Riding Velibs in Paris
David Byrne, in a thoughtful piece for the NYTimes, is expecting bike share to transform NYC for the better. New Yorkers and visitors will experience what we did in Paris riding Velib all over town, to and from tourist attractions. It was great!
Bikes can transform our world and make it better. New Yorkers are about to see how.
What Byrne and advocates overlook is the bike backlash and people competing for the same space in a very crowded city. I’ve had an editorial on the back burner that states, “bike advocates are not social engineers. They’ve done amazingly well at getting us access and forwarding an agenda, but do nothing or are ill-equipped to handle their success. It’s like they’ve hyped, promoted, and thrown a big party then ran out of beer. “
*Mandiberg Down
Last time I rode in NYC, we got attacked. Last week on the Burke-Gilman (a major bike thoroughfare in Seattle), saw a cyclist strike a pedestrian, and I had words with another.
Next time in NYC, I won’t bring a travel bike and ride their new share. I’ll also have an eye out for New Yorkers that don’t give a shit what mode of travel I choose, just that I’m not in their way or take up the space they want.
That’s the same as it ever was.
…We're riding townies, adventure, and mountain bikes. Find recommendations on our store page. As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases.