But they add one more ingredient, safety. Integrated areas that have housing, shops, work places, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily life of residents and curious visitors, encourage bicycle use, and just about everything in the Glendale downtown area is within easy bike riding distance, one to two miles. There is not much available in the whole country that is not available within a mile, or two at the most, of the Glendale downtown area. In Glendale downtown area, the streets were narrowed and the sidewalks were widened, effectively removing the wide outside lane that bicyclists use. Now the level of comfort for bicyclist using the street, Glendale Avenue, is low.
Riders feel safer on the sidewalk.
The sidewalk goes to destinations where people, including bicycle riders, want to go. Another reason the sidewalk has high level of comfort for bicycle riders is that with the narrower street width, riders are more common targets for passengers in parked cars opening the car door and getting out of the car. This problem moves to another level, when a car pulls out of its parking space without look for or see bicycle riders. With no room to maneuver out of these potentially dangerous situations, bicyclists use the sidewalk. Except for elementary schools, most important destinations are on major arterial streets.