Bicycle Infrastructure and the Revival of the American City Joseph Giampietro . Cindy Trivisonno
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Bicycle Infrastructure and the Revival of the American City Joseph Giampietro . Cindy Trivisonno For over a century, the bicycle has been recognized as a recreational activity and mode transportation. Not until recent decades though was the bicycle directly accommodated for in a system of transportation infrastructure. In the United States there seems to still be a level of apprehension even as major cities modify their transportation systems to add accommodations for cyclists. Cities such as New York City; Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis have taken on the identity of a bicycle friendly city. As these role model cities continue to adapt and improve their systems, the rest of the country can observe their successes in improving road safety, lowering carbon emissions and pollution, creating jobs, and strengthening community. As a growing culture, bicycling is slowly beginning to make a comeback in the United States since the rise of the automobile and national highway system. While this culture is still somewhat new to Americans, and even unappreciated by a portion of the population, there is no doubt that bicycle transportation and infrastructure is a huge opportunity for success on many levels. With more education and awareness on the topic, we as Americans can learn how to become involved and save our country’s inefficient and declining transportation system. By studying European bicycle cities and the European approach to transportation, it is apparent that a system of bicycle infrastructure is something that can work in an urban setting. Countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands have been sharing the road for decades and have adopted bicycle transportation into their culture as a norm. With strategies such as bike-‐share programs, bicycle education, integrated traffic signage, and more, cities like Copenhagen have integrated cycling into the daily lives of all its citizens as they together sustain a greener, more democratic city. In the United States, as we move toward the goal of a sustainable city, incorporating cycling into the urban transportation system is a major advancement towards a long term goal.
3 Research Question/Goals of Study:
Through the research and analysis of successful European and American
bicycle studies and the associated design strategies, cultural adjustments, and greater impacts, the study will acknowledge the construction, cooperation, experience, influence and benefits of bicycle transportation and bicycle infrastructure. Research of these aspects will reflect that bicycle infrastructure can result in the revival of the American city and how it has already begun to do so. Research and an improved understanding of modern bicycle infrastructure will allow for the development of a conceivable approach to the transportation/infrastructure deficiency in the United States and the resolution by way of bicycle infrastructure. History of Transport: Informing Urban Design In contrast to the typical European city, the American city is substantially younger and has been developed in accordance to transportation technology current to the time of its planning and construction. Because much of America’s development has happened simultaneously with and after the development of the automobile in the early 20th century, many American cities have been planned with the automobile being the primary means of transit. Because European cities typically predate American cities, they have been designed to be accessible by means of transit that predate the automobile, thus the European city is more compact and pedestrian friendly. The European city has been designed from the perspective of the pedestrian whereas the American city has been designed with respect to the automobile and the opportunity of traveling greater distances that were previously impractical.
4 The increase in railroads in the late 19th century and the development of the automobile in the early 20th century gave Americans unprecedented freedom of travel, which in turn shifted city development from the urban compact to a more expansive metropolitan area. Railroads connected satellite cities to urban city epicenters that allowed people to live outside of the city and commute to work. This reduced urban congestion and connected people to places outside of their immediate environment. “Contemporary transportation planning was born with the dawn of the interstate highway system, and the institutions, financing arrangements, and modeling techniques familiar to us today were developed to address a singular project: the task of building a national highway system”1 The increased use of America’s highway system reduced America’s reliance on
Railroad Map
railroads for long distance travel and gave Americans the freedom of independent travel and opportunity to travel wherever and whenever at their own convenience. Because Americans had the opportunity to travel at their own freewill, the role of public transportation had diminished. City designers and planners shifted the focus of design
Highway Map
to accommodate the mass quantities
1 Boarnet, Marlon Gary. Transportation Infrastructure: the Challenges of Rebuilding America. Chicago:
5 of automobiles rather than the pedestrian. Because of the reduced necessity for public transport, design of pedestrian infrastructure became secondary to automobile infrastructure. The rapid expansion of suburban areas along with poor design considerations has led to suburban sprawl. Suburban sprawl is essentially an inefficient network of single use zones connected by highways and arterial roads that lack cohesion and accessibility. It is a landscape built for the automobile that is devoid of human scale as public services are spread out making the city less accessible. The limited means of access and inefficiency in public and personal transit to these public services and infrastructure causes the city to become less democratic and functional whereas “a democratic city is one where all its residents have equal opportunities to benefit from the city’s assets and to participate through representative governance in shaping the identity and the destiny of the city.”2 The lack of design, which constitutes suburban sprawl, requires the citizen to rely on automobile based transit causing pedestrian based transportation to become irrelevant, as the city was not designed to be experienced by means besides vehicle-‐ based transit. To borrow Gehl’s observation that “architecture and planning should fit man and man should not try to fit planning and architecture, perhaps the same analogy can be made for pedestrians and bicyclists: transportation planning in large central cities should fit pedestrians and bicyclists and pedestrians and bicyclists should not try to fit transportation planning.”3
Current global concerns have caused city planners to address urban issues in
the context of climate and environmental protection4. America’s current highway system is in a state of disrepair and “In 2010, it was estimated that deficiencies in America’s surface transportation systems cost households and businesses nearly $130 billion. This included approximately $97 billion in vehicle operating costs, $32 billion in travel time delays, $1.2 billion in safety costs and $590 million in 2 Sabini, Dr. Maurizio. "Infrastructure and the Democratic City." Pg. 2. Print.
3 Cerreno, Allison. "Bicycle and Pedestrian Design Guidance." Home | Federal Highway
Administration. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. 4 Calthorpe, Peter. Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change. Washington, DC: Island, 2011. Print.
6 environmental costs”5 causing other means of long distance transportation to become a necessity. Inner city transportation must be rethought and redesigned in accordance to the current issues America faces in today’s world. Copenhagen: A Model Bicycle City
Copenhagen is an example of a successful European bicycle city that has
effectively integrated bicycles into the transportation fabric with a cohesive infrastructural system. The Danes emphasize the importance of the bicycle as part of their culture with accommodations on every street as well as designated bike-‐ specific routes and parking throughout the city. On smaller quieter streets bicycles ride directly on the street with motor traffic and on busier and larger streets, bike lanes or elevated paths are utilized allowing people to feel safe. The busiest street in Copenhagen reaches an average of 36,000 cyclists daily.6 The network allows for people of all income and age groups to travel the city in an affordable, healthy and sustainable manner. In school, children are taught transportation laws and bicycle technique, introducing kids to the bicycle lifestyle at an early age. Families travel together and often use cargo bikes to transport groceries or other goods, similar to the American use of the SUV, allowing the bicycle lanes to become utilitarian. The people of Copenhagen fully embrace the use of bicycle infrastructure with a noticeable passion and dependency on the bicycle as a primary mean of transit. This apparent pride contributes largely to the continuing success of Copenhagen as a model bicycle city.
5 "Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Surface Transportation Infrastructure « InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure." InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. 6 "Cycling Copenhagen, Through North American Eyes." Streetfilms. Web. Dec. 2011. <http://www.streetfilms.org/cycling-copenhagen-through-north-american-eyes/>.
7 Gehl Architects: Export of Danish Cycling Culture Danish architect Jan Gehl, principal of Gehl Architects works to integrate cycling design and culture with a People First Design approach to shape innovative mobility projects around the world. The firm calls themselves “Urban Quality Consultants,” emphasizing their focus on the experience of urban living and quality of life beyond formal architecture. New York City [2007-‐2009]: Project: Urban Realm & Bicycle Strategy Client: City of New York, Department of Transportation “Gehl Architects is working to promote quality of life and livability in New York. [Their] strategic recommendations will help make New York a lively, attractive, safe, sustainable and healthy city.” New York City, currently a leading global power city demonstrates such great potential for adapting a new urban system of living with enhanced mobility and a more sustainable approach to the existing complex infrastructural grid. The plans and programs outlined by the NYC Department of Transportation reflect an awareness of the “spaces between buildings” and an acknowledgment of the city’s diverse communities, innovative residents, and strategies for sustainability and the public realm. With a major concern being congestion, the city must take action before matters become worse and the population becomes unmanageable. An example of the circumstances of NYC is Times Square prior to intervention, which only allocated 11% of the total street space to “soft traffic.” This comes nowhere close to meeting the needs of the population that constitutes 4.5 times as many users as those travelling by car.7 7 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009. Copenhagen: Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants, 2009. Print.
8 The current condition of the city combined with the potential for immense improvement has attracted Danish architect Jan Gehl to the scene. Specifically, his firm was called to advise on improvements tied to the Mayor’s PlaNYC Initiative: A 20 year vision for a greener, greater NYC. The unique approach taken by Gehl Architects incorporates the pride and success of Copenhagen as a role model city into personalized plans for cities around the world including New York, Mexico City, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Los Angeles and currently Bejing and San Francisco. The attempt to improve or “Copenhagenize” these cities can be achieved through a design with the implementation of bicycles and other sustainable design strategies inspired by Danish culture. Gehl’s plan for New York aims at “reclaiming space and easing congestion” on major streets including Broadway and Times Square [see NYC diagram A].8 With the focus on the behavior of the people and study of movement patterns at key nodes throughout the city, Gehl pushes for a balance between modes of transportation through the development of several new public spaces complimented by a comprehensive bicycle lane network. The image to the right diagrams the city of New York conceptually with regard to bicycle routes and rail stations.9 Taking a sustainable approach to the
NYC Diagram B 1
construction of bicycle infrastructure can be simply done by taking advantage of the current transportation system and infrastructure. This method of incorporating the two systems addresses and improves mobility even further by lessening the gap between destinations throughout the city. Of course, with such a portable vehicle as 8 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009. 9 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.
9 a bicycle, making the connection between road and rail can be quite smooth. Cycling becomes ideal for those who had never considered it practical for their lifestyle. The Quantitative goals of the project include: •
30% reduction of C02 emissions
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Planting of 1 million trees
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Implementing 300 km of cycle lanes
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Ensuring all citizens are within a 10 minute walk of a public open space
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Doubling the percentage of cyclist commuters
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Reducing traffic related deaths by 50%10
In 2009 the initiative spread further and Green Light for Midtown was launched to address congestion in the target area of Midtown Manhattan including Broadway Boulevard improvements. As part of the project, two pedestrian malls were created along with the reduction of six-‐way
Pedestrian Malls
intersections simplified to allow more space for pedestrians and bicyclists. The NYC Department of Transportation estimates that traffic times will improve on the parallel streets by 27%. Since 2007, New York City has doubled the quantity of bicycle lanes, reaching 450 miles in 2009. The new policy allowing bicycle parking inside office buildings in addition to awareness campaigns has resulted in a two-‐fold increase in bicycle commuting to work and school. Preliminary surveys show a 84% approval rate among users in the Madison Square Park area while even local businesses seem to be benefitting from the changes according to the Times Square Alliance. Measurable 10 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.
10 improvements also include 50% drop in traffic-‐related accidents along Broadway Boulevard, which already meets goals laid out by PlaNYC. 11
NYC Diagram A
11 Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. New York City / USA / 2007-‐2009.
11 Copenhagen, Denmark [2008]: Project: Metropolzonen – Urban Realm Strategy Client: Copenhagen City Council Although Gehl Architects puts so much focus into improving the cities of other nations, they also acknowledge the potential that Copenhagen has to improve even further. The work done at “home” parallels the efforts of their global projects resulting in a very unique, comprehensive, and synergistic design approach. Metropolzonen is the most centrally located area of Copenhagen. It is home to many popular destinations, various modes of transportation, and many opportunities for public space. The high level of activity requires a certain organization effort to be made on an urban scale. Through analytical studies of the city and different conditions of the area, Gehl Architects developed a vision plan for the area of Metropolzonen incorporating different types of public space and streets into a functional network of improved urban living. 12
Vision for Metropolzonen
12 G ehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants. Copenhagen / Denmark / 2008. Copenhagen: Gehl Architects | Urban Quality Consultants, 2008. Print.
12 Bicycles in the American City: Progress Toward a More Bicycle Friendly Nation Extensive research by Bicycle Magazine has produced a full list of “America’s Best Bike Cities” ranked one to fifty.13 In order to make the list, the cities had populations of 100,000 or more and displayed a “vibrant and diverse bike culture.” According to this list as well as many others, Minneapolis, Minnesota leads the United States as the most bicycle friendly city with approximately 7,200 of its 380,000 residents biking to work [as of a survey conducted in 2008]. This equates to about 3.8% of all Minneapolis commuters in 2007.14 Followed by Minneapolis in the top three are Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado. Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan: Minneapolis’s clear sense of motivation and ever-‐progressing initiative plays a large role in its success as a flourishing American bicycle city. As of 2008, the city of Minneapolis has been working on an improved bicycle master plan for the city with the final report in June of 2011. The new master plan will build from and replace the 2001 Bikeways Master Plan and 5-‐Year Bikeways Plan [see Master Plan 2]15. Through various programs, construction projects, education, and community involvement, Minneapolis continues to pursue their vision that “(a)ll bicyclists enjoy a welcoming environment; riding safely, efficiently, and conveniently within the City of Minneapolis year-‐round.”16 Prior to development of the new Bicycle Master Plan, Minneapolis was already supporting 127 miles of on-‐street and off-‐street bikeways, over 17,000
13 "America's 50 Best Cities for Cycling | Bicycling Magazine." Bike Reviews, Gear, Bicycle Maintenance, Cycling Gifts | Bicycling Magazine. Bicycling Magazine, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. <http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-‐stories/bicyclings-‐top-‐50>. 14 "Bicycle Commuting up Nearly 50 Percent in Minneapolis." City of Minneapolis, Minnesota -‐ Official Web Site. City of Minneapolis, 29 Sept. 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/news/20080929BikingUpInMpls.asp>. 15 Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan. Minneapolis: City of Minneapolis, 22 July 2011. PPT. 16 Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan. Minneapolis: City of Minneapolis
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Master Plan 1 -‐ 2011 Bicycle Master Plan
Master Plan 2
14 bicycle parking spaces, various bicycle events each year, as well as many programs including Bike Share and Safe Routes to School, an international movement to support, promote and fund walking and bicycling to school. The city is also currently making use of innovations such as bike boxes, colored
Bike Share
lanes, bicycle boulevards, left-‐sided bike lanes, separated trails, cycle track, creative bike racks, and more [see Design Strategies: Systems and Signage]. The City of Minneapolis admits that the plan is rather ambitious considering a few of the goals to add 183 miles of bikeways and 300 parking spaces, as well as ensure that all residents are within one mile of a trail, a half-‐mile of a bike lane, or a quarter-‐mile of a signed bike route by 2020. This is merely evidence of all that is required of a city in order to reach such a level of success. Other cities can use Minneapolis as a role model case study to understand the process of improving a city with bicycle infrastructure and the timeframe in which to expect results. Midtown Greenway: One of the strongest points of sustainable bicycle infrastructure in Minneapolis is a 5.5-‐mile long former railroad corridor that now serves as biking and walking trails and goes by the name Midtown Greenway. The Greenway is owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority while the trails are maintained by the City of Minneapolis keeping the trail open and safe 24/7 and year-‐round. The trail makes trips across town via bike quicker than by car in many cases, as the corridor is separated from the street by grade. With a series of underpasses and overpasses, trail-‐users nearly completely avoid traffic all together. The Greenway connects to a network of paths to the south, east, and west giving access to nearly the entire city. The long-‐term plan for the corridor includes an express rail transit service as part of a regional rail system to operate adjacent to
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the trails. The Martin Olav Sabo Bike and Pedestrian Bridge, a cable-‐stayed bridge designated for pedestrians and cyclists, takes the Midtown Greenway over Hiawatha Avenue and to the Mississippi River. The popularity of the bridge itself has dramatically increased traffic on the Greenway. Stretching a diverse culture span along neighborhoods and business districts, the Greenway has become somewhat of a forum for public art, including temporary and permanent works as well as performances. In this case, transportation infrastructure begins to cross over into the realm of cultural infrastructure, a trait that puts Minneapolis atop the list of U.S. bike cities. The Midtown Greenway Coalition believes “Public Art in the Greenway provides an essential role in increasing community awareness and involvement with the corridor; increasing value for adjacent property development; and in articulating the history, meaning and local character of the Greenway as a Minneapolis resource.”17 17 "Advocating for Public Art in the Midtown Greenway." Midtown Greenway Coalition • Minneapolis. Midtown Greenway Coalition, 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://midtowngreenway.org/publicart/>.
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17 Economic/Environmental Impact and Benefits The addition and implementation of bicycle infrastructure into the American city has large economic and environmental impacts. Economic benefits include increased revenue and jobs for local businesses as well as higher real-‐estate values. Tourism is also greatly benefited from bicycle infrastructure as over 80% of users of a major bicycle path in Pennsylvania were more likely to purchase “soft goods” such as café food, drinks and clothing and “hard goods” such as bicycles and safety equipment for the use of the bicycle paths.18 In the Outer Banks of North Carolina, 68,000 tourists visited the area to cycle and generated $60 million in tourism spending and created approximately 1,400 jobs.19 Bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure creates more jobs per money spent than road-‐only infrastructure as road only projects provide 7.8 jobs per million dollars spent and bicycling only projects provide 11.4 jobs per million dollars spent.20 Bicycle infrastructure is also more sustainable than road infrastructure as it requires less maintenance thus using fewer materials and less energy to construct. Environmental benefits include reduced urban congestion, better air quality, safer travel and improved health outcomes. Bicycle paths and trails are commonly used in parks for recreational as well as travel intentions. Bicycling is active transportation which involves physical activity which allows one to receive a daily workout for example on ones commute to work, in contrast to public or automobile transportation in which very little or if any physical activity is involved. Carbon emissions are reduced as well as pollution resulting in the use of less fossil fuels and cleaner air providing a cleaner and healthier city. 18 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐ Peltier 19 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐ Peltier 20 Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, Heidi Garrett-‐ Peltier
18 Design Strategies: Systems and Signage Existing transportation infrastructure must be modified to accommodate the addition of bicycle infrastructure including bicycle lanes, cycle tracks, modifications to intersections as well as the addition of signals, signs and markings. The design of bicycle lanes varies according to the activity level and context of the street in which they are placed and operate in conjunction with motor vehicles and pedestrians. The primary issues with retrofitting existing streets are ensuring safety for the cyclists and visibility to motor vehicles. It is important that cyclists constantly remain in sight to motor vehicles and that proper markings are created to indicate the paths of cyclists. Safety is a major concern and is commonly the deciding factor on whether bicycling can be a primary means of transportation. Conventional bicycle lanes are placed adjacent to motor traffic and are separated by a painted line with bicyclists traveling in the same direction as motor vehicles. Buffered lanes are identical to the conventional lane with the addition of a buffer between the cyclists and motor vehicles. The buffer typically consists of an increase in space or a physical barrier separating motorists from cyclists.
Buffered Lane
19 Lanes typically contain designations stating traffic directions and colors show the direction of routes. The color paving within a bicycle lane increases visibility of the facility, identifies potential areas of conflict and reinforces priority to cyclists in areas with pressure for illegal parallel parking.
Ground Marking
Modifications at intersections include the addition of bike boxes, crossing markers, turning queue boxes and bike turning lanes. These modifications are made to existing roadways to reduce traffic congestion, increase the safety of cyclists and pedestrians and optimize the flow of motor and bicycle traffic. When cyclists cross intersections, there are often pavement markings that indicate the intended path of a cyclist through an intersection or across a driveway or ramp. The markings safely guide the bicyclist on a direct path through an intersection and provide a clear boundary between bicycle and motor paths. The bike box is typically implemented as an advanced stop area allowing cyclists to safely make left hand turns at intersections and become more visible to motor vehicles. The box places cyclists ahead of queuing traffic during the red signal phase at a traffic light.
Bike Box
20 The hybrid beacon is used in locations where smaller roads intersect with major roadways. These locations often have low traffic densities and lack the proper signals to facilitate large increases in traffic during peak times. These areas are especially dangerous for cyclists to cross and are most benefited with a hybrid beacon. The beacon provides signals to motor vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians and is the most efficient and effective method to simultaneously signal each of the three different types of traffic. When bicycle infrastructure is designed correctly, motor vehicle and bicycle traffic as well as pedestrian activity can operate in harmony resulting in an equal and pleasant urban experience. Community Embracement League of American Bicyclists The main advocator for bicycling and bicycle friendly cities is the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), a national organization that works with communities to “promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-‐friendly America.”21 The Bicycle Friendly America program helps businesses and communities across the country learn how to become more bicycle friendly. The Bicycle Friendly America Blueprint is a publication put out by LAB that serves as a guide that lays out strategies, requirements, and ideas for implementing bicycles into cities. The League is responsible for a large part of bicycle education and awareness in the United States accomplished through programs and events including National Bike Month, Safe Routes to School, BikeEd 21 "League of American Bicyclists" League of American Bicyclists. League of American Bicyclists. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://www.bikeleague.org/about/index.php>.
21 programs, and Share the Road campaign. The National Bike Summit is one of the most important events put on by LAB. As an annual lobbying effort to push for bicycle-‐friendly legislation, state and federal legislators, bicycle advocates, and the press gather on Capitol Hill to discuss the state of bicycling in the U.S., also giving the public the opportunity to express their wants, needs, and concerns directly. This year’s Bike Summit was titled “Acting on a Simple Solution,” and discussion addressed the primary funnels of federal funding toward bicycle-‐friendly improvements in US transportation infrastructure. Currently, the majority of funding goes toward three projects: Transportation Enhancements for communities including construction of bike lanes, Recreational Trails Program to maintain a variety of trails particularly for mountain biking, and Safe Routes to School. In all, bicycle and pedestrian facilities account for 1.5% of the money available for transportation infrastructure.22 The Bike Summit as somewhat of a form of infrastructure itself, though a less concrete example, helps build the democratic city that we as Americans strive to reach. The conditions were created in which the public can be involved and participate in envisioning and decision-‐making. When the people can be heard, there is a sense of empowerment, which in turn results in a good urban experience.23 Of course, first an effective system of communication must be in place, hence without a democratic city, good infrastructure cannot exist. Bike Train The Portland Bike Train movement began as a month-‐long experiment giving kids the opportunity to ride bikes to school in a safe and fun environment. The project essentially created the bicycle equivalent to the school bus where the bike 22 Brooks, Karen. "Ms. Brooks Goes to Washington | Bicycle Times Magazine." Bicycle Times
Magazine. 21 June 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bicycletimesmag.com/content/ms-‐brooks-‐ goes-‐washington>. 23 Sabini, Dr. Maurizio. "Infrastructure and the Democratic City." Pg. 3. Print.
22 train would make stops at each house picking up students and parents along the way. The program provides exercise for children and reduces the amount of traffic around the school in the morning. The program succeeds in eliminating the “circle of fear” which consists of parents preventing their children to walk to bike to school for the fear of motor traffic accidents. The program also succeeds in eliminating the primary concern with bicycling being visibility. By traveling in a group the children are easily visible to motor traffic decreasing risk of accidents. At the end of the “Walk and Bike to School Month” the program had over 100 participants and the program eventually expanded to five other Portland schools with over 650 participants. The Bike Train raised community awareness in which was accepted and well embraced. Not only did the program succeed in that regard but it also provided the community a vision for what could be.
Issue of Public Acceptance Two recent cases concerning negative feedback on bicycle infrastructure occurred in New York City. The 14-‐block bicycle path connecting the Staten Island Railway to the Ferry Terminal and was replaced with automobile turning lanes, curbside parking and bus lanes. The Staten Island Borough President and city council members applauded the change while others were devastated by the unprecedented removal. The other instance of negative exposure involved cynical news broadcast attacking proposals for bicycle infrastructure in New York City. A broadcast of Brian Williams’ news program, supporting the deconstruction of existing bicycle infrastructure, and disagreed with Sadik-‐Kahn’s proposals. The program was a one-‐sided and ill-‐informed negative biased negative portrayal of bicycle infrastructure that unfortunately reached 4 million Americans. Impact on Other Forms of Infrastructure: Currently in the United States, nearly every bicycle infrastructure project is retrofitted to existing roadway conditions, directly impacting these other forms of infrastructure. The result is unobtrusive to current vehicular infrastructure and creates a more versatile network of adjacent transit layers. For example, simply
23 replacing automobiles with pedestrians and cyclists can alleviate congestion in dense urban settings. The exchange of vehicular space for public space should not be viewed necessarily as loss but an effort towards a more sustainable transportation initiative. Along with this initiative must be an adaptation of traffic laws in order to safely and effectively integrate differing modes of transportation into a holistic system. Aside from the obvious effects on transportation infrastructure, bicycles influence soft infrastructures such as culture, education, and recreation. The incorporation of hard and soft infrastructure with urban enhancements creates a strong potential for the general well being of the city. Bicycle Infrastructure and the “Democratic City” One approach to obtaining a more democratic city is surely in the design of good infrastructure to serve the city. While many may not recognize it, bicycle infrastructure when designed for the needs of the people and the environment is a very good example of infrastructure that affects democracy. A system of bicycle lanes and laws implemented into a city immediately improves the accessibility and mobility of those to use the system. The result is the increase in opportunities. The city is instantly more attainable when bicycling is an eco-‐friendly, healthy, free option. No longer is there a reliance on automobiles to access the city. In addition to the need for well-‐designed infrastructure in order to have a democratic city, there is similarly reliance on the strength of the community. Educating the community about the positive effects of cycling and bicycle legislature almost ensures participation. Consequently, a community active in decision-‐making quickly builds the support needed to move forward and achieve a more democratic city.