Last week I cam across an interesting article on Grist. The reporter, Christine Grant comments on her adoption of cycling, a “car-lite” lifestyle, and how she fell in love with it.
"Urban cycling freed me from slow buses, parking meters, and mind-numbing elliptical machines. I arrived at work with more energy. I lost weight. I discovered charming neighborhood restaurants. I could smell fresh laundry and dinners in the oven while I pedaled home through residential streets. Getting from A to B on my bike became the best part of my day."
With a fellowship attaining her the ability to spend six months living life on two wheels in the world’s most bike-friendly cities she discovered 10 lessons for cities wanting to be more bike friendly.
- It’s the infrastructure, stupid!
- Bike share!
- It’s safer than a sofa.
- Say “thank you.”
- Turn streets into backyards.
- Let prices tell the truth.
- You don’t need “bike clothes.”
- Electrify it.
- Admit it: It’s emotional.
- It’s a virtuous cycle.
Sounds great. Bike commuting has been a great experience for me too - I ride a folding bike since it's what fits in my small apartment - but I too have gained an appreciation for so much of my neighbourhood that I would have completely missed otherwise.
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