How to coax Commuters onto Bikes
To pique commuters’ interests, cycling systems have to be efficient — and fun
Cities from coast to coast are becoming more invested in building their cycling networks. But it takes more than a few cycling paths to reduce North America’s reliance on the automobile. So how do we motivate the type of social change needed to create communities of cyclists who prefer two wheels over four?
Some cities have been particularly successful at building a critical mass of cyclists.
The daily commute in Montreal, for instance, offers cyclists almost 850 kilometres of cycling paths. But as any Montrealer can attest, establishing the city as “bike friendly” has been years in the making, with plenty of missteps along the way. Other cities, especially those with a less population-dense urban landscape, have struggled to increase their numbers of cycle-commuters despite investing in bike-friendly infrastructure.
Interestingly, cities that boast the highest number of bike commuters are those where the cost of driving and parking is high, travel distances short and cyclists’ safety considered a priority. But even among those cities, the cycling population skews heavily toward young, white males. This is in sharp contrast to Europe and Asia, where a diverse array of citizens can be seen on bikes in cities both large and small.
Are there lessons to be learned for North American cities interested in jumping on a societal trend toward greener commuting ? A research team from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Geography & Earth Sciences thinks so. Using the city of Charlotte, N.C., as an example, they sought to identify the “social process of initiating and sustaining the practice of bicycle commuting ” within a culture that relies heavily on the automobile. Since 2000, Charlotte has installed 322 km of bike paths and created several plans aimed at building a cycling network that meets the needs of cyclists of all ages. But so far, only an estimated 0.25 per cent of residents take their bikes to and from work or school. Eighty-seven per cent still rely solely on their car, and many drivers are the sole occupant in those vehicles.
Previous research has provided a number of reasons for the slow pickup in bicycle commuting, including the lack of protected bike paths (paths equipped with a barrier separating them from vehicle traffic). Another school of thought suggests the impetus to change lies in the presence of more cyclists, not more bike paths. In other words: As cycling to work becomes more mainstream, the more inclined others are to give it a try.
After a review of the literature and interviews with devoted cyclists, the UNC Charlotte researchers suggest that getting more cyclists on the road requires more than focusing on a single intervention like bike paths. They propose it takes a while for the habit to stick and for culture to change; the number of days and miles per week spent on a bike goes up as green commuters become more confident not only in sharing the road with cars and trucks, but in their own fitness level.
Yet even the most ardent cyclists are susceptible to a change in commuting habits, which causes cycling statistics to fluctuate. A change in health, family and/or work commitments, dropping kids off at daycare or longer hours spent at the office — many factors are at play. Some give up using the bike altogether. Others suspend their bike commuting until their personal or professional conditions become more conducive to active transportation.
So how do cities and towns mitigate the challenges related to cycling to work and build their community of green commuters? The research duo from UNC Charlotte offers the following suggestions:
Help commuters discover the joy of riding a bike
Cyclists need to find their twowheeled commute more efficient and enjoyable than taking the car. That might not happen right away, as adjusting to the increased vulnerability of riding a bike in the core of the city and learning the best routes to get to and from the office can take a while. As such, cities should take a broader look at their cycling infrastructure to include not just areas where bike paths exist, but also include in their network streets that are inherently bikefriendly because they have lower speed limits and less traffic.
Educate novices on best practices
Create or publicize an established cycling network or outreach program that offers novices support and encouragement during those first few weeks of cycling into work. Practical advice on simple things like which streets to avoid, how to change a flat tire and how to negotiate the transition from bike to office can reduce the dropout rate among new bike commuters.
Get employers on board
Encourage workplaces to change their culture and make it easier to leave cars at home by offering safe places to store bikes; showers or washing-up facilities; flexible hours; and a pro-green commuting stance. The idea is to not only accept that employees will ride to work, but to champion and reward the practice.