Bicycling

“My Next Vehicle Will Be a Bicycle”

Like media outlets everywhere, CNNMoney.com is reporting with greater frequency on rising fuel prices, with headlines like "Six fixes for pricey gasoline" and "Bad news for Detroit: Miles per gallon." In a recent online poll, the financial website asked a question that is surely on the minds of many Americans: "The next vehicle I buy will be...?" In the non-random sample of 42,275 respondents, more people said they are leaning towards a bike than a truck or SUV.

By Jason Varone

3:18 PM EDT on June 5, 2008

Like media outlets everywhere, CNNMoney.com is reporting with greater frequency on rising fuel prices, with headlines like “Six fixes for pricey gasoline” and “Bad news for Detroit: Miles per gallon.” In a recent online poll, the financial website asked a question that is surely on the minds of many Americans: “The next vehicle I buy will be…?” In the non-random sample of 42,275 respondents, more people said they are leaning towards a bike than a truck or SUV.

Sure, this poll is totally un-scientific, its results not a reliable indicator that bike makers should ramp up production. Nevertheless, it is a signpost for everyone wondering whether bicycles are creeping into the mainstream consciousness as a practical solution to rising fuel prices. When a major national news outlet starts including human-powered vehicles in its polls, I think the answer is yes.

Jason Varone

Jason Varone battles the streets everyday during a 9 mile commute on his bicycle from downtown Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. In addition to his efforts on Streetsblog, he is an artist making work related to the environment and technology. Examples of his work can be found at www.varonearts.org.