Davis,CA bicycle ridership down 5% over ten years - Page 3

03-02-2005, 01:42 PM

Matt O'Toole wrote:

> Wayne Pein wrote:
>
>
>>UCD apparently instituted free busses in the recent past. This would
>>kill bicycling and walking, much the way an escalator next to steps is
>>used more. People generally take the physically easier route. Here in
>>Chapel Hill NC, free busses have also absolutely killed bicycling and
>>walking.
>
>
> I don't think it's the free buses that killed walking/biking in college towns --
> it's the free cars from parents.

Free cars probably contribute, but a retired professor at UCD reports
that the free busses did indeed kill bicycling and walking there, and it
certainly happened here at UNC too. The plunge was dramatic.

Furthermore, well-funded students are the last
> ones universities want to scare away, so they tend not to make driving/parking
> too inconvenient.

Here, parking has become more and more restricted on campus.

> Also, since going to college has become so expensive, no one's in a "pay as you
> go" mode anymore. Many students see a car as just a minor addition to the pile
> of debt they expect to accumulate anyway.
>
> Matt O.

Driving does supplant bicycling when people have the means to have car
and parking access. Cars are status symbols and bikes are low status
symbols.

I believe that the internet has also reduced the need for travel, and
trips to campus are no exception. Text messaging and cell use might also
reduce some trips.

Wayne

03-02-2005, 07:51 PM

"Matt O'Toole" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

> I don't think it's the free buses that killed walking/biking in college
towns --
> it's the free cars from parents. Furthermore, well-funded students are
the last
> ones universities want to scare away, so they tend not to make
driving/parking
> too inconvenient.

I doubt that any university, even large land-grant universities, makes it
convenient to drive from class to class. At my alma-mater, they made the
buses free, both on and off campus. Parking for commuting students is
usually way out in the boonies.

03-02-2005, 07:51 PM

"Matt O'Toole" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...

> I don't think it's the free buses that killed walking/biking in college
towns --
> it's the free cars from parents. Furthermore, well-funded students are
the last
> ones universities want to scare away, so they tend not to make
driving/parking
> too inconvenient.

I doubt that any university, even large land-grant universities, makes it
convenient to drive from class to class. At my alma-mater, they made the
buses free, both on and off campus. Parking for commuting students is
usually way out in the boonies.

03-06-2005, 08:37 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

> It'd be interesting to look at the population changes in Davis
> over the last fifteen years, and the actual numbers rather
> than percentages. Maybe the 22% to 17% drop represents no
> change in the number of bicyclists or bicycle trips? Just an
> increase of non-bike travel?

=v= I had a similar reaction. Every new development I've seen
that's cropped up in Davis is car-oriented sprawl with quick
access to the freeway. This will surely add people but not
necessarily bicycle trips.
<_Jym_>

03-06-2005, 08:37 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

> It'd be interesting to look at the population changes in Davis
> over the last fifteen years, and the actual numbers rather
> than percentages. Maybe the 22% to 17% drop represents no
> change in the number of bicyclists or bicycle trips? Just an
> increase of non-bike travel?

=v= I had a similar reaction. Every new development I've seen
that's cropped up in Davis is car-oriented sprawl with quick
access to the freeway. This will surely add people but not
necessarily bicycle trips.
<_Jym_>

03-06-2005, 08:42 PM

> ... reckons it's because the town is getting bigger - too far
> to ride.

=v= I don't think it's too far so much as too unpleasant. They
plunked in some car-oriented sprawling developments, and the
roads there aren't nearly as nice and bike facilities are less
pleasantly-integrated into the places people live.
<_Jym_>

03-06-2005, 08:42 PM

> ... reckons it's because the town is getting bigger - too far
> to ride.

=v= I don't think it's too far so much as too unpleasant. They
plunked in some car-oriented sprawling developments, and the
roads there aren't nearly as nice and bike facilities are less
pleasantly-integrated into the places people live.
<_Jym_>