better bicycling for Hawaii? both possible and worth it!
"Seville is a remarkable case study for the cost-savings and urban benefits of investments in bicycling," added Vanderkooy. "Six years ago, bicycling was a virtually non-existent form of transportation in Seville, with less than half of one percent of all trips made by bike. Today, almost seven percent of all trips made in Seville are by bike. It's an inspiring model for American cities that are just beginning to incorporate bicycling into their transportation networks. If it works in Seville, a city with no previous tradition of bicycling or particular proclivity for innovative urban design, why not Dallas, Los Angeles, or Chicago?" (Bicycle Times 11, pg 20)
Or how about Honolulu?
It turns out that money spent on bicycle infrastructure is an excellent investment that gives good returns. All across the U.S., there are examples of projects that have had a positive impact for a tiny fraction of the cost of facilities for cars. For around the cost of one mile of highway built in a dense urban environment, $50 million, an entire network of bike lanes and other facilities can be installed in a mid-size city... [Portland] invested a relatively paltry $57 million between 1991 and 2008 and saw a huge increase in cycling with a resulting savings in health and fuel costs.... (Bicycle Times 11, pg 45)
Sounds like a really good way for Hawaii to make steps towards being more energy independent to me. If we invest in our bicycle infrastructure, how much $$ will that save in imported oil expenses?
