Are two wheels better than four?

Well, at least someone is actually doing something about climate change. Westchester bicyclists have gotten aggressive, demanding what should have been theirs all along ”“ bike lanes, bike lockers and bike racks on buses.

The new Westchester Biking & Walking Alliance was announced last April by David Wilson, president of the Westchester Cycle Club. Among the many requests made at that gathering, bike racks on BeeLine buses would have seemed the least likely to actually happen. Of course, it is only a couple of buses that now have the racks and it is just an experiment at this point but that is a big move for the BeeLine system and it should be commended. Bus companies in many parts of the nation have confronted the same logistical problems and have somehow coped and we are sure the BeeLine will be able to absorb the problems in its system. It should be noted that the Tappan Zee Express, traveling between Rockland County and Tarrytown and White Plains, allows cyclists to store their bikes in the luggage compartments of the bus. Of course when they get to Metro-North there is no place for a bike on the train during the peak period.

Well, let”™s consider the benefits of biking to work. You will be healthier ”“ mentally and physically. You will probably lose weight. You will appreciate the scenery as you pass by, possibly at a higher speed than cars on the same road. At the macro level every bike represents one less air-pollution spewing vehicle taking less space on the roadway, using one less parking space and causing fewer accidents. What”™s not to like?

 

Of course, to say there is no cost to this mobility choice is not true. You have to buy a bike, a helmet and other accoutrements to make the ride easier. But, bottom line, it is cheap when compared with the alternatives, with the exception of walking, of course.

 

Now let”™s address the negatives of commuting to work on two wheels.  Do you feel safe when you are riding alongside a semi or SUV or, for that matter, any car? Where do you put the bike when you arrive at work? What about arriving at work looking like you”™ve just spent an hour at the gym? What about drivers who want to run you off the road? The fact is we are approaching a turning point in which the beloved personal vehicle, the four- wheel kind, is being challenged by another solution to the need to move around, the two-wheel kind. As many signs say on the byways ”“ “Share the Road” with a little logo of a biker on it, this is not a suggestion all drivers take seriously.

To demonstrate the viciousness of too many drivers, Clear Channel radio stations in Cleveland, Houston and Raleigh, N.C., launched a campaign against cyclists as the result of complaints from their listeners. The radio hosts in those cities suggested that drivers throw bottles at the cyclists or hit them with car doors, blast horns or speed past the cyclists and then slam on the brakes. An extreme example one would hope but cyclists would say not so fast. Versions of this type of behavior can be experienced nationwide.

 

But times are changing. The first bike-sharing system in the nation, operational in Washington, D.C., since last year, is called SmartBike and is subsidized by, guess who? Clear Channel! Now we read that Paul Feiner, supervisor of the town of Greenburgh and a serious biker, is suggesting the Hudson River towns institute a bike-sharing system that would allow people to visit these towns and villages as they disembark from Metro-North. An individual could borrow a bike, located near the station by using a credit card and then visit other areas along the river. Feiner, always a little ahead of the curve, is grabbing onto a solution that perfectly suits the times. The need to stay closer to home and do everything more cheaply.

 

Another indication of change is the pedicab, a familiar sight in Manhattan for some time. The theater district is a prime spot for customers where not only tourists get a real kick out of someone pedaling them around, but the locals also seem to enjoy the experience. It”™s New York”™s version of the rickshaw. Pedicab cyclists may be trying out second careers, outdoor types or the desperate among the unemployed.

The old adage “There is safety in numbers” is quite true when it comes to biking. The more people that can band together as they negotiate the existing roadways the more they will grab the limelight. The fact is that vehicular travel is declining nationwide. There are several reasons for this ”“ the economy, of course, but also the cost of fuel. Though lower than last year it is still highly uncertain where the cost of fuel will be in a few years causing people to be more cautious. The drop in consumer activity is also a factor in the lowering VMT (vehicle miles traveled). All of this is good for the cyclist. But the trend that should give all of us something to think about is this. More bikes are now being sold in the world than cars and trucks. The comparison holds up for the U.S. as well.

So here it is ”“ another entrepreneurial field to explore ”“ alternatives to the car for mobility. Job losses in the region and the nation are indeed appalling but opportunities are there also as the entire culture undergoes profound shifts in the way we live. The opportunities for entrepreneurial thinking are everywhere.