For behavioral scientists interested in promoting sustainable practices in our communities, New York may provide for an interesting case study. According to Grist.org, New York City is planning on introducing 10,000 public bikes into the city tied together via a "network of bike-sharing stations."
Though the city council enthusiastically approved the measure, the larger populace may have their doubts. Most relate to the environment of Manhattan itself, with concerns that the city "was never designed for biking," with related safety concerns with so many potential cyclists on the road. And, of course, there is the potential negative impact of bike lanes on local business with one manager reporting that the lanes have "cut down on parking and hindered the ability of delivery trucks to access his storefront." Although the above comments were not based on a systematic polling of the population, it does open one's eyes to the complexities involved in promoting sustainable community practices.
Behavior analysts can certainly advise on best practices regarding the safety of bicyclists, and evidenced in Dagen and Alavosius's (2008) paper in Behavior and Social Issues titled "Bicyclist and Motorist Environments: Exploring Interlocking Behavioral Contingencies." Perhaps the most obvious set of interlocking contingencies involves the potential for New York's initiative to unleash 10,000 lay bicyclists, who likely have insufficient bicycle-commuting repertoires, onto the streets of the largest city in the U.S. Of course, that is an empirical question -- what types of people are most likely to participate in a public bike program? Will it be avid cyclists or people who have very little history riding bikes, let alone riding them in the middle of a busy city?
For a different perspective on the issue, please see the following video for one bike messenger's story of biking in New York City:
MY NYC Biking Story: Squid from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
Needless to say, we in the behavioral community will have our eyes on the Big Apple in the coming months as the project unfolds.
Though the city council enthusiastically approved the measure, the larger populace may have their doubts. Most relate to the environment of Manhattan itself, with concerns that the city "was never designed for biking," with related safety concerns with so many potential cyclists on the road. And, of course, there is the potential negative impact of bike lanes on local business with one manager reporting that the lanes have "cut down on parking and hindered the ability of delivery trucks to access his storefront." Although the above comments were not based on a systematic polling of the population, it does open one's eyes to the complexities involved in promoting sustainable community practices.
Behavior analysts can certainly advise on best practices regarding the safety of bicyclists, and evidenced in Dagen and Alavosius's (2008) paper in Behavior and Social Issues titled "Bicyclist and Motorist Environments: Exploring Interlocking Behavioral Contingencies." Perhaps the most obvious set of interlocking contingencies involves the potential for New York's initiative to unleash 10,000 lay bicyclists, who likely have insufficient bicycle-commuting repertoires, onto the streets of the largest city in the U.S. Of course, that is an empirical question -- what types of people are most likely to participate in a public bike program? Will it be avid cyclists or people who have very little history riding bikes, let alone riding them in the middle of a busy city?
For a different perspective on the issue, please see the following video for one bike messenger's story of biking in New York City:
MY NYC Biking Story: Squid from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
Needless to say, we in the behavioral community will have our eyes on the Big Apple in the coming months as the project unfolds.
