How to Improve Cyclists' Safety from Dangerous Non-Cyclists' Behavior

How to Improve Cyclists' Safety from Dangerous Non-Cyclists' Behavior

Author: How To! August 11, 2026 Duration: 42:41

Amateur cyclist and university associate professor Wendy loves riding her bike with her young son and local road group, but aggressive drivers, close calls, and a deep-seated hostility toward cyclists leave her fearing for their safety on the road. Enter Meredith Glaser, CEO of the Urban Cycling Institute and professor of cycling at Ghent University, who advocates for shifting away from defensive cycling culture and toward treating bikes as everyday appliances rather than radical political statements. She introduces Wendy to the power of temporary "street experiments" and community-led initiatives like the "bicibus" or "kidical mass," advising her to leverage grassroots momentum, youth health messaging, and local allies (including cycling police officers) to reclaim public streets, foster safer road habits, and normalize bike transit without getting bogged down in municipal bureaucracy.

Meredith Glaser is the CEO of the Urban Cycling Institute and a leading expert on human-scale mobility. Head over to urbancyclinginstitute.org to learn more. They also have a substack - Urban Cycling Institute | Substack

Executive Producer Corey Wara

Edited by Geoff Craig

Booking by Ben Astaire

Do you have a burning question or a problem you need help with? Email us at howto@mikepesca.com and we will consider your topic for the show.

For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ To receive ad-free content, become a Pesca Plus subscriber at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/

Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@pescagist⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist

To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/howto


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


How To! with Mike Pesca is a podcast that operates on a simple, powerful premise: everyday people have complex, real-world problems that need solving. Each episode begins with a listener's specific dilemma, whether it's navigating a unique family dynamic, improving a personal skill, or protecting vulnerable loved ones from modern threats. Host Mike Pesca then connects that individual with genuine authorities-practicing attorneys, medical doctors, seasoned entrepreneurs, published researchers, and other accomplished experts-to provide actionable, credible advice. The conversations are structured yet organic, moving from the personal story of the problem to a practical exploration of solutions. You'll hear the caller's situation unfold, the expert's breakdown of the issue, and a collaborative path forward. This isn't abstract self-help; it's a direct application of specialized knowledge to tangible human challenges. The podcast thrives on specificity, tackling questions you might not even know how to ask, let alone who to ask. By focusing on one person's story, it uncovers insights and strategies that resonate far beyond the individual case, making expert guidance accessible and relatable. The tone is curious, empathetic, and grounded, prioritizing depth and utility over generic inspiration. Listening feels like being part of a focused, productive consultation where real questions meet real answers.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

How To! with Charles Duhigg
Podcast Episodes
How To Run (Even When It's Painful) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:56
Sophie Power once breastfed her newborn during an ultramarathon, but an upcoming 268-mile race across a remote stretch of Great Britain is freaking her out. We turn to Wim Hof, aka "The Iceman," for advice. Because when…
How To Stop Worrying So Much [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:12
Matt has anxiety attacks. Every day. When he gets too many texts, when he starts worrying about his family, when the unexpected occurs—that’s when the sweat starts and his mind begins racing. He’s a strong guy—he was a c…
How To Sleep Better [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:10
Ben, also know as "Sleepless in San Francisco" hasn't been able to get a good night's rest for over a decade. He's tried noise machines, medication, vodka, even eating cheese -- but nothing has worked. In this episode of…
How to Bounce Back From Injury [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:46
Jami's dealt with chronic knee instability and dislocations since childhood, two major surgeries, years of tedious rehab. Now she wants to actually trust her body again before starting a family, not just tolerate it. She…
How To Stop Being an Emotional ATM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:33
Last week, our expert Arthur Brooks gave us some surefire advice for resetting the parent-child relationship so your kids don't treat you like an emotional ATM. On this episode of How To!, he's going to teach our listene…
How to Get Your Kids to Take Good Risks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:47
Today on How To!, Freddy, a physician, scientist, and father, struggles with how to mentor his 12-year-old daughter, who prefers her safe comfort zone and strongly resists new experiences, travel, or unfamiliar foods. Ho…
How to Feel Good in Your Clothes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:08
Today on How To!, Michael, a retired FDNY captain who used to rely on a uniform every day, finds himself staring blankly into his closet and canceling dates because he does not know how to dress. Host Mike Pesca brings o…
How to Hire Someone and Be a Good Boss [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:09
Comedian and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! panelist Paula Poundstone splits her time among a grueling tour schedule and a chaotic home life, but she wants to find the focus necessary to manage her household staff and stop…
How To Keep Cool in a Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:09
Originally Aired on Oct 12, 2021 On this episode of How To!, the second in a two part-series, Dan Christensen, a bus driver in Portland, Oregon, and Matt Smith, a crisis intervention trainer and the co-founder of Aegis T…
How Constraints Make Us More Creative [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:47
Ofra splits her time among a number of hobbies in her retirement, but she wants to stop feeling rudderless and find the focus necessary to write a book of observational humor based on her twenty-year career as a psychoth…