2008: Year of the Bicycle?

From the Daily Press (Newport News, VA), 03.02.08:

Bicycling's best year since the start of the auto age? That's the argument likely to be made March 4-6 as hundreds of cyclists from across the nation gather in Washington for the National Bike Summit sponsored of the League of American Bicyclists.

A crescendo of trends and developments makes the case.

First the trends: Oil costs are surpassing $100 a barrel, global warming alarm calls are mounting, polluting autos and trucks increasingly clog city streets, and health concerns about a sedentary and fattening society are mounting.

And now the developments: Handy bike-for-hire stations are proving instant hits in Paris and other European cities, and seem poised to invade urban America. Moves to add painted bike lanes along city roadways are being eclipsed by proposals for entire networks of "bike boulevards"--roadways altered radically to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians. And a companion "Complete Streets" movement--making roadway space for cyclists and pedestrians, not just cars and trucks--is gaining traction nationwide. (Read more.)

Encouraging editorial by syndicated columnist Neal Peirce, a prominent media voice for transportation sanity, having written past columns in support of walking and livability, Amtrak and passenger rail, and Safe Routes to Schools. This column also appeared in the Denver Post, the Louisville Courier-Journal, among others.

I had an opportunity to attend the National Bike Summit in 2004, during my brief time as executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition. It's an important event that has made a difference in gaining congressional support for bicycling-friendly streets.

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Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site