l officer to pull over the charlatan and ticket him (387-404). In 1990, 40 HOV lanes covered 332 miles in 20 cities in the United States (387-404). Many cities and states are promoting ridesharing by increasing taxes and fees for those drivers who drive solo (Bedard 23). However, a disadvantage to carpooling exists: those who participate must arrive and depart from work at the same times every day, a task not easy to accomplish in todays fast-paced society (Clark 387-404). Finally, bicycle transportation furnishes both a clean and energy-efficient form of transit. With the exception of speed, bicycles provide one of the most efficient forms of transportation in existence today. Bicycles produce no poisonous fumes, they provide exercise, and, if the proper safety equipment is used, they are very safe forms of transportation. Today, only about 27.5% of bicycle owners actually use them regularly, and bicyclists make up only one to three percent of the total number of commuters in the United States (Clark 387-404). However, this figure could soon rise to 5-15% if the number of bicyclist commuters keeps increasing (387-404). Many proponents of bicycle use have predicted that if cities were completely car-free, the cost of living would decrease 50-80%, since no expensive buying, parking, insuring, and maintaining of an automobile would be required (Jam tomorrow S15-S17). Many governments, both in the United States and overseas, have formed systems to promote the use of bicycles over automobiles. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), formed in 1991, gives grants to support the use of transportation methods other than roads, such as pedestrian and rail transit (Clark 387-404). Many European countries have also attempted to support bicycle transportation, by constructing bicycle-dedicated lanes near major roadways (Knight 82-83). Several cons to using bicycle transportation exist, however. Bicycles can be somewhat dangero...
