After speaking (and cycling) in Vancouver, Rutgers prof John Pucher headed for Seattle. Here’s the coverage from KPLU, the NPR station:
Pucher spent the past week in Seattle and Vancouver, and says his recent ride into downtown Seattle proved highly stressful.
The main marked bike way, a shared lane on Second Avenue, gives riders a false sense of security, says Pucher.
“I found it extremely dangerous. It’s an accident waiting to happen. We almost got doored several times; there were people trying to parallel park their cars right into the bike lane,” he said. “What is there now is more dangerous than nothing.”
By contrast, Pucher says he enjoyed biking other parts of Seattle including the Burke Gilman Trail and the buffered lane on Dexter Avenue.
But all of that paled in comparison to his rides earlier in the week in Vancouver, B.C., where the city has recently put in 6 miles of separated bike tracks. Pucher says it’s clear Seattle should follow in Vancouver’s footsteps.
“I think it’s a pity. There’s so much potential here in Seattle. And it’s going lost, because there doesn’t seem to be the political will to implement these things,” he said.
To see the PowerPoint presentation that John did in Seattle, go here.
Here’s the interview with Pucher in Vancouver.
UPDATE: Another interview with John in the Seattle Times here.
Is there anyone that can share John’s slide of Vancouver’s mode share? I want to use it to compare to Auckland. Thanks.