Nikolaj Lasbo is a duel Danish and American citizen who works for the Seattle Times. He recently wrote a column for the paper comparing the experience of biking in famously-cycle-friendly Copenhagen to biking in Seattle. Needless to say, it’s a lot easier:
Bicycle infrastructure is so well-established in Copenhagen that riding a bicycle feels nearly effortless. Most streets have a raised, separated cycle track — protected bicycle lanes — and around 40 percent of the population commutes daily by bicycle.
On the other hand, biking in Seattle often requires people biking and driving to share busy streets, leading to conflicts and sometimes moments of danger. Even some Danes who bike all the time at home will not bike when they visit Seattle due to safety fears.
But with the recently-approved Bike Master Plan, Lasbo thinks Seattle is on the right track:
Copenhagen offers a casual, safe riding experience; Seattle cycling might be better left to the hard-core. The master plan could close that gap.
Copenhagen may be leading the pack now, but there were speed bumps along the way. The first cycle track was created more than 100 years ago. In the subsequent age of the car and suburban growth, not a single new cycle track was built until the early 1980s. Then, large cyclist protests prompted the municipal government to support new infrastructure. Now there are around 250 miles of designated bike lanes.
Seattle now is where Copenhagen was 30 years ago, and this city can learn from Danish best infrastructure practices. The master plan seeks to add more than 100 miles of cycle tracks and nearly 240 miles of “greenways,” side streets with traffic-calming features, over the next 20 years, rivaling Copenhagen.
In fact, he says, the city has already done the hard part: Figuring out what needs to be done. Now all they have to do is find the funding to make it happen.
But Seattle is hilly!
It’s true, Seattle has hills and Copenhagen is flat. And yes, hills can be an obstacle to biking. But as we’ve written in the past, they can also be the source of the greatest rewards.
And this is not just wishful thinking. The United States has many very flat major cities, yet two of the top five cities for commuting by bike are also two of the nation’s hilliest: San Francisco and Seattle. There are probably a great number of reasons for this. For example, hills also made it harder to build freeway-and-road-based sprawl the way flat US cities did in the 20th Century, which may have lead to more dense neighborhoods and a incentives to look for alternatives to driving.
No matter the reason, the result is clear: the number of people biking in Seattle continues to climb. May was the busiest month ever recorded by the Fremont bike counter, and there’s no reason to think that will be the last bike record the city breaks this year. With bike share and a downtown protected bike lane planned for September, Seattle is just getting started on this bike thing.
But Seattle is different than Copenhagen, of course. And a bike-friendly Seattle will look quite different than the Danish capitol. Hills do constrain the options for usable bike routes, for example, and the bike plan takes those constraints into consideration when recommending bike lanes and neighborhood greenways.
So don’t believe people when they say people can’t bike here. They are not looking out their windows and opening their eyes when they say such things. People do bike here. A lot. And the number of people doing so is growing with no end in sight.
Will we be Copenhagen in 30 years? Of course not. We’ll be Seattle, but with even more people finding it comfortable and convenient to get around by bike.
Comments
44 responses to “Times column: Seattle is now where Copenhagen was 30 years ago + But, hills!?”
Mr Lasbo starts his column by describing a confrontation he had with a motorist:
“We didn’t yell, rather we both apologized with confused looks on our faces. We were confused about how to share the street.”
I find the notion of two adults being confused about how to share the street tremendously confounding.
If you start from the realistic premise that we can never build an absolutely complete door to door network of cycling specific infrastructure, then we’re going to have to come to terms with this “confusion” abut how to share the street. Cyclists can rightly point the finger at some motorists and motorists can rightly point the finger at some cyclists. I operate from the position, no matter what my mode, that I have an absolute duty not to hit road users in front of me and that road users behind me have that duty also. Intersection have clearly defined rules, I follow them.
We each have our own approach on how to operate our bikes (and motor vehicles too) on the roadways, hopefully every one of us is striving to eliminate “confusion”.
Electric bicycles can flatten hills. It would be helpful if there were electrical outlets at every bike rack which could be activated by ORCA cards.
Electric bikes are legal on Seattle streets, but not on bike paths, sidewalks, or trails.
Cycletracks aren’t defined in the RCW or SMC, but SDOT’s current practice is that they’re paths. (That allows a lower design speed but means they aren’t part of the street.)
Are electric bikes legally allowed on cycletracks in Seattle?
Should 20 mph electric bikes be allowed on 10 mph sidepaths?
Wow. I had no idea. I don’t think this will stop my family or the many other biking families I know from using their electically assisted cargo style bikes on Seattle paths and trails at reasonable speeds. (I emphasize the reasonable speeds.)
When they say “electric bikes,” do they include “electrically-assisted bikes” as well? Honestly, I’m not sure if those two are different products.
Yes, under Washington law, electric-assist bikes are prohibited on sidewalks state-wide, and on any paths or trails that prohibit “motorized vehicles.”
http://www.wsp.wa.gov/traveler/docs/equipmt/elect_bicycle.pdf
I suspect that if you stick to reasonable speeds your chance of a ticket is fairly low unless you’re somehow “suspicious looking” and they need a plausible reason to stop and question you.
But keep in mind that if you ever do have an accident on a sidewalk or path while using an e-bike, you’re breaking the law just being there. That could put some of the liability back on you even if you’re hit by a driver who otherwise should have yielded to you.
Josh, I don’t think Washington law prohibits electric-assist bikes on multi-use paths and trails (although it does on sidewalks). The relevant code would be RCW 46.61.710, which states:
(5) Subsections (1), (2), and (4) of this section do not apply to electric-assisted bicycles. Electric-assisted bicycles and motorized foot scooters may have access to highways, other than limited access highways, of the state to the same extent as bicycles. Subject to subsection (6) of this section, electric-assisted bicycles and motorized foot scooters may be operated on a multipurpose trail or bicycle lane, but local jurisdictions may restrict or otherwise limit the access of electric-assisted bicycles and motorized foot scooters, and state agencies may regulate the use of motorized foot scooters on facilities and properties under their jurisdiction and control.
I believe that rule that prohibits electric-assist bicycles from the Burke-Gilman and other multi-use trails is a King County regulation, not a state law.
Since when has legality had much of an effect on cycling or driving behavior?
The restriction of local trails is a local issue, Seattle and King County do prohibit motor vehicles on their trails, but electric-assist bikes would be allowed on any trail open to motor vehicles.
Here’s the thing with hills – in Copenhagen one can bike to work in one’s street clothes at a leisurely pace and not arrive all sweaty. Most people who have to ride up hills to get to work are going to get sweaty. Even if the hills are on their way home, maybe they don’t want to get their work clothes sweaty and maybe they don’t want to bring a change of clothes.
I’m not trying to be a big naysayer that we can’t continue to improve our biking infrastructure and numbers or anything, just wanted to point out something that seems obvious to me but wasn’t mentioned.
Options will be available in the future to Seattleites that are far less expensive than private car operation or the bus. The Copenhagen Wheel is an example of an inexpensive option to make the hills around here effortless (and sweatless). By inexpensive, I of course mean relative to owning a car and paying for parking, etc.
Essentially, I believe most of the obstacles we face here will eventually be minimised to the point that the only reason not to bike around Seattle is because you just don’t want to.
This is partly because they are not cycling fast. It’s possible to do in Seattle. I know, I’m passed by almost everyone when I’m out and about. Why? Because I’m going at a pace that is nearly effortless for me to maintain. And that includes hills, which I take on with the same sort of tractor like mentality.
You can also show up to work in Seattle wearing a hoodie and sandals and no one will look twice at you. They also have this amazing thing at my office called a shower.
Well how nice for you. Contrary to your belief, not every job in Seattle has such a relaxed dress code, nor does every building have a shower.
The reason Copenhagen cycling works is that it works WITH people’s lives. It’s as simple – simpler! – than getting in a car and driving for work. I feel like the message I get in Seattle so often is that I need to change my life to fit bike commuting instead.
It’s sadly still easier and less stressful for me to drive.
According to Copenhagen’s own polling data, the no.1 reason people choose to bike is speed, it’s faster and more convenient than other modes. Safe speed limits for motorists help reinforce that advantage, as well as bicycle facilities designed for higher average speeds.
mjd – a lot of the comments on the Times article make the same point: that workplace decorum dictates one not show up sweaty, that driving is more practical for most, etc.
I question the viability of an economy that values workplace “decorum” and dress codes above the otherwise valid commuting options their presumably valued workers might choose.
Sorry you struggle with your perception of being judged by the admittedly small percentage of us who bike; Seattle thinks you’re fine! If you don’t have the bike lifestyle, then you don’t have it, but as for less stressful, it’s obviously more stressful on traffic, on your wallet, and on the planet for you to drive.
You don’t have to change your life for Seattle or for the cyclists. Just don’t hit us in your car.
My goodness, I’m not going to hit anybody in my car! I suspect you might think I’m some anti-bike troll trying to muddy things up, but that’s not the case at all. I really enjoy cycling. I used to really enjoy my previous bike commute, but several attempts on different routes to my new job were just not viable – for ME.
I really miss my bike commute, and I read this blog because I look forward to seeing any changes the city can make to make cycling more viable for more people. I do find the dismissal of hills (with “don’t be lazy”, “You’ll get used to it”, “they’re not that bad”, etc) to be doing this conversation a disservice, and I’d rather point out that they can indeed be a real deterrent so at least there can be some thought given to mitigation instead of just blowing them off.
@JAT: A lot of people have jobs where presentation is important, where dressing well and smelling good shows respect for others. This has been the case for long enough that its viability isn’t really in question — since long before mass-motorization.
We have about a hundred years of mostly auto-oriented transportation infrastructure and urban planning behind us. That’s a burden we won’t lift separately with our quadriceps. We’ve got to come together and build the city we want and need.
The thing about hills is that they’re not a problem, they’re an excuse. Anyone who rides more than a couple times a week will get past their hill issue after a few weeks of riding. It’s not as easy to get out of the habit of making excuses. Because we all know if it’s not the hills it’s the rain, or the traffic, or that there isn’t a gold plated bikes only lane direct to every door. Of course that’s all bs, the fact of the matter is the real reason a person is more likely to drive in Seattle is laziness, laziness that is reinforced by the status quo every time a person makes whatever excuse best suits them at that time.
Jayne, that is an ablist comment and it is not true. There are people who are not able to climb the hills of Seattle for reasons of age or other physical disability.
The vast majority of people on Seattle can climb most of our hills with just a little bit of practice. I used to think I could not climb the Fremont hill, and would detour to Stone Way for a gentler climb. After many months of doing that, I attacked Fremont and found I could do it. Years later, I’ve occasionally missed a month or two of cycling because of injury, job change, etc. Even when I am out of shape, I can still climb the hill without my Stone Way training detour. I realize that I just didn’t believe I could do it.
I am young and healthy, yes. I see people of all ages and shapes cycling up that hill every day. Many older people kick my butt! There will be a few people who will not be able to ride because of injury or chronic conditions, but most people can with just a few weeks of practice and determination.
Instead of worrying so much about our city not being flat like Copenhagen, let’s embrace the opportunity. Our hills will get – and keep – us fit, if we take advantage of them.
There are certainly people who cannot climb hills due to a disability, injury or other reason. And there are many more who do not believe they can climb hills or will find it very difficult. I am young, fit and have been biking for years, and there are many hills that still kick my butt.
When I started, I wasn’t convinced I would ever make it to the top of Fremont Ave, where I lived. By the time I got from the bridge to Paseo, I was huffing and puffing and pouring sweat. Now it’s not a big deal for me, but I will never forget what it was like when I started. You cannot dismiss that learning phase. It was a big accomplishment to make it up the hill, and a very empowering moment the first time I did it without stopping.
There’s no point to belittling people for either not being able to climb a hill or being scared of doing so. It does take work and dedication to get used to Seattle’s hills. And it is a big accomplishment whenever someone else gets past that challenge. Every time I get to the top of Capitol Hill, I reminded of how awesome this challenge is, and how amazing it is that so many people take it on every day. It’s a super cool and very Seattle thing we should be proud of as city.
Sure, there are ways to learn less hilly routes or (if you have the means) different kinds of bike features (lightweight bikes, low gears or even electric assist) that can help people get over the challenge of climbing. But at some point, you just have to get your butt kicked every once in a while.
Biking will mean something different to different people. The goal of this blog (and I hope the goal of most bicycle advocates and the city) is to encourage people to use bikes for as many reasons as makes sense for them. If you can’t get to work on a bike, that’s fine. Start with biking to the grocery store or a restaurant. Even that is an incredibly empowering experience the first time you do it. And the more you bike, the more ways bikes will seem to fit into your life.
And I bet the moment that finally hooks you will be at the top of a hill, moments after cursing yourself for ever thinking that biking is a good idea, when you crest the hill and our breathtaking city, opens up in front of you, mountains and water in the backdrop. It’s a view and feeling you can only get in Seattle, and it makes it all so worth it. You’ll wonder why everyone doesn’t ride a bike.
Here is good blog post about privilege and biking:
http://wabikes.org/2014/06/02/personal-privilege-biking-it-takes-more-than-a-bike-lane-to-start-riding/
Every time I get to the top of Capitol Hill, I count (in my head) the number of months left before the UW light rail station opens up.
When it opens up, I’m going to spend a day taking the light rail up the hill, and then biking down. And then riding it back up, and biking back down. Over and over. Just to celebrate having the timely* option of not having to climb that stupid hill. :)
* Sure, I could take the bus. It would be much much slower, so it’s not worth it; even w/ a 100lbs of cargo bike.
It’s true, but most people will resent being called lazy. I prefer the approach of trying to break someone of an addiction that holds them prisoner — an addiction to driving everywhere. Breaking the driving addiction is possibly harder than quitting smoking, especially when many of the routes around town are dangerous for cyclists. Hopefully the implementation of the master cycle plan will get the ones on the fence to hop over.
We need to help people, not call them lazy. Of course they may be lazy, but that addiction needs breaking too.
The thing about the hills is that they are no problem with the correct gearing. I’m damn lazy, and when I have to take hills, I make sure I’m on my bike with a triple chainring and a huge rear sprocket, and I just crank it up the hills. No sweat, literally. My wife feared hills, until I pointed out that in the granny gear, it was as easy as walking up the hill. Or if not, she can just walk the bike.
The only hill I usually avoid is The Counterbalance; I’ve taken a pretty heavy bike up 3rd Ave N just north of there, though.
I don’t much care for climbing steep hills when cars are rushing by, especially when someone impatient ends up stuck behind me. Then again, I did do Tiger mountain that one time, which was scarier than Seattle could ever be.
I find that when climbing steep hills, the sidewalk is usually the nicest place to ride.
Kirk,
I’m different there. I’d much prefer riding on the street while climbing steep hills. I’d hate having to manoeuvre to avoid the pedestrians while climbing up. I’d much rather let cars stuck behind me.
I use hills as my training routine these days. I used to avoid hills like the plague. Now I choose hilly routes on purpose. Of course, I sweat and punt and run out of breath and all that. (I only began cycling last summer, and I was miserably out of shape until then.) However, every time I get on the top, it makes me feel great. And the more hills I climb, the easier it gets.
I rode the 7 Hills of Kirkland on Memorial Day. I took the shortest route (40 miles with 7 hills). I was able to complete it in about 3 and a half hours (including two short breaks). More surprisingly, I was able to ride up all the hills relatively easily – except the steepest one (Winery) which I had to try pretty hard to conquer. This gave me a lot of confidence in myself.
Hills are harder than flats and riding in the rain is less comfortable than the shine. If our city’s topological and meteorological meanness means most of our car crippled denizens wont ever be cyclists, no amount of elitism will help.
Anyways, laziness isn’t the only reason to avoid hills and weather. For example, I had a job for a year on Cap Hill. Some days the climb from the Montlake bridge was beautiful and invigorating, but it was always gross. Every day I would get to work soaked in sweat. Often rain made me even wetter. Even though I only donned a work shirt and tie once I had wiped myself down at work, my undershirts all retain that faint smell of mildew due to the repeated exposure. I think that not wanting to work wet whilst wafting smell of rotting gym bag is not lazy, it’s practical.
Copenhagen’s polling says rain is the no.1 reason people don’t bike there. But an awful lot of people do.
As for myself, I ride in practical bike clothes and carry slacks, underwear, and undershirt on my bike. No shower at work, so I under-dress a little and take it easy on the way in to avoid getting too sweaty riding the hills between King Street Station and Mercer Island. Shirts, ties, coat, and work shoes stay at the office, hanging in my cube.
No locker room, I change in a bathroom stall, and hang my bike clothes to dry in a ventilated drawer so my workspace stays presentable. (Hanging-file frames can easily be converted to drying racks.)
Definitely not something everyone can do. I’m lucky to have a job with the flexibility to do that.
You can’t show up sweaty to every job. Long and hilly bike commutes aren’t going to be practical or desirable for a lot of people. So it’s pretty important to build routes in the flat corridors we have!
I think folks saying that people who can’t climb hills are lazy or that hills are easy if you’re just in the right gear or if you do it often enough should consider an empathetic approach to this issue – we all have different bodies and come at this from different places. The article that Alex Fleig posted makes some really excellent points.
I’m short and obese and have been riding for over 5 years. For several years I rode up Pine Street to Capitol Hill regularly, these days it’s 8th Ave NW up to the Carkeek Park area, sometimes via Dexter if I’m feeling like I’ve got extra energy. No matter how many times I climb these hills, they still kick my ass every single time. They never really get much easier. I still have to confront the tiny voice in my head that pops up when I am at the bottom of the hill looking at the top of the hill that says, “this is going to be really, really hard.” I keep riding the hills because no matter how many times I do them, besting a big hill always makes me feel like I just won an Olympic medal. So, it’s always hard, but it’s always rewarding, and that’s what I tell new/potential riders when they say they are intimidated by hills.
While I have found that riding up hills is the best antidote ever to caring what other people think, I get unwelcome attention from pedestrians and cars (never from other cyclists) when I do it. I don’t notice a super lot of other fat women riding up hills, and I guess others don’t either because the only time people yell stuff at me is when I’m riding up a damn hill! Lots of atta girls, you can do it, you won’t be heavy for long if you keep doing that (good heavens, I wish that were true!), you’re almost there…uhhh…yeah….I know, I’m not new here. Having someone yell stuff at me, however well-intentioned, is really distracting when I’m working very hard, trying to pay attention to traffic, and concentrating on breathing well and not bunching my shoulders up and maintaining a decent cadence. Hills are the only time I get nasty insults about my size yelled at me by teenage boys in passing cars. These things aren’t a deterrent to me, just an annoyance, but others may find them a deterrent if they were wary about this whole cycling thing to begin with. Just throwing it out there for some perspective.
As for commuting and hills, I sweat just looking at my bike. Before I worked in a building with showers, I wet-wiped down and changed clothes. I always felt a little grody, but asked a few trusted coworkers for an honest opinion about whether I was smelly and everyone said no. I found that braiding my hair and wearing a buff on my head under my helmet worked great for keeping my hair relatively neat.
What’s a buff? I think I need to know about this thing.
It’s a stretchy sleeve that fits on your head or around your neck. I find its great for soaking up sweat and keeping road grime out. You can get them at REI, or here’s their website: http://www.buffwear.com. No affiliation, I just find them handy for being active.
SweatVac also makes a bandana that’s good for the same purpose if you find that a “buff” isn’t your style.
The messiness of helmet hair is largely from hair being unevenly compressed — some of it gets squished flat, some of it springs up into helmet vents. Add a bit of steam to set the kinks, and you get helmet waves all day long.
Any good helmet liner that keeps all your hair squeezed down to the same level will prevent helmet ridges.
Women with longer hair who want to avoid the wind-blown look for the hair that extends beyond their helmets might want to look at the beanies with neck shades designed for use under hard hats. (Think of a normal bicycle helmet liner, except with a shoulder-length tail.) Wrap the neck shade around your hair and secure with a pony tail rubber band, and your hair is restrained and protected from road grime. e.g., at Amazon, see
Maxit 103800131 CODA CAP Nylon/Spandex Solid Beanie Hat with Neck Shade, Universal, Lime
Ok, I know this isn’t the most politically astute phrasing, but I did enjoy reading this particular comment on the Seattle Times article. This guy probably won’t win over too many in the silent majority, but he is exactly what the anti-bike blowhards deserve:
Quote:
Just a load of crap red herring. I am 67 years old, a cancer survivor and ride a couple hundred miles anywhere in Seattle and Puget Sound that I want every week. I regularly ride across the north cascades passes to visit family and sooooo, so much more (like across the country and oh…all over he world). How, at my age? I just get off my ass and do it. Quit complaining and ride…or don’t and sit on your butt and become a fat blob. I don’t really care, but don’t try to make lame excuses about hills in Seattle being the reason cycling won’t work here. Let’s call it for what it is. It won’t work here because most Americans are either too damn lazy to ride or have some self righteous stick up their rears about the cyclists that beat them to work while they sit fuming (literally) in their cars going 5 mph, or would rather complain about a 10 second delay in their commute caused by a cyclist while ignoring the fact that other cars turned their 10 minute drive into a 45 minute stress fest.
I’m going to go into “old guy” mode, but…. when I was a kid… gears? What gears? My mom’s bike was a 3 speed and that was because she was a girl, the rest of us got single speeds. Hills, you walked them pushing your bike. No shame in that, rare was the kid who could climb those hills in one go. I used to ‘ride’ Chilly Hilly and a couple of times, I walked some part of nearly every hill and that was with good low gears!..
Hills aren’t an issue for those who just want to ride.
I’ve been biking for 2 and a half weeks. I am surprised how much I love it! As a new cyclist I’m still not very comfortable in traffic and am learning the nuances of when and how to merge out of a bike lane, what routes to take, etc…
I just wanted to chime in and say – hills are tough! I’m 30 and not in terrible shape. From Fremont to Greenwood, I like to take the B-G to 8th. The hill up 8th, which starts a gentle grade at about 50th, is about all I can handle. I was incredibly pumped the first time I made it up without hopping off to walk! I’m hoping to graduate to and conquer the hill up Fremont Ave. by the end of summer. That looks like a real ass kicker.
I’m pointing this out, but not to say that Seattle will never be a true biking city. We’re well on our way. I’m just saying, hills are tough! For all you champion hill climbing athletes out there, congratulations. But you’re an exception, not the norm. Be nice, and don’t belittle my relatively modest accomplishment because I’m really excited about it!
More to the point, we should be thinking about policy decisions from the standpoint of making biking more accessible to those of us who aren’t super athletes. That’s one reason we need a cycletrack on Westlake instead of just the Dexter route, and why the Greenways projects are so exciting.
I’ve walked up hills pushing my bike smaller than that one, so no shame in walking a hill. You will get better, just don’t injure yourself by pushing too hard too soon. If you listen to your body, it will tell you just how much of a hill it can handle on any given day.
As for a new rider, I heartily recommend a couple of things.
*) A helmet mirror (I like the “take a look” thingy but to each their own.
*) good gloves. I like my youngstown Titan XT kevlar gloves. (amazon) When you fall, they’ll save your skin. But any glove is better than no glove and once it happens to you, you’ll wonder why anyone rides without a pair of gloves.
*) Some sort of reflective vest/belt for low light riding. Anything is better than nothing. but class III are the most visible. I wear mine all the time as I find that I get more space on the road from cars with it on. But it’s pretty dorky. On the otherside I see more commuters wearing them this year than I’ve ever seen.
*) decent lights but those are the most expensive. I happen to think that dinotte lights are woth the price but it’s a lot of $$ to shell out right away. You may think that you are saving money by buying cheap lights but they don’t tend to last and if the lumins is too low ( 800L you’ll blind everyone around you if you can’t dim them down.
And remember, “keep the rubber side down!”
City of Vancouver by laws require one electrical outlet for every two bike parking spaces in new buildings.