Had a great time at the Detroit Bike City Expo on Saturday. Lots of made-in-Michigan bikes, ranging from the pieces of art you would never want to ride built by the Detroit Bicycle Company to the very functional and affordable A-Type built by Detroit Bikes.
Beth Savan from Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank gave an impressive presentation (especially considering the noise levels in the hall) on increasing utilitarian cycling. The biggest takeaway: giving people more information won’t convince them to bike to work, school, or stores, especially if it comes in the form of bicycle safety classes. What will help: giving them experiences with cycling that will help them see cycling as cool and fun, especially if mentors are on hand to help new cyclists overcome their personal barriers to riding. U.S. bike advocacy organizations should take heed. She also covered a new report from her organization that proves that adding bike lanes increases business for surrounding merchants in walkable urban cores, even if on-street parking is removed.
