The Cyclist Inferiority Complex
As it is
Continuity of cycleways and shared paths (or not): Clevedon
As it could be
Maine, USA: a continuous ’shoulder’ for cyclists
click photos for more information
George Bernard Shaw wrote:
“Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get".
More recently, in the USA, John Forester coined the phrase ‘Cyclist Inferiority Complex’ to describe the way that an emotional fear of traffic and the low self-esteem of many cyclists lead people to accept solutions that are counter-productive to the effectiveness of cycling and boosting safety.
The road lobby, and campaigners in many other spheres, have long recognised that being prepared to say “no” is often the most effective way of achieving high standards.
See the CAMPAIGN FOR HIGH STANDARDS at the Cycle Campaign Network website
Extracts:
“Whilst the quantity of cycling infrastructure is ever increasing, the average quality of what is provided remains abysmally low. Many highway authorities still put most of their cycling budget into moving cyclists onto footways and other shared-use paths, which are problematic enough for people on foot, let alone for someone moving five times faster.”
“Many campaign groups don’t like much of what they get, but feel reluctant to complain too loudly lest they get nothing at all. Alas, not rocking the boat has a poor track record of gaining meaningful improvements.”
“Groups and individual campaigners are encouraged to take a firmer line against low standards, and to recognise the justification – often in safety as well as attractiveness – for demanding that high standards are commonplace and not the exception.”