Discuss!
http://www.commuterpageblog.com/2012...commuters.html
Printable View
Great article - I loved that just seeing a regular commuter inspired those folks to get bikes.
DH has been a regular bike commuter (generally 2 - 3 days a week of 5) for years. I never have. First it was because my office was too remote (I'd have had to bike then BART and it would have taken too long) and now I have a home office. I think it's really just coincidence that he's the one who's been commuting. Although I can see wanting a real shower available at work whereas he gets by without.
What a very cool story!
I doubt that I've ever inspired random people I pass to commute by bike, but I think our bike commuting is well known and visible to all our neighbours. I've often wondered what it will take to get someone to commute by bike, and I agree that having the right facilities is a big point. An avid biker from before might choose to commute without a shower for instance, but someone debating whether to try it for the first time would probably find having the possibility of a shower waiting a real plus.
I was talking to my dad about transportation in his town a few months back. He had noticed that most of the bicycle commuters are Hispanic males, whereas Hispanic females mostly take the bus. In his town anyway, both white and black people apparently drive their own cars. It was interesting to me, both the racial and the gender divide.
The research link in the blog post refers to data collected at several events, and the respondents were self-selected because they attended those events as bicycle commuters. The research is upfront about not capturing a random sample of bicycle commuters. It's a start, however, and hopefully this blog post and others will spark discussion that will spark further research that will capture a larger pool of respondents.
Arlington County, Virginia, is quite progressive in its transportation planning. Bicycle commuting and walking are treated as real transportation options. That's so refreshing.
Full disclosure: I wrote the blog entry.
Hahaha how awesome! I was thinking "how can we get her to TeamE?" She's already here!!! That must have been awesome.
People talk to me ALL THE TIME when I'm commuting on my Vespa. Maybe a scooter is a nice transitional vehicle to the bicycle... The hills in St. Louis are a deterrent for most bike commuting, although there are days in the spring where I'll be sitting at an intersection in the city and there will be 4 of us at the light and a few more within eyesight. That's always a thrill. Typically they are usually white and male (not affluent in the traditional sense though)
Awesome :DQuote:
Originally Posted by tulip