I shot this footage during a trip to the Tokyo suburbs a year ago. What is striking to me is how far this local government has gone to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe on a busy road lined by big box stores and auto dealerships (similar to 29 North in its commercial make-up). Even in a “sprawl” zone like this, they’ve managed to put in wide sidewalks for use by walkers and bikers that are separated from traffic by a line of bushes and trees, and they’ve required this big box store (J-Mart, similar to our K-Mart) to man the main automobile entryway so that bicycles and pedestrians can cross and enter safely. Not surprisingly, local residents have responded by traveling to these shopping destinations on foot and by bike. Our family of four lived near this location eight years ago and relied entirely on bikes to do our shopping.
Cheers!
Len Schoppa
Filed under: Bike Commuting, Bike Lanes Tagged: | international models
