Quote Originally Posted by PamNY View Post
I wouldn't think much of East/West differences in discussing cycling in US -- living in NYC I would likely have more in common talking to cyclists in San Francisco than cyclists in Atlanta or Nashville.

Cities are so different -- as others have pointed out, age of city and population density are two things that would radically affect any transportation planning.

Do we know for a fact that people don't look to other cities for ideas? During the (admittedly minor) involvement I've had in transportation planning there was discussion of what has gone on in other cities.

OT but marginally related: I was always amused by my native-New-Yorker friend who was outraged that you couldn't just hail a cab in other cities like you can in Manhattan. He was intelligent and educated, too.
I think climate is a factor, too. Cycling season is just beginning here in Edmonton -- I did notice a few intrepid cyclists who stick with it through winter, but by and large this is a city for cars. The trail system is decent -- I'm just beginning to explore it, and I expect I will find routes that are more appropriate for the mtb than for the road bike.

As for your New York friend -- I can relate b/c I lived in NYC for a number of years -- I think New Yorkers view cabs as just another transit option, and another reason they don't need to own a car. If you are traveling at a weird time of day or need to take a route that requires some weird transfers, or you're simply going someplace that doesn't have convenient service, the cab becomes another option.

I was shocked when I moved to San Francisco, my firm hosted an event at SF City Hall, and at 10:30 pm there was not a cab to be hailed. Our boss suggested we "call a cab" as she made her way to her car. But this was in the late 90s when some of us didn't feel obliged to have a cell phone, and yet payphones were already extinct in that neighborhood. And the other option was walk through a sketchy neighborhood to a bus stop. Enough experiences like that, you eventually find yourself at a car dealer.