How is last-mile cycling becoming part of the US car culture? Part 1
The United States, the world's 4th largest country in terms of surface area and the world's 1st largest power, is a country with a long history of mobility. There has always been a need to innovate in terms of transport, in order to go further and faster. So, in today's context of urgent climate change and increasing urban density, how can we make the last mile by bike part of American life?
Let's take a trip back in time to better understand the history of mobility, and in particular the place of the bicycle in the land of the American Dream.
Cartography and History of Cycling in the United States
The history of mobility in the USA
The United States is a geographically, historically, culturally and economically rich country. This North American republic is made up of 50 federal states, including California, Montana, Louisiana, Alaska and Hawaii. The country's varied topography and climate ranges from the farthest reaches of Antarctica, through the mountains, to arid desert climates and humid tropical climates. With a surface area of 9.6 million km2, the United States is the fourth largest country in the world, behind Russia, Canada and China.
The question of transporting goods and people was quickly raised. From the 17th to the early 20th century, people traveled by horse-drawn carriage. Although popular, this means of transport did not allow for rapid travel. It was in the 19th century that a number of innovations were introduced in terms of mobility.
The very first American steam-powered vehicle saw the light of day in 1805, thanks to Olivier Evans, an inventor with a passion for industrial mechanics. By the 1820s, railroads were flourishing, enabling trains to become North America's most influential means of transport in the following century. Today, rail has become essential to the growth of state economies. In a typical year, America's freight railroads carry some 1.6 billion tons over nearly 140,000 miles through 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Credit: Underwood Underwood | collection National Museum of American History
In 1889, the first electric car was created by William Morrison, a Scottish-born, naturalized American inventor. Despite its slowness, equivalent to a speed of less than 15 miles per hour, this mode of transport aroused the interest of urban populations, particularly women, for its ease of starting, maintenance and discretion.
It was in 1880 that the bicycle was introduced in the USA. However, it was on the other side of the Atlantic that the creator of the American bicycle was born. French inventor Pierre Lallement arrived in the U.S. in 1865, and a year later obtained a U.S. patent for the country's first pedal bicycle.
The velocipede had a large front wheel and a small rear wheel. For greater safety, the "safety bicycle" was later developed, with wheels of equal size and chain drive.
The emergence of the bicycle was a rapid success with the American population, thanks to the personal mobility it offered at lower cost. For American households, the bicycle was low-maintenance, easy to store, and above all, unlike horses, didn't need to be fed.
Invented in Germany in 1876 by Karl Friedrich Benz (Carl Benz), it wasn't until 1901 that the first American gasoline-powered prototypes saw the light of day. Designed after the European Mercedes, with a 4-cylinder, 35-horsepower engine, the vehicle could reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. American engineers adapted the European car to make it more durable and affordable. The country's natural resources, such as iron, steel, wood, copper, gasoline and brass, contributed greatly to the democratization of the gasoline-powered car in the United States. Associated with a sense of freedom and independence, the gasoline-powered car became an integral part of the American dream.
The rise of the bicycle in the USA
To understand the rise of the bicycle in the land of automobile culture, we need to go back in time to the very beginnings of its history.
In 1881, Albert Pope became the first American bicycle manufacturer. That same year, he began manufacturing the famous "Columbia Bicycle" in Connecticut.
Credit:Columbia Bicycle | collection National Museum of American History
In 1890, thanks to the emergence of the bicycle manufacturing industry, it was quantified that one in every 650 citizens owned a bicycle. In just six years, the democratization of the bicycle boomed by 2,300%. One person in 27 now owns one. Given that most of these bicycle owners were in the North-East or in the industrial regions of the West, the bicycle boom was unevenly spread. However, this inequality has made its success all the more marked.
One of the reasons for this exponential growth was that mass production of the bicycle preceded that of cars. The bicycle became a symbol of individual freedom, not only for men, but especially for women. Indeed, as women were not granted the right to vote until 1920, the bicycle was a way to emancipation for them.
Credit: Underwood Underwood | collection National Museum of American History
The bicycle also became a factor of social inclusion in the fight against the scourge of racism. In 1897, cycling became the first sport to have a mixed-race team, thanks to the inclusion of Major Taylor, the world's first black male North American champion in any sport.
Credit: Louis Galice | collection National Portrait Gallery
Soon, numerous bicycle paths were built to link cities and towns. One example is the famous "California Cycleway", which was supposed to link Los Angeles and Pasadena, but was never completed before it was demolished.
To avoid a slowdown in the popularization of the bicycle in the USA, several manufacturers decided to join forces. Together, they made the bicycle lighter (from 15 kg to 11 kg), more comfortable (by adjusting the handlebars for a better position) and less expensive.
In the post-World War II United States, the bicycle was seen as more of a children's game than a serious means of locomotion. It wasn't until the 1960s/70s that the bicycle gained a new lease of life, thanks to its place in political debates and public health issues. Bicycle sales in the U.S. rose from 6 million a year to 9 million in 1971, 14 million in 1972 and 15.3 million the following year, according to a Bank of America report. While most bicycles sold before the boom were for children, 60% were suddenly for adults.
Although the emergence of the bicycle in the United States has been unevenly distributed (Northeast and Midwest), the bicycle has established itself as a liberating tool for minority communities and women in their quest for rights and independence. Numerous cycling associations have sprung up to facilitate access to bikes and improve infrastructures. But how do we ensure the popularity of the bicycle in urban America?
Well, to be continued...
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States
https://skilling.com/eu/fr/blog/trading-terms/largest-countries-in-the-world/
https://www.aar.org/topic/impact#!
https://corsia.us/transportation-in-the-united-states-a-brief-history
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/si-bikes/si-bikes-ordinary
https://servicekoers.be/en/stories/american-bicycle-industry