We are now on the other side of the autumn equinox, and little bits of color are starting to appear in the foliage:
As the squirrel diligently collects nuts in anticipation of a long winter, so does the wise cyclist make the most of the fall by riding as much as possible. One could argue quite successfully that there is no better season for velocipeding: cool and crisp, set against a vibrant backdrop of changing leaves. It’s also the best time of year to venture off-road. In the spring everything’s all soft and mushy, and in the summer it’s downright swampy and you sweat right through your clothes whilst swatting away at a halo of mosquitoes. But in the fall everything’s just right for dirt rambling in street clothes:
While the Roaduno is, as its name would suggest, a road-oriented bicycle, it does seem to want to pull me into the shrubbery like a dog that keeps getting locked on a scent. Where I live there are the main routes in and out of town, but there are also numerous lesser-known portals, such as this one, which I used on my way home this morning:
The buildings are in Yonkers, but the greenery beyond it is New York City, and here’s how you access it:
The opening in the fence is barely wide enough to pass through with a bicycle:
And they’d rather you didn’t:
But there was no border czar to stop me, and I left no trace to betray my presence save perhaps the faintest impression of my Rock n’ Road tires in the dirt:
From there I made my way to legitimate bicycle infrastructure, though these days they’re really “bike lanes” in name only, and the vehicle parked at the curb is far more indicative of what you’ll typically find in them these days:
Years ago, in a former life, when this bike lane was merely a glimmer in the DOT’s eye, I spoke in favor of it at a community board meeting, much to the chagrin and disgust of most of the other taxpayers (and you’d better believe they made sure you knew they were taxpayers) who had assembled to stop what they’d have you believe was the destruction of the neighborhood, the city, and society as a whole.
Now it’s been something like six years since the bike lane went in, and while the bike lane did not in fact usher in the apocalypse, it also didn’t transform the neighborhood into a cycling utopia. Certainly it’s a net gain–mostly because of the bus islands they also incorporated into the design, and while I haven’t checked lately I’m fairly certain the street has gotten statistically safer for pedestrians thanks to the shorter crossings. But the same people who said, “Gee, I think I’d like to try biking!” in 2018 still haven’t tried it, probably because the same highway entrance and exit ramps that were there before they painted the street green are still there, and also because “Gee, I think I’d like to try biking!” is one of those things people always say but never do, like “Gee, I’d like to start eating healthier!” or “Gee, I’d like to start saving money for the future!” Those of us who do actually ride bicycles appear to be born with a certain gene and/or defect, and perhaps thinking people are going to start riding just because of a bike lane is as naive as thinking we defectives are going to stop riding because there isn’t a bike lane.
Speaking of advocating, nobody does hyperbole like Streetblog:
Not just little warning, but ASTOUNDINGLY little warning! Sure it’s annoying, but you’d think cyclists were being lined up against the wall and shot. But according to Streetsblog the hyberbole is warranted, because already people are riding onto the highway to certain death:
As I mentioned, in my neighborhood they built a bike lane right across multiple highway entrance and exit ramps, and I suppose one could argue that represents a “failure of government.” (They could have put it on the other side of the street, but, you know, parking.) But if I see this state of affairs and decide to ride my bike onto the highway that’s not a failure of government, that’s just me being stupid. Also, are journalists supposed to look at pictures and make up stories about them?
How do they know this was the cyclist’s “normal commute?” Also, judging people’s actions based entirely on their attire and equipment is the job of semi-professional bike bloggers, not “news” sites, and even if you zoom in you can’t see nearly enough to tell what kind of cyclist this is:
The tires look kinda skinny and the pants look kinda tight but that’s about all you can see. Is this a roadie? A triathlete? I can’t even tell if there’s a derailleur or not. Maybe it’s one of those crazy fixie people who rides on the highway on purpose:
By the way, it’s closed because they’re fixing the path. Yes, I realize they’re not holding your hand and tickling your balls and whispering in your ear how special you are while they’re doing it, but I’m sure people will survive this nightmarish detour onto Riverside Drive:
I’m old enough to remember when we actually rode there on purpose.
But Streetsblog is eminently rational compared to its readers, who pine for the days before the Industrial Revolution:
Ah yes, the good old days. There was slavery, women couldn’t vote, and the age of consent was like 7 years old. As for health, the average life expectancy in 1800 was like 66 years, strep was a death sentence, and the infant mortality was like 46%. If you lived long enough to die from cancer it was nothing short of a miracle.
But at least you never had to drive.