PSA: The difference 4 years of bike commuting made on my street

I moved to this neighborhood in 2019 and it was all cars, parked bumper to bumper on both sides, nobody walking anywhere. Fast forward to this spring, I counted 12 bikes locked to a single rack outside the corner store on a Tuesday afternoon. The city added protected lanes on 3rd Ave back in 2021 and it changed everything people actually use them now. Has anyone else seen their block shift this fast after a few simple changes?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora7352d agoOG Member

and you know what's wild, the same thing happened on my block when they put in a proper crosswalk. i've noticed this pattern where people actually change their habits when the infrastructure gives them a safe way to do it, it's like we're all just waiting for permission to not be stuck in traffic. once the street stops being just a parking lot for cars, suddenly everyone's walking and biking and the whole vibe shifts.

zara_allen2d ago

Totally agree with @nora735, build it right and people actually show up.