Fairfax County Supervisor John Cook (R – Braddock District, Virginia) recently said the following during a transportation committee meeting:
“I don’t believe a bicycle is a transportation device. I think it’s a recreation device. The big problem is people don’t want to ride their bike in the rain or get sweaty before work.”
Perhaps Mr. Cook should have actually polled people prior to speaking, or just used common sense and not his personal opinion on the matter. According to the League of American Bicyclists, the share of all trips by bicycle is up 25% since 2001, and reports abound about increased bicycle commuting in most major cities. Why would NYC bother to add more than 200 miles of bike lanes over the past three years if no one wanted to commute?
Or, perhaps Mr. Cook could’ve held his ridiculous comment until after one of the largest bicycle shows (NAHBS) brings all sorts of tourism dollars into the state this weekend.
