And thought most of my route is by bike path, bike lane, or sharrow, I’m still nervous about riding every day. Last summer, a friend collided with a car and suffered a severe head injury and facial fractures. That was enough to scare me from riding in the street at all, much less riding through downtown to get to work.

Slowly, I’ve crept off the bike paths and into the street. Living in Seattle without a car means I rely on the bus, my bicycle, or my feet to get to the grocery, go to the gym, visit family, or just about anything else. I feel empowered, energized, and healthy going places entirely on my own, either by foot or by bike.

Seattle, and other bikeable cities like Portland and San Francisco, represent an important evolution in transportation. While there’s still a long way to go in improving bike routes and educating drivers and bikers alike on etiquette and safety, the simple act of riding a bike is political and revolutionary. Commuting by bike (or just walking) promotes healthy living, clean air, and fewer heavy cars pounding the pavement. Bikeable, walkable cities are livable cities that are neighborhood centric, where it’s possible to shop, eat and act locally. They promote a unique society where we’re out in the world instead of locked in the personal bubble of our vehicles. They are places where pavement doesn’t always take the place of trees. They are places where people talk to their neighbors, eat food grown nearby, shop in stores run by people in their neighborhood, and are probably more happy and fulfilled and healthy because of these things.

I’m not quite ready to say we should stop driving altogether; cars are still useful and necessary, especially when you need to, say, buy toilet paper in bulk at the grocery.

But bikes are shiny, spandex is in, and you could probably use more exercise.

Just be sure to wear a helmet.