In Austin, Texas, there are bike lanes on about every street. I wish the same could be said for all cities. Not only are bikes perfect for a weekend ride or some good exercise, they are a beneficial factor to cities containing bike lanes. Bikes are lowering pollution rates and saving money. According to WorldWatch.org, The average car costs (overall) about twelve cents a mile to operate. A bicycle overall costs less than one cent per mile. Bikes are less expensive, and better for the environment, so they are a better option. Bikes are also a practical choice for every day transportation, not just recreation. Studies from the Air Resources Board in the California Environmental Protection Agency show that 17%-20% of adults say they would bike to work if there were safe routes. In other words, if bike lanes were implemented in many cities, more people would commute to work using bikes. This would help save our atmosphere from the fossil fuels that cars burn and make  people more active.

SOURCES:
www.worldwatch.org/cities-turning-bicycles-cut-costs-pollution-and-cri me
www.arb.ca.gov/planning/tsaq/bicycle/factsht.htm

I agree with this idea. Every time I travel, I like to compare to different forms of transportation in each city. For example, I saw that almost everyone in the city of Montreal uses bicycles to get around. They have bike paths all around the city. If our city adds more bike paths, more people will be encouraged to bike to work, or just bike more in general. Less people would be driving, so they would be saving money on gas. Less burning of gasoline leads to a decrease in CO2 emissions. Riding a bicycle contributes 0 pollutants as compared to an 80% contribution of carbon monoxide from cars.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pros-envir … 79378.html

I completely agree that biking is a great alternative to using a car for transportation. Here in the Bay Area, the use of bikes is becoming more and more popular. As the population continues to grow, it becomes more inconvenient for people to drive their own cars. Our "Bart" trains allow people to bring their bike along, so people will end up riding the train to the city, and biking to work. This is not only less expensive, but also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Within the city of San Francisco there are companies such as "Bay Area Bike Share," that people buy memberships to. With a membership a person can go to any of the locations where the bikes are stationed, and rent one. When they are done they can return it to any station. People living in the city who might not find it convenient to have a bike at their apartment, or those commuting on the train without a bike find "Bay Area Bike Share" very useful. It allows people to avoid traffic and get some exercise in. Additionally, major companies like Google offer bikes to their workers so that they can ge t around the large campus at a faster rate.
I definitely support the installment of more bike lanes, especially within cities, and near any major source of transportation such as a train station. The more safe something is, the more people will do it. Biking reduces carbon footprints, and it helps people stay healthy.

The idea sounds great on paper and works in some areas with moderate climate like the Bay Area, but the average temperature in Texas is 97 degrees in August. In the summer months, the heat index can exceed 110 degrees.  During the hours of 10am and 2pm, it is often advised to stay indoors. Also, arriving to work or school sweaty and smelly is not generally acceptable. Also, weather is erratic in the summer with unpredictable rain storms with dangerous lightning strikes. These weather events happen suddenly and often without warning any time of the day or night. Additionally, riding in bike lanes does not ensure the safety of the rider. Some cars drive distracted and many cases of auto and bicycle collisions have ended in injury and even death. In recent years, according to http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/data/factsheet_crash.cfm, over 726 bicyclists died in accidents with motor vehicles nationally. In parts of the country, this idea works, but in Houston,Texas, there are more challenges to overcome.
Sources: http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/te … tates/3213

When I visited Amsterdam a few years back, I was amazed by their extensive biking culture. Bikes even have right of way over cars there! There are apparently more bikes than people there, and I even saw parking garages specifically made for bikes. All the roads for cars have an accompanying bike lane. It was no surprise when I found that Amsterdam and Rotterdam (another city in Holland) were among the top 5 most sustainable cities according to this article: http://energyblog.nationalgeographic.co … -or-delhi/
Holland is the perfect example of what bikes can do to help combat climate change! Having more bike lanes and making it safer to ride bikes in cities would encourage more bike riding in our country.

I've visited some cities like Amsterdam and Steamboat Springs (Colorado) that have bike lanes everywhere, and biking was a great way to explore the city and really get into the culture of the town. Biking also has some great health benefits (https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/hea … h-benefits) , such as improving cardiovascular health, protecting you from obesity, and lowering the risk of some cancers. It's a fun, healthy activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

In Houston, the average temperature for the month of October is a high of 82 degrees F and a low of 59 degrees F. Though most days are really hot, I think that it is beneficial to have a biking program. Even if not in use every single day due to certain weather conditions such as heat or rain, just a single day of biking would help our environment by reducing the carbon dioxide that would have been emitted by a car that day. Also, to help with biking safety, according to http://houstonbikeplan.org/about-the-houston-bike-plan, the Houston city bike plan is creating a course to educate people by supporting programs like motorist and cyclist safety education. Also, if each city has designated bike lanes, like those in Houston where cars cannot go, that should reduce the amount of accidents between bikers and car drivers. Not only is this idea better for the environment, but it is also better for the humans that participate in riding a bike instead of driving a car. Fox News reports that an hour-long bike ride at a slow and leisurely pace of 10 to 12 miles per hour burns abo ut 256 calories per mile. This bike plan seems to be a win-win situation; it helps the environment and it helps people participating get exercise.

(http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/09/0 … rning.html)

I totally agree, Frances! A lot of the time I'm pretty nervous about riding my bike around the city because it is so crowded, and bike lanes would really help. I visit Florida every summer and the town I stay in has bike lanes everywhere. There are so many people who bike there because of this! Making bike lanes essential really is essential in reducing our carbon footprint!