Importance of Bicycle Friendly Cities

In the spirit of last weeks bicycle related events I wanted to address what I feel is often an overlooked component of urban sustainability. I recently read a Good Magazine article that ranked the best bike cities (omitting Portland, my hometown, because that would apparently be too obvious). I think that when we talk about sustainable communities often times alternative transportation, density, and other topics really drown out what I feel to be a vital aspect to healthy communities. When I was fifteen I got a job, worked full-time, and eventually bought a car when I turned sixteen. I was all about it, often times driving to accomplish the most trivial of errands. However, it took another year or so of working long hours on top of school for me to wake up and realize that driving SUCKS. This realization was made easy being that I live in Portland, which is probably the most "bikable" city in the country, and I live in a biking family. However, I have been able to experience a stark contrast coming to a city like LA where biking is not considered a common means for commuting, and an alternative accessible to all people. This presents a major problem considering that in this country access to a car is considered one of the primary goals for those trying to escape poverty, when in fact a car is a depreciating asset that sucks economic resources. This social justice element is less obvious than the avoidable environmental degradation caused by cars, and the health benefits that are associated with biking.

It is important also to acknowledge that a biking culture is imperative for policies that really acknowledge this form of transportation on the same importance as mass transit and the automobile. I really enjoyed reading the Good Magazine article because it was interesting to see how bike cultures have been stimulated, as bike friendly design is only one component to achieve a bikable city. The events we had at oxy last week as well the city events speak to this point however, I feel like so much more needs to be done to emphasize the role that biking plays in a comprehensive sustainable urban community. The reality is that biking in Los Angeles is not a preferable means of transportation. It’s a shame that when I’m in Portland where its 38 degrees and constantly raining I am able to live car free thanks to my bike, but here I am unable to enjoy the benefits of California thanks to a car-centric culture. However, I feel that the voices of bike riders in urban communities including Los Angeles will play an essential role in future sustainable urban development.

Good Magazine Article: http://www.good.is/post/sorry-portland/