4
If you build it, they will come
(i.postimg.cc)
In Cambridge, MA, USA, and nearby communities, bike advocates have made real progress with lanes and paths and general infrastructure. Also the city requires that new builds have a proper bike room. This building was recently gutted and fitted out and this is the bike room today - overloaded, and the building is barely half full... Looks like they will need to find more efficient bike racks!
Meanwhile in a recent commute I was in a queue of 30 bicycles at a light at which about 6-8 cars get through at a time. 10-15 years ago I was one of the few bikes on the roads at any time.
Hats off to the advocates and representatives of the local cities that have made this happen through continuous pressure and work over decades...
I am not interested in purity or commitment to some ideal, I'm interested in practicality. If we're talking about city cycling, an e-bike is just flat out more practical and flexible as a vehicle for more scenarios, uses, landscapes, and body types. But to be clear: I am not trying to convert cyclists to e-bikes, I'm interested in converting drivers out of cars. And to them, an ebike is a much much much easier sell.