You never know your own ripples

Just cycling several times per wk. and living your own lifestyle, knowing local cycling resources...you may cause a person to rethink about cycling.

I have noticed over the years, a herd mentality for car drivers and even wannabe cyclists, that many will not openly support cycling infrastructure or even the idea of a walkable, cycleable neighbourhood if they are in a group meeting. This is ironic because we have a higher proportion of retirees living in our area...which means such neighbourhoods are desirable for aging in place by being close to services, transportation options.


However chatting one to one with individuals, there maybe more supporters than one realizes.

Last week, I spoke up at an annual community association meeting when a woman protested the viability of a cycle track and claimed hardly anyone using it. I said to everyone, I would give the URL to the city's daily computerized tracking statistics that exist for our neighbourhood. There are 2 that are tracked for last 18 months by computer (wire in the pavement)....one tracks now 500-800 cyclists daily. The other tracks 1,000-2,000 cyclists daily. Small numbers compared to some major bike routes in other cities (ie. Vancouver counts 3,000- 5,000 cyclists daily on 1 of their downtown routes out of over approx. 15 other signed routes/lanes that run into downtown.)

But it does mean 1,000 less cars, which take up more road space, per day, etc.


After meeting, some people came to me to:
a) critique about cyclists in general or b) watch/observe me respond to the naysayers. I think b) group were merely curious to listen. They probably hadn't even thought about cycling in general to make any comment or were afraid to make any comment in this area or they really did want to return to cycling/did cycle but were afraid to lend their support.


I was thanked for providing the URL, by several people..including the local councillor for my neighbourhood. She is a cyclist, transit user herself, etc., but very busy handling other issues politically.

Very true. I like to think my riding and my visibility as a fat woman on a bike is a silent advocacy of sorts. When I see the occasional, obviously new to biking, fat lady (or man) struggling up the modest hills in my neighborhood on a bike, I find myself wondering if that is a "ripple" that I made.