Danes are building so-called bicyclist superhighways

Twenty-two municipalities in the Copenhagen area are teaming up to create 26 of what they unfortunately call bicycle "superhighways"—a term that unwittingly pays homage to the 20th-century roads that made sprawl possible on a gigantic scale. But never mind; the basic idea seems a good one. These will essentially be wide, paved bike paths covering distances of up to 14 miles each. Their aim is to increase cycling in a region where half the residents already bike to work or school. The first route opened in April, connecting Copenhagen to a suburb called Albertslund. The New York Times reports that "thanks to measures like the superhighway, commuters choose bicycles because they are the fastest and most convenient transportation option." The website Copenhagenize points out that "the routes follow existing, separated bicycle infrastructure," like the corridor shown above. Sections of some routes are getting improvements, to function better.

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