Skip to Content
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

A Guide to Why Biking Can Be Scary (But Doesn’t Have to Be)

Vreni perfectly captures how it feels to ride in the new protected bike lane at Lake Merritt in Oakland. All illustrations by Vreni

Illustrator Vreni just posted a short illustrated treatise at The Nib on the importance of designing streets to make biking feel safer so more people will bike. The image at the top of this post captures another reason why this is key: pure joy.

Vreni's post begins with her dilemma as a new resident in Oakland who wants to ride a bike but is frightened by statistics, bad driving, and helmet-shaming drivers. She throws in a little bit of education about infrastructure, and even finds a way to illustrate some safety statistics. And her post celebrates some of the changes that are coming to cities--like Oakland's newest protected bike lanes, above, and road diets and bike boulevards.

false

The Nib posts nonfiction comics on political and current events, and if you head over there to check out the rest of Vreni's work, I can't be held responsible for the time you spend looking at all the other posts.

By Vreni via The Nib
false
By Vreni via The Nib
false
By Vreni via The Nib
false
false

Hat tip to Robert Prinz, and thanks to The Nib.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog San Francisco

Study: People Protected Bike Lanes Made a Difference

A new study by an NYU researcher shows that a type of protest invented in San Francisco has helped get protected bike lanes constructed in North America and beyond

January 24, 2025

Alameda’s Central Ave Project Depends on Paint and Prayers for Bike Safety

After a decade of advocacy, a bike lane will start construction on Central Avenue on Monday. But most of it will be unprotected

January 24, 2025

Commentary: It Shouldn’t be Possible to Go 100 MPH in a Car

Tesla, other car makers, Newsom, the staff at SFMTA, former mayors and other politicians, collectively owe Luu an answer as to why her boyfriend's death was necessary

January 23, 2025
See all posts