How does Charlestonia or Steeltownia sound? Because the whole livability bug notably biting cities such as Portland has gotten bigger via the proliferation of dedicated bikeways in a number of US cities. The latest to join are Pittsburgh, PA and Charleston, SC, Treehugger most happily reports.
Pittsburgh has taken a quarter-mile chunk of "structurally unsound" road that cars used for a shortcut through Schenley Park, blocked it off from car traffic, repaved it, repainted it as two bike lines and even included a pedestrian pathway. The city also added LED lighting for good measure. Meanwhile, Charleston is pulling one vehicle lane of Legare Bridge out of circulation and rededicating it exclusively for bike and pedestrian use.
Granted, many recent reports have come out saying we Americans have driven our way past peak car ownership and that the percentage of adults with drivers' licenses is at a 30-year low, so this kind of readjustment of who has priority on the roads is to be expected. Until now, the cities that usually lead the lists of smallest percentage of car-ownership are New York City and San Francisco, with San Francisco, Denver and, yes, Portland leading the way when it comes to the largest numbers of biking commuters. So the two-wheeled migration to western Pennsylvania and South Carolina may be a refreshing one, but we doubt it will be the last.
Pittsburgh has taken a quarter-mile chunk of "structurally unsound" road that cars used for a shortcut through Schenley Park, blocked it off from car traffic, repaved it, repainted it as two bike lines and even included a pedestrian pathway. The city also added LED lighting for good measure. Meanwhile, Charleston is pulling one vehicle lane of Legare Bridge out of circulation and rededicating it exclusively for bike and pedestrian use.
Granted, many recent reports have come out saying we Americans have driven our way past peak car ownership and that the percentage of adults with drivers' licenses is at a 30-year low, so this kind of readjustment of who has priority on the roads is to be expected. Until now, the cities that usually lead the lists of smallest percentage of car-ownership are New York City and San Francisco, with San Francisco, Denver and, yes, Portland leading the way when it comes to the largest numbers of biking commuters. So the two-wheeled migration to western Pennsylvania and South Carolina may be a refreshing one, but we doubt it will be the last.
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