Women on Wheels: Reclaiming the Road

Valerie Hermanson, Transportation Planner, Mid-Region Council of GovernmentsSeptember 29, 2016APA-NM Conference

TRAVEL BEHAVIOR EVOLVING

• You can move FIVE TIMES faster than walking• Go THREE TIMES as far on the same amount of caloric energy• Cars use 50 to 80 times more energy than a bike to travel the same

distance• AND ask any public heath expert - North America is suffering from rising

obesity rates

BICYCLES ARE THE MOST EFFICICENTFORM OF TRANSPORTATION

EVOLUTION OF THE BICYCLE

Photos Source: http://web.pdx.edu/~lesseg/Project%201/index.html

BICYCLE AS EQUALIZER

http://slowcivilizedcycling.blogspot.com/2015/03/womens-bicycling-history-month.htmlhttp://middleschoolesl.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/2/6/3826849/a_freedom_machine_student_text_page_numbers.pdfhttp://narrative.ly/the-renegade-rider-of-1894/

Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.- Susan B. Anthony

Photo Sources: http://www.bicyclepaper.com/articles/592https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2015/jun/18/freewheeling-equality-cycling-women-rights-yemen-bicycle-liberation https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/pic/?o=tS&pic_id=154163&size=large&v=2t

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY, BUT…

http://fusion.net/story/334327/mansplain-bike-riding-annemiek-van-vleuten/

NATIONAL DATA In US - Men’s bicycling trips surpass women’s by at least 2:1

Other counties (percentage of bicycles trips made women) 55% NETHERLANDS 55% DENMARK 49% GERMANY

76%

24%

BARRIERS FOR WOMEN Lack of safe infrastructure Harassment More errands to run More child or elder care responsibilities Less leisure time Make less $$ Higher standard of professional appearance & behavior

MEN

WOMEN

ALL BICYCLE TRIPS

76%

24%

http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/why-bicycle-justice-isnt-a-white-guy-in-spandex-20160810http://ralphbu.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/mci.pdf

ALBUQUERQUE METRO REGION

32%

68%MEN

WOMEN

All Bicycle Trips

32%

68%

Data: Mid-Region Council of Governments Travel Survey 2014

BUT THERE’S SOMETHING HAPPENING WITH BIKESHARE 2012 Study of North American Bikeshares 43% women 2012-2015 DC Capital Bikeshare 41-45% women 2012 Boston Hubway Bikeshare 47% women

http://blog.bicyclecoalition.org/2013/03/picking-up-speed-women-talk-bicycling.html

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2013/08/bike-share-may-be-one-key-closing-cycling-gender-gap/6580/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/04/28/who-uses-capital-bikeshare/

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2013/08/bike-share-may-be-one-key-closing-cycling-gender-gap/6580/

BICI BIKESHARE May 15, 2015 – May 15, 2016

Data: Mid-Region Council of Governments Travel Survey 2014BICI BIKESHARE DATA MAY 15, 2015- MAY 15, 2016

BIKESHARE AS CATALYST Bikeshare as conversation starter about a lot of things

Closing gender gap Women are an “indicator species” of convenient and safe bicycling

environment Improving infrastructure for everyone

Transportation is one of the biggest household expenses in the US Access to public amenities (like bikeshare) among low-income/minority

groups Economic implications

LET’S CONTINUE TOTALK ABOUT IT!

Photo: https://gearjunkie.com/bike-mom-kid

Photo: Valerie Hermanson

Photo: Valerie Hermanson

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jul/09/women-cycling-infrastructure-cyclists-killed-female