3
Appreciation post: My town's new bike lanes vs the old bus route debate
Our city council spent $50,000 on a study comparing adding protected bike lanes downtown to just increasing bus frequency on one main road. The data showed the bike lanes would cut more emissions long-term because they got way more people out of cars for good, not just for one trip. Which do you think is a better use of limited funds for a small city, infrastructure that changes habits or improving existing public transit?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
caleb_ross1211d ago
Honestly, that study makes a good point about changing habits. A new bus might help for a while, but a safe bike lane gets people to ditch the car for good (you know, for errands or short commutes). Seen it happen in a few places. The upfront cost for the lanes is rough, but if the data shows it locks in fewer car trips, that's a win. For a small city's budget, that long-term shift might beat just adding more buses that sometimes run empty.
3
grayc2711d agoMost Upvoted
Portland's bike lane network cut car trips by 12% in the first five years. That's a bigger drop than their bus expansion got in the same time. The initial build cost stings, but empty buses burn cash forever.
5
evan_wilson181d agoTop Commenter
But what about people who can't bike, like my mom with bad knees? @grayc27's 12% drop sounds good, but that's still most people stuck needing a bus or car. Empty buses are a waste, but at least they serve everyone when they do run.
2