| June
2006 |
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Parties, Festivals Await Cyclists Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Bike to Work Week Master Biking in Traffic, Biking with Small Children Bicycles, Bakeries and Beyond – Get the Most Out of Your Membership Discount Benefits |
A Way of Life in Copenhagen If you ever get a chance to bicycle in Copenhagen,
do it. As someone The next thing you notice is fashion. Everyone is coolly riding in style. No Lycra or special cycling clothes. You will see high heels, dress shoes, suits, skirts and dresses. Whatever you wear at work, out on the town, walking down the street, that’s what you wear when you ride. It would be rude not to have full fenders. You don’t want to splatter any of these hipsters.
I grabbed a low airfare in March, when conditions there are chilly and damp. But the weather doesn’t affect bicycling levels. In the central area, about one-third of the population travels by bike. Most major streets have curb-separated bike lanes. Biking in Copenhagen is normal. Nothing weird or counter-culture about it. Denmark is a wealthy country, but car ownership, gas and parking are intentionally priced to keep it under control. The income is used to make transit and cycling attractive. It works. There are things that could be better. Bike parking is a mess. Bicyclists and pedestrians don’t seem to be allocated enough space given their numbers. And development outside of central Copenhagen fails to extend the human scale of the center. But there was a clear sign that Copenhagen has got it figured out: Children. They were everywhere. Lots of bikes built to carry children. Little kids riding independently along with mom or dad. Packs of school friends without adults all over the city. A city where children are safe and happy is a city that is safe and happy. It wouldn’t be that way without so many bikes. Randy Neufeld is the coordinator of the Healthy Streets Campaign
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