Comments on: What women want

By: Lucia Cade

Lucia Cade — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 07:11:48 +0000

Rachel, another aspect that impacts my decision to ride is season – but more for lighting than weather. I really only ride in summer time – during daylight savings – as I am uncomfortable riding in the dark. My concern is that it is that much harder for cars and other vehicles to see me, even with fluoro vest and lights – and much harder for me to see obstacles like parked car doors opening and pedestrians (often busy texting!) stepping out in front of me. So even if we have separated cycling paths, for me, they also need to be well lit.
I love your work.

By: Jo Draper

Jo Draper — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 21:56:26 +0000

Hi Rachel.
A good read, but I am wondering why we can’t “just go out digging up roads and knocking down houses to build Cycling Super Highways”. In many places, Wellington for example, roads are too narrow for segregated lanes without removing parking (and potentially a house or two to provide off-street parking for those that remain). That is exactly the challenge Wellington City is grappling with – perhaps we need to be more bold to achieve a better end result for cyclists?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9533788/Safe-cycling-plan-faces-big-blowout

By: Chris Rollins, ArchTam South Sudan

Chris Rollins, ArchTam South Sudan — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:11:25 +0000

Nice article, reading it at the library in Amsterdam on a rainy day while my bike is parked in the underground cycle garage. Another theme you omitted, cyclists have right of way and cars must yield. How to develop the psychological infrastructure maybe a harder trick than the physical.

By: Jenni Mitchell - US West Environment

Jenni Mitchell - US West Environment — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 15:28:36 +0000

Rachel, I really enjoyed your article. Here in Sacramento, CA we have miles of bike trails along the rivers and in to the downtown area, but they are narrow lanes, one each way, and in my opinion dangerous for a newbie rider like I would be and especially for my 3 young boys who would easily get plowed over by the “lycra clad roadies”. If it comes to a tax vote to create a Cycling Super Highway – I vote Yes.

By: Brian Sands

Brian Sands — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 14:15:28 +0000

I very much enjoyed your article. I too enjoy bike riding, but do so only occasionally, when the weather is outstanding and sometimes on holiday. But I have a great affinity for biking and have for a long time – at a very young age I apparently asked my mom why police officers didn’t ride bikes (which of course they do now in many communities), and my first job as a planning intern supported the creation of a bicycle plan for a mid-size U.S. city (which is slowly building out its network). It is wonderful to see the progress that has been made over the years in cities in the U.S. and elsewhere, though it is truly marginal compared to the potential and what is needed. As you point out however, it is only with a truly safe bicycle network (and one that is also ubiquitous) that this will happen.