Super Eco

Photo credit: SXC

How do you get your town to install bike lanes for commuters and recreational cyclists? The short answer is: ask.

Sixteen-year-old Alex Nevitte has asked. And she asked publicly and in her local paper which also happens to be a Toronto-based national newspaper. I imagine she'll get results, too. Deciding to commute by bike across the city, Alex encountered rude drivers and poorly-maintained roads. Not only that, but she felt unsafe riding because there were no designated lanes for cyclists, and there was little driver-awareness of how to share the road with bikes.

I've ridden in areas not used to cyclists whatsoever and with no bike support, and I've ridden in cities very attentive to the needs of bike riders. There's a huge difference between them in safety, and I'd be reluctant to ever pit myself again against a bigger, faster, stronger car that can't or won't see me.

More people would bike, helping to unclog roadways and create fewer emissions, if there were friendlier areas to bike in. Wouldn't you ride more, and maybe even commute, if you lived close enough to your work and your town was more bike-friendly? If so, it wouldn't hurt to ask.