Someday, Spokane. Someday

The City of Brotherly Love has learned that increasing the number of cyclists reduces the number of vehicle-cyclist accidents and deaths.

John Randolph, a retired architect and builder who has been biking on the streets of Philadelphia since his days at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1960s, said bike riding here has gotten appreciably safer.  

The increase in cyclists "has changed the consciousness of motorists," he said. "Bicyclists are paid much more attention to now. They're not just an unusual occurrence any more."  

"Obviously, the bike lanes make it safer . . . biking east and west through Center City is much more pleasant and safe than it used to be."  

[Alex] Doty, of the bicycle coalition, predicted that the increase in bikers and in biking safety may attract a new breed of riders to Philadelphia streets.  

"We can attract more women, more of the 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds, and that's the tipping point that makes biking fully accepted.  

"And that's when Philadelphia can turn into something like the Amsterdam of the U.S."

Philadelphia has 220 miles of bike lanes and plans to increase that to 300 miles. New York City has more than 280 miles of bike lanes. Portland, Oregon has over 300 miles of bike lanes.