From Belgium to Germany, Bicycles Were Everywhere

Longtime Eagle Rock resident Bob Gotham, whose stewardship of The Eagle Rock Association and Take Back the Boulevard are part of Eagle Rock history, recently returned from three weeks in Europe. In a letter to TERA members this past week, posted here with his permission, Bob reflected on his travels, noting, in particular, the ubiquity of the bicycle in just about every city he visited. Excerpts:

"The main focus of our trip was to visit several Baltic countries with visits to New York City and London also included. At the end of three weeks and lot of mileage, we were eager to return to Eagle Rock.

"Earlier in my life, ending a vacation and returning home included returning to work. Then it seemed as the vacations were never long enough. As much as I did enjoy my work, I never preferred it to traveling. Now, as a retiree, I look forward to coming home at the end of a trip. 

"There is something special about sleeping in one’s own bed, with our cat Sophie at the foot of the bed. The day we returned, still severely jet-lagged, after a brief nap we found the energy to visit our favorite neighborhood haunt for a cocktail and dinner. 

"It was the perfect return to Eagle Rock. Immediately we ran into some friends from our neighborhood with whom we enjoyed our dinner. Soon, other friends came in and we reconnected with them. Unfortunately, we were falling asleep by the end of dinner and were not able to find the energy for a quick trip to Trader Joe’s, where I almost always bump into other Eagle Rockers I know. 

"I love living in this place, a great community where I feel so connected, not just by friendships, but in so many other ways. I hope you feel the same way.

"Based on my involvement with Take Back the Boulevard for almost three years, it was natural that I could not ignore the fact that bicyclists were present virtually everywhere. Soon, we will have new bike lanes on Colorado Boulevard. The efforts over the last two years to redefine Colorado Boulevard will go down as a milestone event when the community passionately expressed their support or opposition for the changes. 

"Some felt that replacing one traffic lane with a bike lane was radical, impinging on the ability of drivers to traverse our community at top speed. Based on what I saw in our travels, the changes for the Boulevard are not as radical as some have feared. If traffic flows well with bike lanes in Times Square, New York, then I suspect travel on Colorado Boulevard will be fine.

"In virtually every city we visited (New York, London, Bruges, Warnemunde, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn and Copenhagen) bikes and bike lanes were a significant transportation alternative. 

"Curiously, the only city were bikes and bike lanes were absent was St. Petersburg, a city perfectly suited for bicycles. St. Petersburg had the broadest boulevards, with the least traffic, and lots of room left for bikers. It’s also very flat, making it perfect for cycling. 

"Elsewhere, bike usage was broad-based, not limited to the young or [those of a certain] economic status. There are more bikes than citizens in Copenhagen. People often have second bikes that, for convenience, are left at places like a train station."