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The early 1890s saw a surge in popularity for bicycles in America, with high-society individuals often seen riding bicycles. Bicycle racing was a popular sport and cycling was seen as the mode of the future for urban transportation. This led to the creation of the world’s best bicycle facilities during this time. There were bicycle-specific “pleasure routes” in cities like New York City and an ambitious cycle path between Los Angeles and Pasadena on timber trestles. The Good Roads activists built “wheelways” or cycle paths in their frustration with the poor quality of rural roads. These cycle paths were meant to be examples of what good roads could look like and were built by the cyclists themselves. They were narrower than the objects created by the Office of Road Inquiry but were still well-constructed. There were thousands of miles of cycle paths across the country, some being short, utilitarian paths while others were meandering and scenic. Cyclists paid for these cycle paths themselves, which paved the way for taxes on motorists that would later help fund interstate roads, which covered and replaced the cycle paths. Charles Anderson Dana, editor of the New York Sun, proposed an elevated railway solely for riders of bicycles as early as the 1860s. The idea of dedicated cycling infrastructure grew louder and more popular by the 1890s. There were suggestions for elevated bike paths between Harlem and the Battery in New York City and even cross-country cycle-path trestles. During the Klondike Gold Rush, an entrepreneur proposed building a bicycle roadway to help prospectors reach the Yukon region in Canada. However, the proposed Klondike bicycle track was never built. While many cyclists advocated for separate cycle paths, there were arguments against this idea. Some feared that cyclists would be restricted to a small number of recreational bicycle ways and banned from all other roads. Others believed that cyclists should keep fighting for the improvement of all roads instead of being diverted by isolated improvements. Nevertheless, many cyclists at the time saw cycle paths as a way to have a well-surfaced, dedicated route for cyclists. They believed that long-distance cycle paths would enable them to travel from one state to another on smooth, improved roads. The cyclists who wanted separate cycle paths argued that they were an “object lesson” for good roads and would benefit the cycling community. Wealthy individuals even sponsored the creation of cycle paths, and cyclists paid taxes solely for the purpose of building and maintaining these paths. However, not all cyclists were in favor of cycle paths, and court cases in 1900 halted the construction of several paths. Some individuals believed that cycle paths were an obstruction and hindered their ability to use the roads freely. Others argued that all roads should be improved for the benefit of everyone. Ultimately, the popularity and support for cycle paths dwindled, and the cycleway movement declined in the early 1900s.
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