Bike Infrastructure

For specific bike infrastructure, it’s a lot easier to navigate than in the states. One of the examples of bike infrastructure I like is metal posts on the side of the sidewalk where you can rest you foot and hand while waiting on your bike for the light to turn green. There are also more traffic lights meant specifically for bikes, similar to the one on 13th in Eugene that is sensor activated. The ones in Copenhagen are much more common to find and also seem more accurate. Another example of bike infrastructure is the curbs. A lot of the curbs have spaces with concrete filled in gaps to ride your bike over. That way you don’t have to jump the curb and worry about falling. Many more streets also have protected and separate bike lanes, so that you aren’t having to ride right next to cars. You also never have to ride on the sidewalks and worry about hitting pedestrians. Additionally, I like that the cars and pedestrians here are much more likely to yield for you. At home, I have to avoid pedestrians like crazy, especially in the middle of UO campus. They also have more pedestrians and bicycle only bridges which are really fun to ride across. Additionally, the road has blue painted bike lanes in areas without separated bike lanes, so the path still stands out. I also see a lot more bike racks wherever I go and there is less worry about your bike being stolen than in Eugene. I think that’s probably because so many people have their own bikes already. For example, we just lock the back wheel of our bike. Back home, I always use a u-lock. There are painted blue and green bike paths on the street so that bikes no where to go that I also like. Lastly, we learned about how the culture in Denmark is more centered around biking. Kids can learn how to bike at a free playground that simulates traffic. They also learn about how to bike from a much younger age, usually around 2-3. The kids don’t use training wheels either.