If you’ve watched the The Last Airbender series you’re familiar with the intro. At the end Katara says, “I believe Aang can save the world.” I feel the same about bikes. Bikes are the perfect transportation at city scale. They are compact, quiet, zero emission, and can carry a ton of stuff. They force you interact with your environment and other people because you’re not encased in a steel and glass box. They have significantly less impact on the roads and require less infrastructure. They make you healthier and keep you in better shape.
Cars are super useful, they aren’t (and shouldn’t) go away. But I imagine a Chicago where everybody chooses to make 50% of their trips by bike and I smile.
Everybody should also watch the The Last Airbender. It’s the perfect TV show, especially if you need something to watch with your kids.