Bicycles can conveniently get you from one point to another or can be used simply for fun. Where people are going on their bikes is just as varied as why people ride at all.  Interest in bicycles in surging and their impact is being felt in many ways:

With half a million cars destroyed in Houston due to Hurricane Harvey, a Houston bike-share operator wants to connect residents with free bikes.  Clinton Bradbury, a resident of the Westbury neighborhood, says:

“I now commute everywhere by bus and, sometimes, have to wait hours in between bus transfer times or have to walk a long distance because some places don’t have a bus stop nearby,” Bradbury says. “Now I just bring my bike, and I can skip some of the in-between buses. I can go places that were too far to walk, but definitely not too far to cycle.”

The program was started by Carter Stern, the executive director BCycle, Houston’s five year old bike share program. Stern explains why he developed the program to offer free bikes to the hurricane victims:

“We knew bicycles would be key,” Stern says. “About a quarter of Houston residents make less than $30,000 a year. They’re not going to be able to replace a car right away. These bikes will make it easier for them to get around until then.”

In Mexico City, cyclists are using bicycles to help earthquake survivors.  What impact are they making?  Martha Pskowski describes how they make a difference by keeping streets clear:

“The volume of vehicles and the blocked streets were a potent combination. Major arteries jammed with traffic. Ambulances struggled to leave disaster sites to reach local hospitals. City officials begged people to keep their vehicles off the roads.

Amid the chaos, bicycles have become the missing link, allowing supplies to reach those in need, and averting the paralyzing traffic jams across the city.”

In Cuba, bikes are simply more reliable than other forms of transportation.  Increased demand by tourists, helps, too.

What is happening in China?  See the following (!!!):