A Safe Routes to Schools Future?

No hills, easy to bike. Not quite like that around here. 

~ 

John Craine

50 Blue Hill Drive

If you notice in all these videos (there are more at David Hembrow's website) the cyclists are on bike paths--an extensive network of paved bike trails with traffic signs at the intersections, etc. Hills are not a significant factor once people are safe to ride and ride regularly. I took my fixed gear out yesterday and did a 24-mile loop; up to Powissett Farm, down to Dover, back up the many hills of Pine St to Medfield, then back through Norwood and Walpole. I remember when I was first into cycling how hard that Pine Street ride was--on a hybrid bike with plenty of gears! But over time, you get used to the terrain and learn how to pace yourself and go up hills more effectively.

The only hill in Westwood that has beaten me lately is riding up from the Islington train stop on Grafton...you cannot let yourself lose momentum or it becomes impossible to keep going. But when you know how to ride that hill, it can be done, even on a fixed gear bike--with no opportunity to downshift to an easier gear.
People who are worried about hills shouldn't be discouraged...it is hard to explain, but they do become easier with experience--not just conditioning or strength. Of course there is also a better way to go...turn left on Strafford and go up Dean to Washington St from the train station...

I lived in The Hague for a year and rode a bike that was provided with our flat to work daily. Bike culture is deep within The Netherlands for many reasons, including those already stated including established paths, safety, etc. The Dutch have always been close to their bicycles - a common joke insult to a German is to shout "Mijn fiets terug!" (Give me back my bike) in reference to the Nazi forces confiscating bicycles during the war.

But there is also an economic factor as well: fuel is very expensive, parking is limited, and auto insurance is astronomical. In addition, public transportation is extensive, reliable, and cheap.

Bear in mind that after the war, most of Europe was in shambles and entire cities had to be rebuilt. So many countries, including the Netherlands, took the opportunity to build transportation models that were scalable and that assumed cars were a luxury.

Here in the US, car culture runs deep. Sadly, non-car transportation is an after thought in roadway and transportation projects.

Can you just imagine if a bike path was built in parallel to the train tracks running in and out of Boston? With all the right-of-way hurdles already cleared, safety and access would be the focus. I'd love to cruise down Grafton, hang a left at the Islington Station onto a safe bike path to Boston and emerge at Back Bay!