I live in New York City, and when I started riding my bike to work last year, I became acquainted firsthand with the obstacles to using this most efficient and green mode of transport. Here’s the short list:
- No sheltered place to park my bike.
- No place to park my bike at all – other bikes chained to all available racks and poles.
- Rules against chaining bikes to city property like trees or poles.
- Theft of anything not locked down – seat, wheels, bell, bike rack, or the entire bike. (Check out this YouTube video: "How to Steal a Bike in NYC".)
- Drivers who ignore bike lanes and seem unaware of how easily they could kill a biker.
- Bikers who ignore traffic laws and come at you the wrong way in bike lanes.
- Car doors that open treacherously into bike lanes.
- Streets with no bike lanes at all.
- Jaywalkers who mistakenly think that bikes can stop as quickly and easily as cars.
Thankfully, help is on the way. New York City has turned decidedly pro-bike under Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Jeannette Sadik-Khan. And the non-profit group America Bikes is helping to bring bike-friendly changes to communities across the country.