Sunday, October 18, 2009

A Free-Wheeling City

Reinventing America



"Across the country, the number of bicyclists has exploded. Between 2003 and 2007, the number of American bike commuters increased 38%. Yet many of these riders are forced onto dangerously crowded streets and roads designed for motorists, not bicyclists. In fact, in 2007, 698 cyclists nationwide were killed and more than 44,000 were injured in collisions with motor vehicles."

Article

City/community involvement is an integral part of the bike culture of America. If a city or community actually wants to make a difference on America's dependence on foreign oil they should take a tip from Columbia, Missouri Mayor Darwin Hindman, a 76 cancer survivor. The city use to be just like most other Midwestern cities, then it realized that investing money into infrastructure for the city to become less vehicle centric was a way to combat obesity, foreign oil, and pollution. The project to renovate the city's streets was a success and raised the biking population 71% from 2007 - 2008. If more cities can take from what Columbia, MO did, America might be taking a right step in their greener ways of thinking.

Donahue, Bill. "A Free-Wheeling City." Parade 27 Sept. 2009: 18-19. Print.

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