the strongest points of sustainable bicycle infrastructure in

Minneapolis is a 5.5-‐mile long former railroad corridor that now serves as biking

and walking trails and goes by the name Midtown Greenway. The Greenway is

owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority while the trails are

maintained by the City of Minneapolis keeping the trail open and safe 24/7 and

year-‐round. The trail makes trips across town via bike quicker than by car in many

cases, as the corridor is separated from the street by grade. With a series of

underpasses and overpasses, trail-‐users nearly completely avoid traffic all together.

The Greenway connects to a network of paths to the south, east, and west giving

access to nearly the entire city. The long-‐term plan for the corridor includes an

express rail transit service as part of a regional rail system to operate adjacent to

Bike Share

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the trails. The Martin Olav Sabo Bike and Pedestrian Bridge, a cable-‐stayed bridge

designated for pedestrians and cyclists, takes the Midtown Greenway over Hiawatha

Avenue and to the Mississippi River. The popularity of the bridge itself has

dramatically increased traffic on the Greenway.

Stretching a diverse culture span along neighborhoods and business districts,

the Greenway has become somewhat of a forum for public art, including temporary

and permanent works as well as performances. In this case, transportation

infrastructure begins to cross over into the realm of cultural infrastructure, a trait

that puts Minneapolis atop the list of U.S. bike cities. The Midtown Greenway

Coalition believes “Public Art in the Greenway provides an essential role in

increasing community awareness and involvement with the corridor; increasing

value for adjacent property development; and in articulating the history, meaning

and local character of the Greenway as a Minneapolis resource.”17

17 "Advocating for Public Art in the Midtown Greenway." Midtown Greenway Coalition • Minneapolis. Midtown Greenway Coalition, 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://midtowngreenway.org/publicart/>.

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Economic/Environmental Impact and Benefits

The addition and implementation of bicycle infrastructure into the American

city has large economic and environmental impacts. Economic benefits include

increased revenue and jobs for local businesses as well as higher real-‐estate values.

Tourism is also greatly benefited from bicycle infrastructure as over 80% of users of

a major bicycle path in Pennsylvania were more likely to purchase “soft goods” such

as café food, drinks and clothing and “hard goods” such as bicycles and safety

equipment for the use of the bicycle paths.18 In the Outer Banks of North Carolina,

68,000 tourists visited the area to cycle and generated $60 million in tourism

spending and created approximately 1,400 jobs.19 Bicycle and pedestrian

infrastructure creates more jobs per money spent than road-‐only infrastructure as

road only projects provide 7.8 jobs per million dollars spent and bicycling only

projects provide 11.4 jobs per million dollars spent.20 Bicycle infrastructure is also

more sustainable than road infrastructure as it requires less maintenance thus using

fewer materials and less energy to construct.

Environmental benefits include reduced urban congestion, better air quality,

safer travel and improved health outcomes. Bicycle paths and trails are commonly

used in parks for recreational as well as travel intentions. Bicycling is active

transportation which involves physical activity which allows one to receive a daily

workout for example on ones commute to work, in contrast to public or automobile

transportation in which very little or if any physical activity is involved. Carbon

emissions are reduced as well as pollution resulting in the use of less fossil fuels and

cleaner air providing a cleaner and healthier city.

18 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐Peltier 19 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐Peltier 20 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐Peltier

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Design Strategies: Systems and Signage

Existing transportation infrastructure must be modified to accommodate the

addition of bicycle infrastructure including bicycle lanes, cycle tracks, modifications

to intersections as well as the addition of signals, signs and markings. The design of

bicycle lanes varies according to the activity level and context of the street in which

they are placed and operate in conjunction with motor vehicles and pedestrians.

The primary issues with retrofitting existing streets are ensuring safety for the

cyclists and visibility to motor vehicles. It is important that cyclists constantly

remain in sight to motor vehicles and that proper markings are created to indicate

the paths of cyclists. Safety is a major concern and is commonly the deciding factor

on whether bicycling can be a primary means of transportation.

Conventional bicycle lanes are placed adjacent to motor traffic and are

separated by a painted line with bicyclists traveling in the same direction as motor

vehicles. Buffered lanes are identical to the conventional lane with the addition of a

buffer between the cyclists and motor vehicles. The buffer typically consists of an

increase in space or a physical barrier separating motorists from cyclists.

Buffered Lane

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Lanes typically contain designations stating traffic directions and colors

show the direction of routes. The color paving within a bicycle lane increases

visibility of the facility, identifies potential areas of conflict and reinforces priority to

cyclists in areas with pressure for illegal parallel parking.

Ground Marking

Modifications at intersections include the addition of bike boxes, crossing

markers, turning queue boxes and bike turning lanes. These modifications are made

to existing roadways to reduce traffic congestion, increase the safety of cyclists and

pedestrians and optimize the flow of motor and bicycle traffic. When cyclists cross

intersections, there are often pavement markings that indicate the intended path of

a cyclist through an intersection or across a driveway or ramp. The markings safely

guide the bicyclist on a direct path through an intersection and provide a clear

boundary between bicycle and motor paths.

The bike box is typically

implemented as an advanced

stop area allowing cyclists to

safely make left hand turns at

intersections and become more

visible to motor vehicles. The

box places cyclists ahead of

queuing traffic during the red

signal phase at a traffic light.

Bike Box

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The hybrid beacon is used in locations where

smaller roads intersect with major roadways. These

locations often have low traffic densities and lack the

proper signals to facilitate large increases in traffic during

peak times. These areas are especially dangerous for

cyclists to cross and are most benefited with a hybrid

beacon. The beacon provides signals to motor vehicles,

bicyclists and pedestrians and is the most efficient and

effective method to simultaneously signal each of the

three different types of traffic.

When bicycle infrastructure is designed correctly,

motor vehicle and bicycle traffic as well as pedestrian

activity can operate in harmony resulting in an equal and

pleasant urban experience.

Community Embracement

League of American Bicyclists

The main advocator for bicycling and bicycle friendly cities is the League of

American Bicyclists (LAB), a national organization that works with communities to

“promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy

and education for a bicycle-‐friendly America.”21 The Bicycle Friendly America

program helps businesses and communities across the country learn how to become

more bicycle friendly. The Bicycle Friendly America Blueprint is a publication put out

by LAB that serves as a guide that lays out strategies, requirements, and ideas for

implementing bicycles into cities. The League is responsible for a large part of

bicycle education and awareness in the United States accomplished through

programs and events including National Bike Month, Safe Routes to School, BikeEd

21 "League of American Bicyclists" League of American Bicyclists. League of American Bicyclists. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://www.bikeleague.org/about/index.php>.

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programs, and Share the Road campaign.

The National Bike Summit is one of the most important events put on by LAB.

As an annual lobbying effort to push for bicycle-‐friendly legislation, state and federal

legislators, bicycle advocates, and the press gather on Capitol Hill to discuss the

state of bicycling in the U.S., also giving the public the opportunity to express their

wants, needs, and concerns directly. This year’s Bike Summit was titled “Acting on a

Simple Solution,” and discussion addressed the primary funnels of federal funding

toward bicycle-‐friendly improvements in US transportation infrastructure.

Currently, the majority of funding goes toward three projects: Transportation

Enhancements for communities including construction of bike lanes, Recreational

Trails Program to maintain a variety of trails particularly for mountain biking, and

Safe Routes to School. In all, bicycle and pedestrian facilities account for 1.5% of the

money available for transportation infrastructure.22

The Bike Summit as somewhat of a form of infrastructure itself, though a less

concrete example, helps build the democratic city that we as Americans strive to

reach. The conditions were created in which the public can be involved and

participate in envisioning and decision-‐making. When the people can be heard,

there is a sense of empowerment, which in turn results in a good urban

experience.23 Of course, first an effective system of communication must be in place,

hence without a democratic city, good infrastructure cannot exist.

Bike Train

The Portland Bike Train movement began as a month-‐long experiment giving

kids the opportunity to ride bikes to school in a safe and fun environment. The

project essentially created the bicycle equivalent to the school bus where the bike

22 Brooks, Karen. "Ms. Brooks Goes to Washington | Bicycle Times Magazine." Bicycle Times Magazine. 21 June 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bicycletimesmag.com/content/ms-‐brooks-‐goes-‐washington>. 23 Sabini, Dr. Maurizio. "Infrastructure and the Democratic City." Pg. 3. Print.

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train would make stops at each house picking up students and parents along the

way. The program provides exercise for children and reduces the amount of traffic

around the school in the morning. The program succeeds in eliminating the “circle of

fear” which consists of parents preventing their children to walk to bike to school

for the fear of motor traffic accidents. The program also succeeds in eliminating the

primary concern with bicycling being visibility. By traveling in a group the children

are easily visible to motor traffic decreasing risk of accidents. At the end of the

“Walk and Bike to School Month” the program had over 100 participants and the

program eventually expanded to five other Portland schools with over 650

participants. The Bike Train raised community awareness in which was accepted

and well embraced. Not only did the program succeed in that regard but it also

provided the community a vision for what could be.

Issue of Public Acceptance

Two recent cases concerning negative feedback on bicycle infrastructure

occurred in New York City. The 14-‐block bicycle path connecting the Staten Island

Railway to the Ferry Terminal and was replaced with automobile turning lanes,

curbside parking and bus lanes. The Staten Island Borough President and city

council members applauded the change while others were devastated by the

unprecedented removal. The other instance of negative exposure involved cynical

news broadcast attacking proposals for bicycle infrastructure in New York City. A

broadcast of Brian Williams’ news program, supporting the deconstruction of

existing bicycle infrastructure, and disagreed with Sadik-‐Kahn’s proposals. The

program was a one-‐sided and ill-‐informed negative biased negative portrayal of

bicycle infrastructure that unfortunately reached 4 million Americans.

Impact on Other Forms of Infrastructure:

Currently in the United States, nearly every bicycle infrastructure project is

retrofitted to existing roadway conditions, directly impacting these other forms of

infrastructure. The result is unobtrusive to current vehicular infrastructure and

creates a more versatile network of adjacent transit layers. For example, simply

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replacing automobiles with pedestrians and cyclists can alleviate congestion in

dense urban settings. The exchange of vehicular space for public space should not

be viewed necessarily as loss but an effort towards a more sustainable

transportation initiative. Along with this initiative must be an adaptation of traffic

laws in order to safely and effectively integrate differing modes of transportation

into a holistic system. Aside from the obvious effects on transportation

infrastructure, bicycles influence soft infrastructures such as culture, education, and

recreation. The incorporation of hard and soft infrastructure with urban

enhancements creates a strong potential for the general well being of the city.

Bicycle Infrastructure and the “Democratic City”

One approach to obtaining a more democratic city is surely in the design of

good infrastructure to serve the city. While many may not recognize it, bicycle

infrastructure when designed for the needs of the people and the environment is a

very good example of infrastructure that affects democracy. A system of bicycle

lanes and laws implemented into a city immediately improves the accessibility and

mobility of those to use the system. The result is the increase in opportunities. The

city is instantly more attainable when bicycling is an eco-‐friendly, healthy, free

option. No longer is there a reliance on automobiles to access the city.

In addition to the need for well-‐designed infrastructure in order to have a

democratic city, there is similarly reliance on the strength of the community.

Educating the community about the positive effects of cycling and bicycle legislature

almost ensures participation. Consequently, a community active in decision-‐making

quickly builds the support needed to move forward and achieve a more democratic

city.

Bicycle Infrastructure and the Revival of the American City

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