Sam

Cycling in Phoenix is a lot better than many are willing to admit or realize. Some areas are just awesome. The combination of Papago Park/Canal Park, down to Tempe Town Lake, then up the Greenbelt in Scottsdale allows over 20 miles of riding with less than a half a dozen places you have to cross a street.

The AZ Canal is another one. From the Biltmore to Peoria Sports Complex, and down the river a few more miles through parks and some what more natural settings, nearly 30 miles and only two street crossings.

More and more bike lanes, coupled with the canal paths, and you can get most places by bike.

Summers are brutal, and we all ride less I would assume. But we have 8 or 9 months of great riding weather. Most cities can’t brag about that.

Phoenix does need a lot of work. Unfortunately we have a very car-centric culture and we can’t all be like Portland, NYC, or Chicago. But it is improving, and hopefully that will continue.

the bike networks were extraordinary. I was able to ride from my dad’s house in Scottsdale, all the way to the ASU stadium and downtown Tempe, without riding alongside traffic. that was pretty extraordinary.

moreover, I found the “Zonies” to be remarkably considerate drivers, at least compared to the Bostonians I battle on a daily basis.

I commute by bike in the metro-detroit area. Un-emphasis added. It is not exactly cycling heaven, but it is flat, with a relative abundance of side/residential streets.

Even though I can chose many different routes to the same destination, I often find myself in conflict with motorists, in one way or another.

I think it would be a win-win for both motorists and cyclists could we be segregated, once and for all.

Motorists would no longer have to have their reckless speeding, and disregard for basic safety, impeded by my presence. Nor would they any longer have to feel inferior when I manage to keep up with them in traffic.

I, on the other hand, would no longer have to risk life and limb to get around in a fun and practical way. I could commute without breathing concentrated death gas.

There are loads of good reasons to support a national cycling infrastructure. The more people that commute by bike, the less people there are jamming up traffic in an auto. I am fairy certain that building bike paths is cheaper than building roads, but I may be wrong. Gas would be slightly cheaper as demand falls.

A bike highway system is a win-win for everyone; especially the people that typically hate cyclists, and could never entertain the thought of getting rid of the car.