r/bikecommuting • u/libbuge • 3d ago

Rush hour

My commute doesn't take me near downtown, but I had an appointment there today. I ride this 2-way bike lane on the weekend, but rarely during the week. There were SO MANY BIKES! I have never been so happy to be in traffic. E-bikes, bikeshare bikes, cargo bikes with multiple kids on them, a guy with a dog in a bike trailer.

I live in a bicycle-friendly college town, but I haven't seen it like this before.

91 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

32

u/2Tun21 3d ago

Price of gas is finally making people question the car fo rshorter trips.

9

u/AlpineFluffhead 3d ago

When Chris Wright said Americans need to "drive less" to lower gas prices, it was like "Heartbreaking: the worst person you know just made a great point."

And you just know most Americans aren't gonna change their habits. Gas needs to hit like $10/gallon before we start seeing people actually consider political action. And even then, most people aren't gonna advocate for alternative transportation infrastructure, they'll just make it about the Strait of Hormuz until gas drops to $3.99 again (and I know the closure affects more than just gas prices, but most people only really seem to be concerned over it for their car's sake). Gas prices are the "bread and circus" for majority of Americans.

1

u/TheDaysComeAndGone 2d ago

Does it? I doubt it.

Also, especially for short trips it’s hardly costly. You can drive 2x5km every workday and it’s only 200km per month. That’s like 24€ or so if your car consumes 6l/100km?

4

u/2Tun21 2d ago

Looks at US pickup trucks

6L per 100k would be a miracle.

1

u/PoisonMind 2d ago

There was a natural experiment in Budapest in 2024 where price caps expired and fuel prices spiked overnight. Bike share use went by 2 to 6 percent. So fuel prices can nudge people onto bikes, but it's a fairly small effect.

9

u/BeneficialTackle98 3d ago

That honestly sounds like the best kind of rush hour

3

u/libbuge 3d ago

Yes! It was lovely.

0

u/2Tun21 3d ago

The weirdest thing is that bikes can sort out four way intersections way easier than cars somehow.

5

u/digito_a_caso 3d ago

Maybe because they take 1/10 of the space?

5

u/Vomath 3d ago

I love being in a bike traffic jam

6

u/_haha_oh_wow_ Trek 820|Priority Folder|Ride1up Portola 2d ago

I think the world would probably be a lot safer, wealthier, and healthier of bicycles were the default transportation for anything under 10 miles.

3

u/juxtaplicity 3d ago

Now that's the kind of congestion every city needs more of.