A quick thought

   My experience over the weekend with the lack of cyclists using the available infrastructure in my home town has really had me thinking.  While we would like to think that cycling and especially utilitarian cycling was becoming more and more popular, it seems that we may be deluding ourselves.  The proliferation of new bike lanes and MUP projects being developed is driven by the proponents' belief that "if we build it, they will come."  That the perception of safety will bring more people out but my experience over the weekend demonstrates that will not happen without more active advocacy. The paths, lanes and routes were all there and unused.  Gas prices are the same as elsewhere, the community is no more affluent than before, but now with the infrastructure in place, there were fewer people using them.  Strange, I recently watched a football game on Sunday afternoon, and in one 30 minute period I counted 21 references to bikes and cycling in the advertising.  With that much visual influence, and all the emphasis on infrastructure one would think more than .05% of the people were commuting or using bikes for something beside recreation.  I guess we are destined to be a niche of people enjoying what the rest of our society just won't understand.