Peace of Mind
How do you turn a bicycle owner into a bicyclist?
A quick peek into almost any private garage in urban or suburban America will reveal bicycles hanging from wall hooks, ceiling fixtures or sitting on the floor ready to be used. A quick survey of every-day traffic shows however, that very few of them ever end up on the road. There are many ways of encouraging bicycle owners to ride more:
- More bicycle lanes on public streets
- Dedicated bicycle paths
- Education about the personal benefits of bicycling instead of driving a car
- Awareness building for road sharing between bicycles and motorized vehicles
- Traffic rules that favor and protect bicyclists on the streets
- Traffic planning with the bicyclists in mind
These are effective and productive ways to make life on the road safer for bicyclists and promote bicycling as a viable personal transportation alternative.
While the above efforts focus on the bicycle in motion we believe that the before and after of every ride needs to be addressed just as carefully and completely. For the frequent rider her bicycle is a very valuable possession regardless of the actual purchase price. This not only holds true for the basic vehicle, but even more so for accessories installed by the owner for added convenience, performance or utility.
A great opportunity
If we can instill confidence that secure and convenient parking for her bicycle will be readily available at each leg of the ride, the short trip to the grocery store or coffee shop, the daily commute to work or school or the spur-of-a-moment meeting with friends downtown have the potential to become pleasurable ride-your-bike occasions instead of wasteful short distance drives by car. It is the peace-of-mind that upon her return she will find her bicycle in the same condition at the same place where she left it as well as the hassle free utilization of the parking fixture that will make riding her choice instead of driving more frequently.
Adding more bicycles into the traffic landscape by any means will sway public opinions and create political opportunities and support for more bicycle compatible rules of the road as well as city and traffic planning efforts. Hand in hand with public awareness comes availability of the budgetary means to implement the required improvements.
