Those who want to continue believing that getting more people on bikes slows the traffic, look away now.
(Admittedly this is a couple of months old, but absolutely worth re-posting.) These three short videos show thte effects on traffic of, on the left, a 10% decline in cycling rates over the next 10 years vis-à-vis, on the right, a 10% increase in cycling.
Investing in cycling infrastructure which encourages a higher cycling rate not only benefits cyclists but also drivers and society as a whole. …
What’s more, it is easier to address problems for drivers by improving conditions for cyclists as even the best quality of cycle provision is less expensive and more compact than building roads.
from David Hembrow
These are facts that Germany is taking seriously too. Recent research shows that… a 10% increase of cycling over the next 10 years (compared with a ‘do-nothing’ scenario) showed:
- sharp decrease of car trips to and from city center (-18%)
- sharp decrease in parking pressure in city centre (-21%)
- sharp decrease in loss of travel time for cars (-15%) – a direct economic win of 3-6 million euros in itself
- decrease in small particles and SOx (-6%)
- decrease in number of citizens with exercise deprivation (-3%) – possibly high benefits in terms of health
- decrease of dramatic noise hindrance (-2%)
paraphrased-quoted from Münchenize
*SexifyBicycles* 
Definitely agree with your statement ” Investing in cycling infrastructure which encourages a higher cycling rate not only benefits cyclists but also drivers and society as a whole. ”
If every country would boost their infrastructure to promote more people getting back onto cycles, we would reduce our impact on the planet, boost our lives as we meet more people by riding, we’d get exercise…and on and on go the benefits. Let’s hope that this is the way all countries start heading.