Neal Peirce, of the Washington Post Writers Group, ponders whether this is the year of the bicycle.
As gas prices rise and our physical health declines, it makes sense that more and more people will opt for their bicycles as an alternative method of transportation. Think about the cumulative effect you could have on your gas bill and personal well being if you took the time to bike to the grocery store for those few last items, or to the video store to return a movie.
If we can integrate our bikes into our lives more, city leaders will take notice and begin devoting more resources to cycling infrastructure, such as bike lanes and bike centers. This is already beginning to happen in Portland, New York, and other metropolitan areas. But, it may be awhile before we seen anything like this in smaller cities like Santa Barbara.
As the article points out, more cyclists on the road is a good thing. We have the opportunity to reclaim our streets, making them safer for families, increasing home values, and cleaning the air we breathe. Seems worth it to me.