Bill Hangley Writes a Letter to Stu Bykofsky
Hi Stu:
RE: your bicycle column of 11/23:
Obviously, the more bikes on the streets, the more important it is for bikers to respect the rules and not ride recklessly. At the same time, the bike has to be recognized for the flexible, human-scale thing that it is – it’s not a car, and the world will survive if bikers hop up on the sidewalk from time to time, as long as they don’t forget that everyone’s safety counts. If everybody takes a nice deep breath it’s not hard to see how we can all share the roads.
That said, I want to take a moment to contest what’s evidently one of your basic beliefs: “[Bikes] will never be a serious mode of transportation in and around Philly.”
I say, tell that to every business in Center City that has a bike chained up out front and a paying customer inside.
Here’s a serious suggestion: go down to the Locust Walk apartments just by Schuylkill River Park (201 S. 25th St.). You’ll see, from the sidewalk, a view of the first-floor garage space where tenants store their bikes. Dozens of bicycles hang from the racks. Every day, some of those tenants ride some of those bikes to Center City’s shops, bars, restaurants, cafes, stores. They cannot do the same thing with their cars, because parking is expensive and inconvenient. But they can do it with their bikes – and they do.
As a friend said, “Bikers shop local.” For a person at 25th and Locust, a bicycle makes it fast and easy to get to hundreds of businesses and attractions. The car stays in the garage, and the money – no matter where it’s made – gets spread around the neighborhood.
That’s why even though bikes will never be the dominant transport option, they should be understood as a critical and unique piece of the whole urban puzzle. There are always people who want to live in the city and don’t want or can’t afford a car (like all those young professionals we’re trying to lure into places like Locust Walk!). There are also people who (like me) are happy to use their car for long trips, but love using bikes to bop around the neighborhood and take care of business.
I know it’s easy to get riled up about the grungy kids out on their hipster bikes scaring old ladies. But they’re the exception, not the rule – most bikers are just trying to get around and not get run down. So when you see a bike, imagine that it’s towing around a small wheelbarrow full of cash which will all end up in the hands of the bikers’ neighborhood businesses. That’s not a fantasy, that’s a fact.
And on that subject, I think it would be very interesting for you to talk to some of the business owners on Pine and Spruce, to find out what the impact of the new bike traffic lanes is on their biz. See if they’re getting more walk-ins. See if they like the change. See how many bikes are locked up on those streets, and ask yourself what those riders are doing when they’re not actually ON the bike. Then decide for yourself whether the bike is a “serious” form of transportation.
They’re good for neighborhoods, they’re good for business, and yeah, they’re great fun too!
- – Bill Hangley, West Philadelphia
PS If you’re interested in taking a ride to see what Philadelphia, its traffic and its amenities look like from atop two unmotorized wheels, I’d be glad to take you around. A bike can really show you the best of this town – but dealing with the traffic can be like shooting Class V rapids.
