Berkley Center

Thirteen hours: the time it took eight of my friends and me to cycle from Edinburgh to St. Andrews for the G20 meeting. Protesting followed the day after our Friday of cycling, but I went primarily for the adventure. That adventure was aided by a marked cycle route from Edinburgh to St. Andrews that takes one along dedicated bike paths and non-busy roads. This route is part of the National Cycle Network—a program started in 1995 by Sustrans. Sustrans is a sustainable transport charity in the United Kingdom that encourages people to make transportation choices that benefit their health and the environment. According to their website, the network is composed of over 12,000 miles of routes and links throughout the United Kingdom. An incredible 386 million walking and cycling trips were made on the network in 2008 alone.

This well-organized and extensive cycle network across the United Kingdom speaks to the prevalence of cycling in Europe as opposed to the United States. My hometown city, Chicago, has recently established a comprehensive bike program. However, there is no well-marked route for longer trips from Chicago to places such as Milwaukee, Gary, or Rockford. The Adventure Cycling Association is working on such routes across the United States, but the United Kingdom is far ahead in terms of connecting the major population areas. In fact, 75 percent of people in the United Kingdom live within two miles of National Cycle Network routes.

I think part of the reason cycling is so much more prevalent in Europe is that accommodations are made specifically for bikers. Every time I cross one of the major streets to get to class, there is a little green man that flashes on when it is clear for pedestrians to walk. Often, next to the little green man is a separate light with red and green bikes. As I walk across the street, the cars waiting to go are idling about eight feet away from the crosswalk. This is because usually there is a space ahead of the cars just for bikers to wait for the light. In fact, streets usually have a devoted lane for bikers. I have also noticed that many sidewalks are divided in two. One side is for walkers and the other for cyclists. These kinds of accommodations encourage people to cycle, and I have seen them all over Europe.

Another reason for the widespread use of bikes in Europe is that governments are focused on and supportive of this cause. As a result, they pass policies that dedicate money to cycle initiatives. The United Kingdom has been proactive in making policy that promotes more cycling. In October, the UK Transport Secretary, Andrew Adonis, announced a 140 million pound government investment over three years to improve facilities for cyclists such as dedicated bike paths and safe bike storage. In 1999, as part of the UK government’s Green Transport Plan, the Cycle to Work program came into effect. This program allows workers to purchase a bike tax-free. To date, about 25,000 companies have offered staff the chance to buy a discounted bike. This number is expected to grow, as a recent expansion of the plan has made it easier for small businesses to offer the incentive to their employees. Scotland, specifically, is also focused on increased cycling as the Scottish government just released a consultation paper entitled "Cycling Action Plan for Scotland: More People Cycling More Often."

I do have hope for cycling becoming more common in the United States. America Bikes is a nonprofit organization of bicycle community leaders that advocates bike and pedestrian initiatives to be included in federal transportation bills. It reported that 71 percent of Americans would like to bicycle more, and 53 percent favor increasing federal spending on bicycle lanes and paths. Policy is starting to reflect public opinion as the Federal Highway Administration reported that $1.2 billon was spent in fiscal year 2009 on bicycle and pedestrian projects, more than double that spent in fiscal year 2008. Part of this huge increase stems from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but it is also partly a response to the US census bureau statistics that show a 43 percent increase in bicycle commuting nationwide since 2000. Bicycle tax incentives have even come into effect. The Bicycle Commuter Act makes it possible for workers cycling to work to receive up to 20 dollars a month tax-free from their employers for bicycle-related expenses.

This act only passed as a rider to the 700 billion dollar bailout bill of 2008. Passing as a rider makes a great pun for this essay, but I’d rather these cycle initiatives pass without having to resort to last minute congressional maneuverings. Congress should be more proactive in promoting cycling. There are so many reasons to do so. It can help solve two of our most pressing major issues: health care and climate change. Europe is reaping these benefits while the United States lags behind. Also, bike infrastructure is cost effective. Hundreds of miles of bike and pedestrian infrastructure cost $50 million, the same as just one mile of a four-lane highway. In addition, simply increasing bicycling and walking in the United States from the current 10 percent of all trips to 13 percent would result in a savings of 3.8 billion gallons of oil per year. Increasing bike trips should be relatively simple since there is a lot of room for growth in America. Forty percent of trips in the United States are two miles or less, 74 percent of which are made by car. Hopefully, the mindset of the United States will soon match that of Europe’s in its acceptance and encouragement of cycling. Meanwhile, while here in Edinburgh, I will gladly do what I barely ever have to do at home: —make way for cyclists.