What happens when drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians don't get along?

What happens when drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians don't get along? Chaos.

For decades, cyclists have traveled through the streets of Copenhagen, alongside motorists to their left and pedestrians to their right. It may seem unsurprising then that the relationship between motorists and cyclists in Copenhagen is quite positive. Speaking from my own personal experiences here, I have felt particularly safe at intersections, where most motorists patiently wait for cyclists before passing. The traffic signals for cyclists are also an added benefit, as well as blinking lights at certain intersections which warn automobiles that cyclists are approaching. But still, issues of safety are a concern even in Copenhagen, and this will be discussed in further detail below.

However, the relationship between drivers and cyclists in North America appears to be quite a different story. For decades, people have traveled mostly by automobile. Yet as more people choose the bicycle as a mode of transportation, motorists are now faced with sharing the road, largely because of inadequate infrastructure that forces motorists and cyclists to mix in traffic. With a lack of infrastructure for cyclists, a poor culture of sharing the road, and the majority of people still driving, roads in many North American communities have become dangerous places for everyone. Fortunately, various programs have been created to create a more positive relationship between drivers and cyclists.

Publicis Montreal has created a $250,000 campaign for Vélo Québec to improve the relationship between drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Interestingly, the Montreal Police Service provided some funding for the campaign, which will include television, print, and web publications. Share the Road is another Canadian organization that strives to create more bicycle-friendly communities - and as the name suggests, aims to encourage all users to 'share the road'. A short video below introduces the Vélo Québec campaign.

“Too often, we forget that we trade places between being a driver and being a cyclist depending on the moment,” said Nicolas Massey, vice-president, creative director of Publicis Montreal in a release. “We should all be interested in respecting the rules of the road, and each other.”

As mentioned previously, Copenhagen does have some issues with perceived and actual safety of cyclists. In the 2010 Bicycle Account, a comprehensive study on the state of cycling in Copenhagen, 34% of cyclists and 29% of non-cyclists claimed that better motorist road manners would encourage them to cycle more. 29% and 21% of cyclists and non-cyclists, respectively, cited better segregation between cyclists and motorists would encourage more cycling. Fortunately, the number of seriously injured cyclists fell from 252 in 1996 to 92 in 2010. Still, even with Copenhagen's world class cycling capital status, there are some issues related to cycling infrastructure, safety, and the relationship between drivers and cyclists.
Luckily, the global cycling movement appears strong and is growing each year. Together, we can move forward in creating a strong culture of sustainability where all road users - motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists alike, are respected and valued.  

Can bicycles really carry groceries, children, and furniture?

If someone told you that a simple bicycle could be used to carry groceries, take children to school, or move large furniture, would you believe it? In Copenhagen, transporting people and their goods via bicycle is a common and necessary reality, as over half the population does not own a personal automobile. Copenhagen cargo bikes were born decades ago in the Freetown of Christiania, a car-free community near the central city. Today, numerous people use Christiania Bikes and other similar brands daily.  Watch the video.



In many other parts of the world, including China and Africa, people also use their bicycles to transport goods. However, in North America, people tend to rely heavily on their automobiles for transportation purposes and goods movement. 40% of trips in the U.S. are 3 kilometers or less, but 90% of those short distances are taken by car. Perhaps this is due to the false perception that a car is necessary when running errands. In order to shift this attitude, the 2 Mile Challenge is striving to replace 100,000 car trips in the U.S. by encouraging people to ride a bicycle instead. Rails to Trails Conservancy estimates that if short car trips are replaced by bicycling or walking, between 2.4 and 5 billion gallons of gasoline could be saved annually, resulting in $8 to $17 billion in fuel savings each year.

With more cities facing traffic congestion, air quality issues, and public health concerns, programs are being developed to encourage people to cycle, but also to transport their goods via bicycle. Cycle Logistics, a European Union funded project, aims to encourage the use of bicycles to transport goods. The program, which will run from May 2011 to 2014 and span across 8-12 countries, will strive to achieve a concrete reduction in energy used for urban freight transport. This will be achieved through intra-urban delivery of goods by bicycle, replacing trips that would have otherwise been made by car. With a goal of saving 1300 tons of fuel and 3500 tons of CO2, the program will add 2000 new cargo bikes in urban areas and shift at least 10,000 automobile freight trips to more sustainable options.

“Currently, half of all trips in the city are related to the transportation of goods with light goods representing over a third of these trips”, explains ECF Project manager Dr. Randy Rzewnicki, noting that “there’s a huge potential for CYCLE logistics to shift these trips away from motorized vehicles and towards cycling-related solutions”.

Carry Your Things by Bicycle

Cargo Bikes: Designed specifically for larger loads, cargo bikes vary in shape, size, and style and are often used to transport passengers, furniture, pets, and more. Numerous cargo bikes sold in Amsterdam and Copenhagen are used by parents to transport their children.

Bicycle Baskets: These baskets can be mounted on the front or rear of a bicycle, and are among the most common in Copenhagen. They are often used to carry groceries, bags, or other small to mid-sized items. 

Messenger Bags / Backpacks: These bags are comfortable, accessible, and are commonly used by bicyclists.  The actual design of a messenger bag largely caters to the transportation of mail or goods by bicycle.

Panniers: Designed for front and rear styles, panniers are hung over bicycle wheels and designed to hold a variety of items, including laptops, folders, clothes, food, and more. In many cases, panniers can be detached and used as shopping bags.

Saddle Bags: Attached under the bicycle seat, saddle bags are small and are typically used to hold a few small items.

"Helmets are good. Helmet laws are not."

“Helmets are good. Helmet laws are not” is a quote taken from Helmet Freedom, an organization dedicated to sharing information on the negative impacts of mandatory helmet laws. They understand that helmets can reduce head injuries in low-speed collisions, and support a person’s choice to wear a helmet. However, they oppose mandatory laws that require cyclists to wear helmets. Various other individuals and organizations, including Copenhagenize, appear to oppose mandatory helmet laws.

Some people argue that helmets are an inconvenience and can make cycling a less attractive mobility option. Others feel that wearing a helmet makes them feel safe and confident on a bicycle. With differing opinions on helmet use, many people seem to respect that wearing a helmet should be a personal choice. Mandatory helmet laws seemingly remove this personal choice, forcing all cyclists to wear helmets whenever they ride a bicycle.

Do Mandatory Helmet Laws Decrease Cycling Rates?

When Australia implemented their mandatory helmet law, cycling levels fell by 30%. In hopes of increasing cycling rates in downtown Melbourne, a bikeshare system was launched. Compared to other cities with bikeshare systems, the scheme was unsuccessful, attracting fewer than 650 subscribers in four months. One reason cited for the failed system is the State of Victoria’s mandatory helmet law, which seemingly makes casual cycling difficult. In contrast, cities without mandatory helmet laws have seen extraordinary successes with their bikeshare systems. For example, Dublin, which faces no mandatory helmet laws, shares similar cycling suitability levels as Melbourne's downtown area and has nearly 50,000 subscribers for their bikeshare system. Dublin councilor Andrew Montague discusses Melbourne’s bikeshare system in a video interview and is quoted as saying “…that [DublinBikes] would be killed stone dead if there were compulsory helmets.”

The Safety in Numbers Effect

Based on the Australian example, it appears that mandatory helmet laws can reduce the number of cyclists, and any reduction in cyclist numbers poses a significant threat to safety, based on the safety in numbers effect. This hypothesis claims that by being in a large group or mass, an individual is proportionally less likely to fall victim to an accident, attack, or another harmful event. Research has shown that when cycle use doubles, the risk of a motorist hitting a cyclist reduces by one third. Therefore, it would appear that more cyclists on the road results in increased safety. If mandatory helmet laws do reduce cycling rates, as proven in Australia, then the law could pose as a significant danger for the safety of cyclists. 

The graph below illustrates the safety in numbers effect. In countries where many people are cycling (safety in numbers effect), cycling fatalities are low. 

Source: European Cyclists' Federation

Do higher rates of helmet use lead to a decrease in cyclist fatalities?

The graph also appears to show that high rates of helmet use does not necessarily equate to lower risk of injury or death. For example, if 38% of cyclists in the U.S. wear helmets, why is the fatality rate much higher than in the Netherlands, where 0.1% of people wear helmets? The answer appears to have little to do with helmets and more to do with cycling infrastructure and culture. In the Netherlands, safe infrastructure has been available to cyclists for decades, and they rarely cycle within traffic. When they do, drivers tend to be cautious and respectful, largely because of the strong culture of cycling and that motorists likely cycle or have cycled at some point themselves. In the United States, the strong car-culture mentality leaves little room for understanding and respect between motorists and cyclists. Cycling infrastructure is completely absent or severely lacking in many cities, resulting in cyclists having to travel within traffic, becoming exposed to dangerous situations with motor traffic that can lead to injury or death, regardless of if they wear a helmet or not. 

Helmet Use in Copenhagen

In Copenhagen, an increasing amount of people are wearing helmets, but this is still their choice. In a quote taken from Toronto Star article in May 2009, this was said about helmets in Copenhagen:

"We don't have a law in Copenhagen mandating cyclists to wear helmets," says Brian Hanson, the head of the city's traffic planning department. "We have no problem with anyone wearing a helmet and understand the safety benefits of it. But we've studied the topic many times and the results are always the same: it will decrease ridership significantly. We feel the health benefits of bike riding – active lifestyle, very low carbon emissions, clean air – far outweigh the risks of riding without a helmet." 

“Helmets are good. Helmet laws are not.” is a simple statement behind a quite complex issue. What are your thoughts on helmet use and mandatory helmet laws?

Are Women The Key To Creating Bicycle Friendly Communities?

A bicycle renaissance is occurring across North America, with cycling rates increasing throughout Canadian and American cities. However, most of the growth in cycling is among men, while cycling rates among women and children have either been steady or fallen sharply. Why is this disproportional growth among men, women, and children occurring? Recent studies claim it relates primarily to safety. Watch the video below on women and cycling in Copenhagen.

Various surveys have been conducted to find out why women cycle less then men. The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals surveyed over 13,000 women to investigate factors that would induce women to cycle more for transportation purposes. When asked "What would cause you to start or increase your cycling?", the majority of women (62.4%) selected more bike lanes. Other popular responses included completely separated off-road cycling paths and wider lanes on roads.

In Britain, over 9000 women signed a petition calling for safer conditions for cycling, which was delivered to Transport Minister Sadiq Khan. With just these two initiatives combined, over 20,000 women have expressed that safety is their main concern in regards to cycling. Based on these findings, many transportation professionals are realizing that women are the key to creating bicycle friendly communities. The assumption is that if women are cycling, then it must be safe, attractive, and convenient for all other users, including the elderly and children.

The important relationship between women and bicycles began during the 19th and 20th centuries, during a predominately male centered society. The simple bicycle was a tool used by women that brought independence and freedom while eliminating their reliance on men for travel. Susan B. Anthony, a women's rights advocate and feminist, said this about cycling:

"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood." ~Susan B. Anthony, 1820-1906, abolitionist and leader of the American women's sufferage movement.

Many women in the world today still face issues of inequality and lack of personal freedom. Over a century later, the bicycle is still being used as a tool for women empowerment in the contemporary world. In a previous blog entry I wrote for International Women's Day, the bicycle has been used in India to create a collective bicycle bank aimed at increasing women's mobility and promoting micro enterprises among women entrepreneurs. Various organizations, such as The Bicycle Factory and World Bicycle Relief, are using the bicycle as a tool to empower young women in Africa, providing them with the tools needed to care for their families, learn necessary skills, and build a better future for their communities. 

In Copenhagen, a world class cycling capital, it appears that as many women cycle as men. This is convincing evidence that women play a key role in creating bicycle friendly communities, not only in Copenhagen, but across the world. With more women on bikes, it appears our global communities will become more accessible, safe, and sustainable for all people.