Biking and politics

Ben Adler’s article The Rise of Urban Biking in The Nation describes some interesting political views on biking in America. Why is it that bike lanes are more supported by the democrats than the republicans? Is supporting a more bike friendly city mainly about supporting Williamsburg hipsters’ image?

Still, the perception that cycling advocates are elitist has been exploited politically. Conservatives who dismiss smart-growth advocacy as the work of out-of-touch liberals who don’t realize that Americans will never get out of their cars have ramped up their criticisms to the point of demagogy, painting the complete streets movement as a scheme to turn red-blooded Americans into socialists. Last year, Colorado’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Dan Maes, attacked his Democratic opponent, Denver’s mayor, John Hickenlooper, for building bike lanes, warning that they “could threaten our personal freedoms” and “convert Denver into a United Nations community.” Hickenlooper won.
(Ben Adler, The Rise of Urban Biking)

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