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According to a Census report, bike commuting is growing nationally — and in Austin, about twice as many people biked to work each year on average between 2008-2012 as did in 2000. We asked readers on Facebook whether they use a bike to commute, and if not, what stops them.
Shaunt Attarian: Road rage by Austin drivers is definitely one of the bigger deterrents for me. I love biking to work but get honked at pretty frequently by drivers for riding on the road. Some more courtesy and accommodation towards bicycle commuters is much needed in Austin.
Saul Trevino: I bike everyday. Regardless of weather. Once you do this for a while (15+ years), you figure out ways of getting through weather.
Nicole Paramecium: I used to do a six-mile commute twice a day, and I’ve almost been run over more times than I can count. People use the bike lane as a passing lane to get by drivers turning left. They don’t pay attention. It’s so scary. Not to mention that showing up to work sweaty and disheveled is frowned upon at most jobs.
Drew Nilsen: Just because you commute by bike some days doesn’t mean you have to do it every single day. People bike commute in other climates but might choose not to on days when it rains, when it’s 10 degrees, etc. There are health benefits and financial savings to biking some days, and then driving or taking the bus on other days.
Deirdre Slaven-Ward: We need real bike trails throughout the whole city (not some painted lines on the road).