Brian Peterson, a veterinarian in Grantville (he’s one of the business owners who’s spoken out against the city’s redevelopment plans there), passed along a reminder to add to this transit-oriented conversation:
Don’t forget bicycle commuting as a mode of transportation. To help out bicycle commuters, the city needs a network of dedicated bike paths. A good example of this is the home of my alma mater, Davis, CA. Some cities also have facilities for bicycle commuters, where they can change into work clothes at their destination.
For more on the effort to make San Diego more cycle-friendly, check out this interview my colleague Evan McLaughlin conducted with Kathy Keehan, the executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.
Keehan provided some cycling stats in that interview:
We’ve gone from being a fringe organization, you know, “those crazy bicyclists.” Now people are starting to realize that, when you walk down the street and meet your neighbor, they’re bicyclists too. Here are some stats: 58 percent of the people in the county own bikes … and 29 percent have ridden in the past 12 months. That’s a huge number of people in San Diego who are out there riding right now. Because we’re so small and inconspicuous, people don’t realize how many bicyclists are out there. But they’re starting to realize.
I’ve been getting some great tips and comments — thanks for contributing to the conversation. To submit a question or comment for Survival: On the Road, click here.