Creating bicycle-friendly cities: increasing bicycle ridership through improved safety conditions, bicycle infrastructure, and the support of a bicycle consciousness

Abstract

This report examines the use of bicycling as a transportation alternative to the personal automobile in the United States. It begins with a review of historical trends that caused Americans to move away from bicycling for transportation and choosing to adopt automobiles as the primary mode of transportation. A review of articles, reports, and studies is used to consider the benefits connected with utilitarian cycling and electing to bicycle for transportation. The report focuses on three prominent barriers that affect an individual‟s decision to bicycle: bicycle safety, bicycle consciousness, and bicycle infrastructure. The study discusses how these three obstacles are considerable factors affecting bicycling. The study also discusses a number of exemplary solutions for overcoming these barriers that have been implemented in bicycle-friendly cities in the United States. An analysis of plans and policies for the bicycle-friendly cities of Portland, Oregon and Davis, California is used to determine what historical actions have led to a more complete bicycle network in these two cities which have elected to promote bicycling. An in-depth evaluation of Boulder, Colorado, provides insight for specific plans that have been adopted and strategies that have proven to be successful in improving bicycling for transportation. The report attempts to demonstrate that bicycling can be made a viable means of transportation in United States‟ communities by adopting comprehensive plans and policies that address the challenges of bicycle safety, bicycle consciousness, and bicycle infrastructure simultaneously.