Elly Blue has written an awesome manifesto for the broader impact bicycle transportation can have. I've been reading this book off and on for the last six months and finally finished it last night. It's definitely a must-read for anyone looking to increase bike accessibility in your local community. I found myself making plenty of notes in the margins; small practical tips for bike commuting abound.
There's very well-documented research and numbers in the book.
A few quotes or anecdotes:
• Transportation costs for the average American are climbing higher, but nobody stops to do the math on what their driving choices cost them.
• The working poor spend a higher percentage of their income on transportation, and vehicle ownership becomes a cyclical source of poverty for low wage earners.
• “Many of the opportunities lost while sitting in a care are gained on a bike. Fitness, health, and pleasure. . .”
• The United States has an epidemic of chronic disease related to lifestyle and environment, like depression, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
• “Bicycle lanes and zoning practices are the antibiotics of the 21st century.”
• Driving restrictions during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta reduced emergency room asthma visits by 41%.
That’s the general core of the book. The rest is jam-packed with facts about what works and what hasn’t worked well in getting people to use bikes as a full-up means of transportation. The author makes a few repeated comments about race and gender inequality, which ultimately may turn some folks off if you came purely for bikes, health, and economics. Otherwise there are some great stories about the economic impact of adding bicycle parking and bicycle lanes to urban areas.
If you’re passionate about using a bicycle as a way to live better, reduce your environmental impact, and save a little more for the ‘stache, this is a fantastic book to read.
If you’re active in your local community’s civic affairs, this is a great starting point for your roadmap if you’re trying to get more support for bicycle friendly public works.