Perhaps I pay so much attention to bicycles because they're good for a healthy, low-carbon diet. Or maybe because the transport planner in me would like to see a few more travel options being promoted more aggressively. Or possibly it's just that I have great memories of biking around Toronto's ravines when I was younger, and it irks me that Cape Town - with Table Mountain Nature Reserve sitting right in the middle of the city - doesn't have similar trails. Whatever. Let's just say I'm biased, and move on.
When I read a quote from US Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry ridiculing bikes as a "19th Century Solution", I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Give the man a McMuffin. At least he didn't stop the House of Representatives from approving an energy conservation bill (HR 2776) that includes a tax break of $20 a month for bike commuters. The bill is a package of tax incentives designed to encourage renewable energy production and conservation using energy-efficient technologies.
While the comedian politicians strut their stuff, the concept of "complete streets" - with bike lanes, sidewalks and room for public transport - is starting to establish a foothold in the US planning fraternity. USA Today reports that 14 states, six counties, 10 regional governments and 52 cities have complete streets policies. Some of these policies have been in place for a while, but only recently have they been given this label. Others talk of "great streets", but the general idea is the same: plan for everyone who needs to use the space.
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