Pooks - well you are right, in some communities seeing cyclists is say, more typical. Like in Minneapolis, San Francisco. Now whether drivers treat you better, that is another story.

What about this - until gas goes to $10/gallon, public transportation gets decent funding - why not make a bike course for drivers part of the driver exam & cirriculum when people first get a license? For those that already have a license, make it a course required to renew the license.