Just wanted to share a quick anecdote from my day:
This afternoon on my way home from school, I had to wait at an island in the middle of a major intersection near my high school. When I rode up to the island, there was already one other student on a bike and two on their feet. The light took an unusually long amount of time to grant us permission to cross, and during that time, two more kids on bikes and two more pedestrian students arrived. That island was full to the brim with kids taking alternative transportation home. I almost laughed because of how strange it seemed to have an island filled with students going home. But then I realized that it should be like that everyday. If enough kids rode or walked to school, we'd have a serious space/traffic issue (seeing as younger teens tend to use sidewalks and crosswalks and thus traffic islands rather than the street). It would be great to see the sidewalks overflowing with students walking or biking, and while there are a great number who do, the majority drive once they get their licenses or have their parents drive them because they don't realize how easily it truly is to ride.
There does seem to be some change, though. I used to be one of only two girls at the bike racks. Now there are at least four of us who ride everyday and two or three more who ride every once in a while. And it feels like I see more adult commuters on bicycles, but it could be because I'm more aware of it now than I was before.
What changes have you noticed in your community in regards to transportation?
Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday!
Thanks for reading,
Green Gal
---
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
--Albert Camus
This afternoon on my way home from school, I had to wait at an island in the middle of a major intersection near my high school. When I rode up to the island, there was already one other student on a bike and two on their feet. The light took an unusually long amount of time to grant us permission to cross, and during that time, two more kids on bikes and two more pedestrian students arrived. That island was full to the brim with kids taking alternative transportation home. I almost laughed because of how strange it seemed to have an island filled with students going home. But then I realized that it should be like that everyday. If enough kids rode or walked to school, we'd have a serious space/traffic issue (seeing as younger teens tend to use sidewalks and crosswalks and thus traffic islands rather than the street). It would be great to see the sidewalks overflowing with students walking or biking, and while there are a great number who do, the majority drive once they get their licenses or have their parents drive them because they don't realize how easily it truly is to ride.
There does seem to be some change, though. I used to be one of only two girls at the bike racks. Now there are at least four of us who ride everyday and two or three more who ride every once in a while. And it feels like I see more adult commuters on bicycles, but it could be because I'm more aware of it now than I was before.
What changes have you noticed in your community in regards to transportation?
Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday!
Thanks for reading,
Green Gal
---
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
--Albert Camus
Boston is starting a commuter bike rental company similar to Zip Car, change is coming! ...now if we could just get safe bike lanes....everyone I know who commutes by bike has been hit at least once, including my husband. I stick to the subway :)
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