It’s even spilled over into our local small business community as our bike-industry entrepreneurs are thriving thanks to these investments:

Old Pastime Could Result in New Economic Growth
By Melanie McIntyre on August 13, 2010

Central Ohioans, like many people across the country, have rediscovered bicycling in recent years. Predictably, the trend has kept owners of existing bike shops in demand, but it also has created new opportunities for enterprising entrepreneurs and could even impact companies outside the biking industry, resulting in even greater regional economic growth.

READ MORE: http://www.themetropreneur.com/columbus/pastime-result-economic-growth/

I’m from Montreal, Quebec. Please put our city under the radar and don’t ignore it because It’s a french Metropolis in North America, so out of all recognized networks.

In doing so you will find that Montreal has the best bike sharing system in North America named BIXI, completely developed here with the assistance of Lyon and Paris and recently franchised in Boston and London England.

Regarding Portland Oregon wanting to become the first European North American city. Although we admire veru much Portland green achievements, there’s a long way to go before surpassing Montreal as the first bicyclist city in North America (Bicycling 2000) and of course first European style Metropolis !

Come to Montreal to enjoy for a few days a real difference in city life style!

Jacques Desjardins

Statistics bear out the fact that an increase in the number of cyclists results in greater awareness and fewer car-bike accidents. Refer to these links:
http://www.impactlab.com/2008/09/05/surprise-more-bicyclists-means-fewer-accidents/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/15/cycling-bike-accidents-study

The League of American Wheelmen (i.e. cyclists) were the first citizens of the United States to advocate for better roads…prior to the widespread use of the automobile. It would be a sad state of affairs to now propose a “separate but equal solution” that undermines a cyclist’s right to the roads. Teach “effective cycling” skills by designing

As a Nation, we need to confront paying the true cost of personal automobile ownership (i.e. eliminate fuel and other subsidies, pay for infrastructure repair, mitigate environmental damage, pay the full cost of direct and indirect health problems caused by cars, and so forth) in order to wean ourselves from this destructive habit/addiction. Participate in paradigm shifting! Walk or ride your bike!

Paris offers a more recent example. Before City Hall started investing in cycling infrastructure in 1995, hardly anyone bicycled in the city. Cycling levels have grown steadily ever since the city started building cycling tracks, and they accelerated markedly when the Velib bike sharing system was launched in 2007.

Compared to the streets of Paris, most of those in the US look calm. If Paris managed to boost its cycling levels, it can be done anywhere.

The reason for high ridership in various Dutch and Danish cities is that the governments there have purposefully made driving difficult and costly. Denmark has a 200 percent tax upon the sale of cars. Most highways are tolled. The gas tax is higher. The central city of Amsterdam is notoriously hard to drive in. Most streets are extremely narrow and even the main streets only have two lanes. Parking is scarce. Obtaining a license is far more difficult, and punishments for hitting cyclists and pedestrians are far more dire. Any attempt to implement most of these measures here would constitute political suicide for most elected officials.

I do not believe that busy streets in North America can be made bike-friendly, at least not unless all parking lots and driveways were to be torn out. I ride everyday, and generally choose low traffic routes, only riding on high-traffic streets for the one or two blocks that are necessary to reach my destination. I consider some forms of infrastructure to be helpful, including bike/pedestrian bridges across freeways and railroad tracks, crossing assists across busy arterials (traffic islands, bike/ped signals), and off-street trails. Bike lanes and cycle tracks, however, are a waste of time and money.

Living in Copenhagen for four months a couple years ago opened my eyes to real, functional bike traffic. Many of their bike lanes, like Berlin’s, are stepped-down from the sidewalk, and a curb separates the road from the bike lane (http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/IMG_0199-bike-lane_1.jpg). The bike lane is about 5-8′ wide, making it impossible to miss while driving.

Leaders such as Congressman Blumenauer and Janette Sadik- Khan should be congratulated for all the good work that they have done to elevate cycling as a a viable transportation mode rather than simply a recreation and fitness activity. I applaud their efforts to remove financing and regulatory barriers.

However, Congressman Blumenauer is wrong when he says that the number-one reason people aren’t commuting to work using a bike is the lack of indoor bike parking. While parking is key it far less important than improvements to streets that will increase not only work trips but also trips to the grocery store, school and even the fitness club.

Portland’s highly regarded Director of Bicycling Roger Geller says, “Survey after survey and poll after poll has found again and again that the number one reason people do not ride bicycles is because they are afraid to be in the roadway on a bicycle. When they say they are “afraid” it is the fear of people driving automobiles.”

To replicate the success of bicycle dominated cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam we must first and foremost address safety. We must build fully integrated bicycle network that safely connects all cyclists of all ages and abilities to all destinations. The European systems are successful in attracting 35-50% of household trips largely because they have effectively addressed these concerns by 1) Developing a network that is integrated with their land use plans thereby fostering short sweat- free commutes, 2) Building a network based upon protected bikeways (cycle tracks).

For more info see-

http://www.ca-city.com/images/news/pdf/Bicycle%20Centered%20Development.pdf