Middletown transcript., 1901-04-13
INFLUENCE OF THE BICYCLE In ROAD
IMPROVEMENT


A leading bicycle maker was asked the
other day to what agencies and conditions
he attributed the great growth of senti-
ment in favor Of improved roads, and
the remarkable amount of practical work
that had been accomplished within the
past ten years.
"WeH." he answered, with an inferior
and wholly inadequate system Of road
ways in all but few favored States inn
improvement was bound, in time, to
come, but it might have been much
longer time in coming had it not been for
the great wave Of effort, agitation and
favorable influence that spread through
the country with the coming Of the bicy-
Gle. | may say in answer to your ques-
ton that, without reservation, I attribute
the improvement III the highway system
Of the United States directly to the in
fuence exerted by the American bicycle.
Whatever may come afterwards, the
bicycle must 60 down i'll history as the
pioneer Of road Improvements in this
country. For years our agricultural cr-
ganizations had eXpounded the doctrine
OF better roads without practical results
t. any noteworthy extent; in vain did they
spend thousands Of dollars in literature
calculated to open the farmers eyes to
tie great saving in time, labor and live
stock that would be his portion through
the medium of substantial macadam be-
tween the farm and his market. But the
farmer is a busy man; his father and his
grandfather before him had transferred
their produce over the same old roads,
and what lad been good enough for them.
he thought might serve him, for while
longer at least. However, he knew that
better roads meant expense in labor and
materials, ard he was suspicious also that
they might mean increased taxes, OF
which he would be called upon to bear his
portion, and so the agricultural societies
labored, and tons upon tons Of literature
continued to 60 out through the mails,
but results were not forthcoming.
Something more than mere literature
was needed, and that something more
came when tens hundreds of thousands
Of cyclists were, through the remarkable
growth and overwhelming popularity Of
the sport, brought face to face with ex-
isting conditions. A demand went out
from this new army there was no resist
ing.
Legislators were quick to listen, and
not only to listen, but to act. There was
a new element grown upon almost in a
night as it were, and Of such vast num-
bers that it must not only be considered,
but placated. Good roads associations
and good roads movements became, as
institutions, almost as popular as cycling
itself, and what was better still, these
self-same legislators became cyclists, and
were soon among the foremost Of those
demanding better and greater system
of highways.
"And SO the great movement that has
changed our former cowpaths into wagon
roads, and substituted broad, smooth-sur-
faced and substantial thoroughfares for
the well nigh impossible country high
ways Of past years was started, with the
result that millions OF dollars have been
expended by municipal, county, State
and Federal authorities to the end Of Civ
ing us system Of roads that will COM
pare most favorably, in many States, with
the model systems Of the Old World.
"And right here want to say that
road improvements have been greatest in
those States and in those communities
where wheelmen were to be found in
greatest numbers, fact that bears out
I think, my conviction that to the bicy-
Gle more than any other agency is the inn
proved condition and extension of our
roadways due. Possibly the coming Of
the automobile might have worked out
the same result, but the fact remains that
automobiles to-day have the cyclist to
thank for much of the pleasure to be de-
rived from this new sport. Whatever
the insignia Of good roads association
anywhere in the United States think it
would be only fair to incorporate in the
design something emblematic Of the
American bicycle. Certainly it has ac-
complihsed what all other agencies had
failed in"