If you’re wondering how you can tell if bicycling is becoming part of the culture of your city, here’s how. Because there are not many roads with bona fide bike lanes, I ride on the sidewalk a lot here in St. Petersburg, Florida. Riding on the sidewalk in the city requires your undivided attention because of all the driveways and such. Today, as I was going along, not one but two cars who were waiting to pull into the street saw me and backed their car up so they were no longer blocking the sidewalk.
I took that as a really good sign that people know there are lots of cyclists and are watching out for them on the sidewalk. The thriving St. Pete bicycle culture also means that many cyclists are probably also car drivers who will be especially conscientious when driving.
The more cyclists there are on the road, the more accustomed to their presence car drivers will become. This helps make it a safer city for everyone, including pedestrians, bike riders and car drivers.
