Streetfilms

Can we get this to CB in NY. Thanks for a very clear message!

Awesome! Appreciate the positive info.

I support any and all bike infrastructure. But one thing that is NEVER discussed is that the culture of a city has as much or MORE to do with whether people will use the infrastructure.

I spoke at length recently with a city official in Portland, OR who had previously worked in a similarly sized midwest city. He told me that the acceptance of bikes as transportation in portland has more to do with what employers consider acceptable, since so many trips are work commutes.

Portland and other west coast cities have a casual social and business style that is very different from the "heartland". The official I spoke to noted that his old job in teh Rust belt REQUIRED him to wear a suit and tie. While his staff in Portland dress more casually because they ride to work.

Likewise, employers in places like Portland at least provide modest fascilities for their employees to lock up their bikes or even change clothes if necessary.

I think cycling advocates need to connect with business leaders FIRST and get the Private Sector behind cycling infrastructure improvements. Because it's the attitude and culture of the employees that determines whether they ride or drive to work.

DS: We do not advocate wearing a helmet or not, either way - though I like wearing one about 98% of the time.  It was the luck of the draw or the footage we had.  Look at plenty of our other Streetfilms, you'll see LOTS of people not wearing a helmet.

For example: http://www.streetfilms.org/mapping-your-nyc-bike-commute/

At least 1/3rd of the folks, not wearing one.

We try to just show the cycling environment whatever it may be the day we filmed.  Believe me, I WISH we had the funds and organization to stage things, our videos would look that much better.

There's a lot of diversity of experience re cycling in the USA. I had the misfortune to cycle from Zephyrhills FL to Miami, and endured beer cans and abuse thrown; regular bad driving, and one occasion being run off the road by a truck. FL combines very bad cycling roads with very poor levels of consideration for cyclists. 0/10

I only hope the other States provide a better exxperience.

Good point about engaging employers - but don't engage them ONLY as employers. Businesses need to embrace cyclists as shoppers and customers as well. When a business sets up a great program to promote employees biking to work, use this as a selling point for customers as well, provide highly visible, well-placed bike parking for passers-by, promote to cyclists offering discounts to those who arrive by bike etc., when giving directions to the business, include information about bike routes and parking availability. A very high number of those 20-minute trips mentioned in the video are not commute trips, they're trips to the grocery store or the theater or the bar.

Great video. However, I would suggest selecting a title that is less anti-car in tone. For those who are hesitant to abandon car-centered transportation policies, this can put them on the defensive before the video begins.

I believe a more positive, multi-modal title would be a better choice.

@Clarence: Yes, I was referring to the "Moving beyond the Automobile." I realize you can't change it, but I think it's something to consider in the future.

great convincing video! this is why we reshaped the transport bike into a comfortable, easy peddling, nice looking, dutch design & quality, urban transport e-bike. here in amsterdam it is already called the 1st car on 2 wheels. later this year available in North America.

All I know is that I am very jealous of the people in those cities. Just to get to the local Walmart, 2 miles away, I have to detour around main roads and ride on the side where all the broken glass is.

Nobody said that Bicycling was to one shot answer. The point is that it works as a means for transportation for some people some time and that by developing a community in a way that makes cycling safer and more appealing then it opens up that oppurtunity for others to use the bike. I don't like to ride my bike in my town because it does not fell safe to compete for space on roads with cares, but if they had dedicated bike lanes that did not require cars to go into the oppisite lane to get around me and they made improvements at the intersections that made it safer for me to cross then I probably would ride more often. Except when I need to wear dress cloths.