This article in the Guardian newspaper in the UK explains why US business leaders are jumping on board the cycling band wagon (or cargo bike).
This is not because they have suddenly all become hippies with flowers in their hair. No, it is because (just like the retailers on Fort Street – see below) they have discovered that cyclists are good for business.
Support for this comes from this (19 page PDF) study from People For Bikes and the Alliance for Biking and Walking. One of the main quotes is:
that wide streets with fast-moving car traffic tend to depress property values, while buildings on streets with new bicycle facilities and pedestrian
improvements have appreciated.
This article also points out that many analysts are now saying that big-box retail is declining in the US and that retailers need to locate their stores closer to population centres and alternative transport (transit and cycling). WalMart has just recorded a large fourth quarter decline and this has been at least partially attributed to changing driving patterns. People are just not as prepared to drive long distances to big box retail in the exurbs. This fits in nicely with the new design for the Warehouse in Balmoral (as reported by our friends at the Transport Blog).
Closer to home this is backed up by the continued success of our shared spaces and in particular the Fort Street area:
The only criticism I would have, is that AT is being too cautious with shared spaces. Removing parking spaces and putting in a few bollards could quickly transform High Street and O’Connell Street into the pedestrian havens they should be. And if it doesn’t work (highly unlikely) then it can quickly revert back to the “bad old days”.
The same treatment could be given to Queen Street by narrowing the street between Quay and Victoria with planters and sealing off the side streets with bollards – there is no need for Shortland Street to empty on to Queen Street. Queen Street is often devoid of cars during the day while pedestrians are packed in like sardines on the footpaths.
An insistence by AT on gold plating shared spaces (and cycle infrastructure) is holding Auckland back. If cities of 10 million like New York can quickly implement these changes, why can’t a relatively small city like Auckland?
