I'm surprised at all of the anti-cycling sentiment here.
It's really a better mode of transportation than the car, in certain situations. It's healthy, relaxing, good for traffic and the environment, and convenient for short trips.
The article isn't saying that you need to ditch the car for a bakfiets, just that you can have a significant positive impact by doing SOME of your trips via bicycle. Remember that most car trips are with a single driver and no passenger, and are short trips around town.
Most Americans have only lived in places where biking is treated as a toy, and where adult biking for transport is dangerous and uncomfortable. Thus, they end up believing that it must be so everywhere, that good biking for transport is impossible.
It's an issue of ignorance. If everywhere you've lived is like that, you assume it's a law of the universe. Even if someone points out that other cities manage it fine, you're already emotionally invested, so you'll deflect (e.g. "well that city isn't identical to mine, so obviously it's irrelevant") rather than consider a different possibility.
Very few people choose to bike in an environment hostile to pedestrians and bicyclists. The infrastructure and culture has to come first. And the infrastructure won't come until there's a critical mass of people demanding it.
It's really a better mode of transportation than the car, in certain situations. It's healthy, relaxing, good for traffic and the environment, and convenient for short trips.
The article isn't saying that you need to ditch the car for a bakfiets, just that you can have a significant positive impact by doing SOME of your trips via bicycle. Remember that most car trips are with a single driver and no passenger, and are short trips around town.
Give it a shot!