In November 2012 MIT Press published "City Cycling," a book that examines the many different aspects of cycling trends and policies across the globe. Bicycling is booming in many of the world's cities, for many reasons: health and environmental benefits, time and cost savings, more and better bike lanes and paths, innovative bike sharing programs, and the sheer fun of riding a bike. "City Cycling" offers a guide to this urban cycling renaissance, with the goal of promoting cycling
as sustainable urban transportation available to everyone. It reports
on cycling trends and policies in North America, Europe, and Australia, and offers information on such topics as cycling safety, cycling infrastructure provisions, including bikeways and bike parking, the wide range of bike designs and bike equipment, integration of cycling with public transportation, and promoting cycling for women and children.
Chapters 3 and 7 deal explicitly with the public health aspects of cycling. Chapter 3 (by three Australian professors of public health, Jan Garrard, Adrian Bauman, and Chris Rissel) documents the physical, social, and mental health benefits of cycling. They review dozens of studies showing that the health benefits of cycling exceed the traffic risks by a ratio of at least ten-to-one, even in the United States. In countries such as The Netherlands, the benefit/cost ratio is much higher. Chapter 7 (by two public health experts, Peter Jacobsen and Harry Rutter) examines the crucial issue of cycling safety and propose ways to make cycling safer, both in fact and in perception, in order to attract risk-averse and/or vulnerable cyclists.
"City Cycling" emphasizes that bicycling should not be limited to those who are highly trained, extremely fit, and daring enough to battle traffic on busy roads. The chapters describe ways to make city cycling feasible, convenient, and safe for commutes to work and school,
shopping trips, visits to friends, and other daily transportation
needs. The book also offers detailed examination and illustrations of
cycling conditions in different urban environments: small cities, large
cities, and 'megacities.' These chapters
offer a closer look at how cities both with and without historical
cycling cultures have developed cycling programs over time. The book makes it clear that successful promotion of city cycling depends on infrastructure provision coordinated with supportive programs and government policies.
One important theme throughout the book is the need
to make cycling possible for everyone, as a matter of social justice and
equity in transportation policy. That requires special attention to the needs of women, children, and seniors, who are underrepresented among cyclists, and whose share of cyclists has even been falling in the United States. Equity and social justice in transportation policy demand that all modes of transportation made accessible and safe for all groups, especially those who are vulnerable, such as children and seniors. The rise in cycling in the United States has been dramatic and encouraging, but it has been focused mainly among young and middle-aged men. Infrastructure, programs, and government policies must be improved to broaden the appeal of cycling, so that it is more socially inclusive and provides greater mobility, independence and physical activity for all groups, not just for recreation, but for daily, utilitarian travel.
For more information on the book, see: http://citycyclingbook.wordpress.com
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Wishing you a winter warmed by the love of family and friends!
Prof. John Pucher, Rutgers University
Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
33 Livingston Avenue, Room 363
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 USA