Arlington — Bicycles are not the problem. I was stunned when I observed the debate over bicycles in socially "progressive" Old Town Alexandria. Let me get to the point: cars and the failed — not best practices — city parking policies are the problem, not bicycles. The problem is that free parking attracts visiting cars and these drivers have a habit of going through stop signs without stopping and cruising for parking spaces when they should be looking where they are going, case in point: my wife was hit by a car one evening while she was crossing Fairfax street (Cameron) in the cross walk next to City Hall by a driver who was looking for parking instead of looking at the cross walk. Fortunately, it was a low speed collision that knocked her and her groceries onto the pavement and there seems to be no long-term injuries. Our family has had many close calls walking our kids to school or other places, having close encounters with cars while in the cross walk or just seeing cars including police cars go through stop signs without stopping. Given that a car is 2000-4000 lbs and able to travel quite fast in Old Town, up to 40 mph in a block, and a bike with a rider is about 200 lbs and travels about 6-12 mph, it takes very little intelligence to see which one is more of a safety problem going through stop signs without stopping and looking where they are going.
In addition cars produce pollutants — no not CO2-plant food — but carcinogens and other toxins that have been shown to increase the risk of autism in children. Cars are a threat to our health, safety and welfare producing: toxins, traffic congestion, injuries and deaths, stress for pedestrians and cyclists, social isolation (people are not socially negotiable while driving), expensive and unattractive infrastructure, increased cost of living (owning/leasing cars, gas, insurance, parking, maintenance, etc.), loss of time commuting and they use up energy in a pedestrian friendly environment where one can and should walk or ride a bike to shops, workplaces, community facilities and transit, if possible. For example, because it is a long walk, I occasionally ride my bike to get groceries for my family at Whole Foods and my kids ride their bikes to school fairly often.
Old Town should be managing cars, not bicycles and should be charging visitors — not residents — for street parking at a rate greater than the garages, so — per research — people will tend to park directly in the garages and not cruise for parking creating congestion and pedestrian conflicts. Parking, like roadway capacity, is what economists refer to as a free good. Most people who use it do not pay its full cost, and as a result, it is overused and subject to shortages. When parking is provided — especially on-street — it should vary in price around the clock proportionate to demand. Accurately monitored valuation will ensure that a number of spaces are always available." Donald Shoup in the "High Cost of Free Parking" recommends that "pricing be managed by centralized meters to maintain 15 percent vacancy at all times. But above all, municipalities must acknowledge that investments in parking often undermine investments in transit."
Chris Hubbard
Alexandria