I disagree, of course, but this excellent article in The Economist lays out the physical and institutional challenges bikers in America face. Despite progress in many cities, including Portland and my own Minneapolis, bicycling is still not given the respect it deserves.

And it is more dangerous than it should be. Like Seattle, as The Economist explains, there are too many bicyclist deaths in Minneapolis. Much of this comes down to speed – a car traveling 40 MPH that hits a bicyclist is far more likely to kill him/her than a car traveling 20 or less. It really comes down to sharing the road, providing better lanes and facilities for bikes, teaching bicyclists to ride safely, and more strictly enforce penalties against car drivers that endanger bicyclists.

But we’re getting there. My bicycle route to drop my kids at daycare and kindergarten is laden with obstacles but also two very nice bike lanes (one of which was added just this year), not to mention zero emissions. Keep up the good work, bicycle advocates.