The coronavirus has upended life as we know it. Without minimizing the grief, fear, and uncertainty that has gripped the entire world all at once, the pandemic has also revealed things that were always true but were frequently obscured...or ignored.
Case in point: Bikes are an outstanding way to move around, get exercise, see your town, spend time with friends, reduce pollution, and build the economic resilience of your community. Yet we’ve built our cities in such a way that biking is not only impractical and inconvenient, but often a dangerous nightmare.
What’s happened during the coronavirus crisis is that, on many roads, the proportion of cars to people has flipped. More people are out walking and biking. Some towns and cities are even rushing to adapt existing car-centric infrastructure so pedestrians and cyclists can move around while still observing social distancing guidelines.
In a recent CityLab article, “In a Global Health Emergency, the Bicycle Shines,” Laura Laker describes how cycling rates are skyrocketing around the world, and how cities are responding.
Many experts view cycling as a safe way to avoid crowded public transportation systems — and the citizens in a number of world cities appear to agree. In New York, cycling spiked by 52% over the city’s bridges after social-distancing protocols were put in place. In Chicago, bikeshare use doubled in early March. In Dublin and London, advocates are offering support to new riders who are taking to the streets in droves.
In this week’s episode of Upzoned. Host Abby Kinney, a planner at Gould Evans in Kansas City, and Strong Towns senior editor Daniel Herriges discuss the CityLab article and what the pandemic reminds us about the benefits of cycling, in both good times and bad. What if we could shed our assumptions that streets are for cars? What opportunities do we have to improve bike infrastructure, benefiting folks now but also long into the future?
Then in the Downzone, Daniel talks about how he and his wife are using the quarantine to reconnect with an eclectic mix of friends and family. And Abby and Daniel both discuss a bizarre a documentary series on Netflix that the whole country seems to be watching. You know the one.
Additional Show Notes:“In a Global Health Emergency, the Bicycle Shines,” by Laura Laker
Neighborhoods First, by Chuck Marohn
Abby Kinney (Twitter)
Daniel Herriges (Twitter)
Gould Evans Studio for City Design
Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom (Soundcloud)
Recent Strong Towns articles about biking
The Right-Hand Rule for Passing a Bike, by Buff Brown
Cyclists are somehow both “vehicles” and “pedestrians.” This ambiguous status puts lives at risk. By Greg Walker
“Which Way to Your Car, Sir,” by Daniel Herriges
Hey Peloton, Here’s How Real Cycling “Changes” You, by Arian Horbovetz
So Your City's Getting More Bike-Friendly. How Do You Identify the Next Best Step? by Tim Wright
So a Hacker's Holding Your City's Data for Ransom....
Is the End of the Single-Family Neighborhood Near?
The Two Things Your City Needs to Do If You Want to End Blight
Why Our Housing Problems Don't Obey the Laws of Physics
Why does Strong Towns put *so* much emphasis on its members—and why is that so unusual in the nonprofit world?
What Would You Do if You Got a $5,000 Street Repair Bill in the Mail?
How Conservatives and Liberals Define "Fair"—and What It Means For Our Cities' Futures
Cracking Down on Pedestrians Won't Make Streets Safer
No, Revitalizing Rural America Isn't A Lost Cause. But the Way You're Thinking About it Might Be.
Can Any City Really Survive on Locally-Grown Food Alone?
Will Smart City Technology Really Make Our Places Stronger?
So Your Town is Building Lots of New Housing Units! But How Many New *Doorbells* Are You Losing?
Strong Towns: The Book is Finally Coming. But Why *Now*?
Why Does Your City Stop When It Snows?
Will Electric Vehicles Save the World, or Make Our Cities Weaker?
What Would You Do if the Government Put a Speed Limiter on Your Car?
What Happens When Algorithms Get Into the Home Flipping Business
Forget Gas and Insurance. How Much Does Your Daily Commute Really Cost You?
Accessory Dwelling Units Rock. But Should States Be Overriding Cities' Laws About Building Them?
Can Cities Like St. Louis Get Financially Stronger by Merging with Richer Places?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Social Dallas Podcast
Delivering Solidarity
Change Church Podcast
Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon
Fundraising is Funny