Think globally. Bike Locally

Since the Brundtland Report of 1987, sustainable development has often been referred to as one that affects the 3 basic E's-- Environment, (Social) Equity, and Economy (and some choose to include Ecology, as a forth prong). The stepchild, in my opinion, of the aforementioned equation is that of Economy. While development must be financed in some way, shape, or form (public; private; public-private partnerships...alot of alliteration going on, so far!), establishing a stable local economy is often left at the wayside in favor of compromised design, regulatory policies, and unwavering public opinion. Even more so, as discussed in the previous post, our urban fabric is supported by a road system that caters to the crossing of economies. How easy is it to drive to the other county's IKEA, rather than purchase furniture from a local-craft consignment store? Too easy. Convenience paves the way for auto-dominance... and vice versa. What planners and city officials have noticed, as of late, is that encouraging and promoting bicycle use within a city, is one way to keep money in the local economy.

A recent GRIST article points out the benefits of switching from 4 wheels to 2 wheels and its impact on not only your pocketbook, but also that of the local economy. The article demonstrates that if a city were to convert 15,000 car-users to cyclists  $127,275,000 would be able to stay in the local economy. Beefing up bicycle lanes, routes, and overall cyclist-pampering infrastructure (bike parking, paved and separated lanes, etc) would thus encourage people from jumping in the car and heading over to the next city for whatever needs they may have, and rather, jump on their bike and pedal 5 miles to fulfill that same need. Other benefits of converting to being a bike-buddy (back at it with that alliterative flare!) is a potential decrease in health care costs, incentives for small businesses to incorporate (wouldn't have to pay the hefty fees for providing pavement for parking), as well as an increase in happiness levels! fun!

What the article doesn't mention, but is of marked interest is that the money you save in commuting and riding a bike to work and personal use, will also save money that can potentially be filtered into the local economy. This personal savings holds as a potential win for the local-business economy.