tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682899986857040901.post3432215899146736401..comments2023-07-01T10:21:32.918-05:00Comments on Chicargobike: Streets for (Family) Cycling Take TwoChicargohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03166650767505966551noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682899986857040901.post-19367505168926278032012-05-30T23:36:06.754-05:002012-05-30T23:36:06.754-05:00I very much agree that Chicago families who ride f...I very much agree that Chicago families who ride for transportation now are by and large really at the fringes. It's hard to think as it has become normal for us and we know so many other families who ride.<br /> It makes us all seem normal when the reality is that very very few families feel comfortable and with excellent reason. When another parent tells me they are not confident to ride I think they expect me to be surprised but I am always aware that our streets are not comfortable to ride on for most parents who don't consider our streets safe for riding.<br /><br />This is a huge topic. I think that parents would go for the most protected lane here- and in a continuous path even if it is little out of the way. Most would choose a path I think that does not leave you hanging at the end in a difficult intersection at wither end or with a long way to go to the next protected segment or logical destination like the Lake, museum or park.Chicargohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03166650767505966551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682899986857040901.post-5727592075954246102012-05-30T10:17:27.797-05:002012-05-30T10:17:27.797-05:00I also think that people who are apt to get involv...I also think that people who are apt to get involved and who are active in the cycling community tend to be relatively bold riders. We are family cyclists, but I think we are on the relatively daring side of the spectrum, and so what might be acceptable to me is not necessarily acceptable to others.<br /><br />I also think that the city planning constraints shouldn't be underestimated. It is challenging to plan good routes that have sufficient street width for truly protected bike lanes. Of course, a family riding might be more willing to bike a more roundabout route in order to get a more protected journey. Or would they? I don't know how individuals will choose routes if given more infrastructure on more inconvenient routes. Better to build the best you can on the most efficient route? Or built more protected in less useful streets?Elizabethnoreply@blogger.com