I used to bike at lunch with my co-workers for exercise, it was great exercise and unlike the gym, you can get the wind in your hair. We used a series of dedicated bike lanes that took us from work to the beach and unlike just using the road, you felt a level of safety on them that made the experience more pleasurable.
I’ve toyed with the idea of riding my bike to work, but the 2000 ft mountain between me and my place of employment is one barrier. However, the lack of a physically seperated bike lane on the freeway that crosses the summit is the larger concern. I don’t relish the idea of sharing the road with trucks, cars and motorcycles going 80 mph downhill, somehow I don’t think that 4-inch strip of paint is going to protect me very well.
This video, explores the case for a physically separated bike lane in NYC but the concept could be brought to other major cities, like San Diego and improve the traffic and maybe the quality of life.