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Make Way for Cyclists and Walkers!

1. Bike Infrastructure Expansion

Current State:
  • U.S. Bike Infrastructure: Laughable: Painted bike lanes, and sharrows (useless)
  • Dangerous: 850 cyclist deaths/year (lack of protected infrastructure)
Protected Bike Lane Network:

Goal: 50,000 miles of protected bike lanes (separated from cars)

Design:

  • Physical Separation: Concrete curbs, bollards, and planters (not just paint)
    • Curb protection, planters, and bollards
    • Two-way bike lanes on one-way streets
  • Intersections: Protected through intersections (most dangerous spots)
  • Connections: Network, not isolated segments
  • Intersection Protection - Protected intersections, bike signals, and turning restrictions
  • Bike Highways - Grade-separated bike expressways for long commutes
    • Copenhagen/Netherlands style
  • Maintenance - Snow removal, debris clearing, and repaving is prioritized
    • Bike lanes cleared before car lanes
  • Bike Parking - Abundant, secure, and covered bike parking
    • Bike rooms in apartment buildings
  • Bike Share - Subsidized/free bike share systems
    • E-bikes, cargo bikes, and adaptive bikes available
  • Cargo Bike Incentives - Subsidies for families to buy e-cargo bikes (car replacement)
  • Vision Zero - Eliminate traffic deaths through design, not just education
    • Prioritize vulnerable road users
  • Lower Speed Limits - 20 mph residential, 25 mph arterials, and enforce strictly
    • Speed kills; slower = safer
  • Road Diets - Convert car lanes to bike lanes, bus lanes, and sidewalks
  • Liability Reform - Presumed liability on drivers in crashes with cyclists/pedestrians
    • Incentivizes careful driving

Cities:

  • Every City >50k: Protected bike network
  • Cost: $5 million/mile (average, includes intersections and signals)
  • 50,000 miles x $5M = $250 billion

Benefits:

  • Safety: Copenhagen (60% protected bike lanes) = 2 cyclist deaths/year (city of 800k)
  • Ridership: If you build it, they will ride (U.S. cities with good infrastructure see 5-10x more cycling)
  • Health: Exercise and reduced air pollution
  • Equity: Bikes are cheap (poor people benefit from safe infrastructure)

2. Bike-Sharing Cooperatives

Model:

  • Community-Owned Bike Shares: Not Lyft, not Uber (extractive companies)
  • Worker Co-ops: Mechanics and rebalancers own the system

Implementation:

  • 100 Cities: Bike-share co-ops
  • 5,000 Bikes per City: $500/bike = $2.5M per city
  • Stations: 100 stations (docking or dockless)

Example: JUMP Bikes (before Uber bought):

  • Started as Bay Area Co-op Idea: Uber bought and killed the co-op model
  • Revive: Worker-owned bike shares

E-Bikes:

  • Electric-Assist Bikes: Make cycling accessible to the elderly, disabled, and hilly cities
  • Subsidies: $500 rebate for low-income residents buying e-bikes

3. Pedestrian Infrastructure

Walkable Cities:

Design Changes:

  • Pedestrian Priority Zones - Car-free downtown cores and pedestrian-only streets
    • Access for business deliveries, disabled people, and emergencies only
  • Wide Sidewalks - Minimum 14-foot sidewalks on commercial streets
    • Space for wheelchairs, strollers, street trees, and cafes
  • Street Trees - Shade, air quality, beauty, and cooling
    • Native species and adequate soil
  • Crosswalk Safety - Leading pedestrian intervals, scramble crossings, and raised crosswalks
    • Countdown timers with adequate crossing time for slow walkers
  • Traffic Calming - Speed humps, curb extensions, chicanes, and narrow lanes
    • 20 mph speed limits in residential areas
  • Remove Stroads - Convert car sewers to walkable streets or highways (not both)
    • Eliminate high-speed multi-lane roads with strip malls (most dangerous design)
  • 15-Minute Cities - All daily needs are within a 15-minute walk
    • Mixed-use zoning, neighborhood retail, and distributed services
  • School Routes - Safe walking/biking routes to all schools
    • Crossing guards, traffic enforcement, and infrastructure
  • Accessible Sidewalks - Curb cuts, smooth surfaces, and clear pathways
    • No obstacles (signs, trees, or A-frames blocking)
  • Public Plazas - Car-free gathering spaces in every neighborhood
    • Seating, shade, water features, and programming
  • Greenways - Parks and trails connecting neighborhoods
  • Remove Parking Minimums - No mandatory parking requirements for new development
    • Frees land for housing, parks, and businesses
  • Parklets - Convert parking spaces to public seating or green space

Cost: $50 billion (retrofit 100 cities)