SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Expanding bike lanes, handing out free helmets and making lessons free: New York is making great strides in encouraging pedal power at the expense of exhaust fumes, even if some cyclists are still nervous about navigating bottleneck traffic.
For years, the city of 8.5 million—which has the most extensive public transport network in the United States—stood and watched the bike boom take off in European capitals.
In 2013, then billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg launched the Citi Bike sharing scheme and since then, New York has seen the fastest growth rate in cycle use of any big US city.
"The city has come a long ways in terms of having a much stronger commitment to promoting bicycling," says Rich Conroy, education director for Bike New York, a non-profit organization that encourages safe cycling.
"People realize we can't grow as a city by building more streets and adding more cars," explained Conroy.
Get exercise time in, lose weight, get to work, and save money all at the same time. What's not to love?
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Wednesday November 22 2017, @11:04AM
ps: I reckon my approx 10 mile rural commute to work costs me about $2 in fuel going by car, every day. So even cycling for a couple of summers would recoup the cost of a decent bike, even ignoring maintenance costs on the car which are much higher than bike maintenance costs. Plus the other benefits to myself and the community - reduced chemical pollution, reduced noise pollution, quieter roads, better health.