I torsdags publicerade Streetsblog NYC siffror som visade att andelen cykelskadade fotgängare minskat i New York samtidigt som cyklandet ökat:
Statewide hospital data compiled by professors Peter Tuckel and William Milczarik plainly show a drop in pedestrian injuries caused by cyclists between 2007 and 2010 — the same period when NYC doubled the size of its bike network.
De redovisar inga vetenskapligt belagda skäl till varför kollisioner mellan fotgängare och cyklister minskar i NYC när antalet cyklister ökar, men spekulerar:
- The more cyclists are on the street, the more predictable their movements become to pedestrians.
- Infrastructure that makes cyclists feel safe on the street decreases the likelihood that they’ll choose to bike on the sidewalk.
- As more people feel comfortable cycling, the general pool of cyclists stops skewing toward young, male risk-takers. The more risk-averse people who take up cycling engage in fewer behaviors that pose potential harm to pedestrians.