As a bike shop owner the greatest barrier I see for people riding bikes on roads is the fear of cars. Riding a bike a few inches away from cars that are flying by at 60mph with drivers that are more interested in their dumb "smart phones" then they are in driving is very intimidating.
One of the interesting things with Utah is that about 80% of of the population lives along the Wasatch front, and therefore lives within a few miles of a freeway.
My cycling fantasy would be a bike lane built into the Utah freeways. The bike lane could be separated from the car traffic with a cement barricade protecting the cyclists from cars. At the freeway exits and entrances the bike lane would go over or under the exits. A good example of how this could work is the
Murdock Canal trail that goes from Lehi to Orem. Cyclists could then enjoy the same advantages that cars have of nonstop travel along the freeway corridors. The cost would be relatively minor given that the roadways already exist, and the cost of creating a bicycle freeway would be offset by the reduction in health care costs and reduced pollution because people would be able to safely use their bikes to commute.
Yeah I know, it will never happen, but I can at least dream.
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