Help Us Shape the Future of Safer Cycling!

[nikionwheels]

Hello everyone,

I am a Harvard Economics and Computer Science student, and we are conducting research on bike safety and promoting greener streets. Your input is crucial in developing cutting-edge technology to improve cycling safety and enhance the biking experience for everyone.

We have created a brief survey consisting of 18 multiple-choice questions that will take only 5 minutes to complete. By sharing your thoughts and experiences, you'll be directly contributing to the future of safer cycling.

As a token of our appreciation, 3 lucky participants will receive a $50 gift card. Additionally, every participant will get early access to our new technology and exclusive discounts.

Thank you for helping us make cycling safer and our streets greener!

https://forms.gle/m8HDTDjA1b3FrciFA

[Jesper]

@nikionwheels your survey should have been more focused on the safety aspect and green use of bikes as stated in the post and survey introduction ("Help us shape the future of safer cycling! Your input is crucial in developing cutting-edge technology to improve cycling safety and promote greener streets.").

You should also state who "we" are. Is "we" just a group of students affiliated with the college? Are you a private commercial self-profitting entity or a private non-profit group.

Your survey implies that you are a for profit business ("As a token of our appreciation, 3 lucky participants will receive a $50 gift card, and every participant gets early access and exclusive discounts."). Does the money for the gift cards come from donations by commercial sponsors, your private company funds, ans/or the private college funds? If participants in the survey "get early access" (to what?), and "exclusive discounts" (for what?) then it implies that you are possibly selling something be it a service and/or physical goods. What is the name of your organization? Is Harvard directly involved with your enterprise? Please be more open about your goals and motivations since this sounds too much like a means of gathering free market research information (a few hundred dollars is a small price to pay compared to hiring a professional researcher/ research company) in order to build and eventually promote and profit a private business.

I will forego doing your survey (I have reviewed it and found it lacking in many aspects) since odds are that I would not receive a gift card, nor do I know what it applies to and whether it would even be useful to me. Is it directly related to cycling or cycling safety; is it a direct cash card or is tied to a business sponsor? Also, I have no idea what the "early access" and "exclusive discounts" apply to either.

I am sure you will get plenty of folks who will do your ambiguous survey just for a chance at $50 even though they have no idea what it is for, but I am more inquisitive and prefer that you be open with your identity since you should have nothing to hide. Are you hiding this from the college? I also see that you are "carpet bombing" other sites with the same post so it would seem that you certainly spreading the wealth since if only $150 (3 $50 gift cards) is at risk you stand to gain a wealth of data if even a relatively small number of people reply to your survey.

Harvard did a study that showed cycling on exclusive bikeways as opposed to on the roadways resulted in fewer injuries to cyclists. I will say that I did not need to attend Harvard (or any other college for that matter) to be able to make that determination; and I knew it 30 years before Harvard figued it out.

Here is your survey answered: Cycling is dangerous and potentially deadly under the best conditions. Cycling is more ecologically friendly ("greener") than practically any other mode of transportation other than by moving on foot. "Cutting edge technology" is not required; only cutting edge common sense. Easy, survey done!

[GirishH]

Hello nikionwheels, welcome to the forum. As Jesper mentioned, please elaborate on what this survey is leading to, as I suspect you are working for a for-profit company.

I lived in East Arlington, Davis Square, and then Kendall Square. During my daily commute to work in Kendall Square (by bicycle or running), I passed numerous ghost bikes, which constantly reminded me of the risks of cycling. On my route, I would pass Joe Lavins (Porter Square), Darryl Willis (Harvard Square), Amanda Phillips (Inman Square), Jean Leonard (Park Street, Somerville), and a few others depending on my path.

As Jesper mentioned, cycling is dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Blame can be attributed to various factors, including other cyclists and motorists. For instance, on the Minuteman Bikepath, two cyclists collided, leading to the sad demise of one (a ghost bike/memorial is dedicated to Gary Coovert in Lexington, MA). If I still lived in Cambridge, I would need to add another ghost bike dedicated to Minh-Thi Nguyen, who died last month.

I still chose this mode of commute because it was a healthy lifestyle, a liberating and fast mode of transportation, and yes, environmentally friendly. Personally, the only cutting-edge technology that can make cycling safer is to have a metal case around you, airbags, lights, and horns. In other words, a car...

So sadly, the "new" and "cutting-edge" technology is primarily to make more money and give a false sense of "safety."

[Jesper]

It would seem that @nikionwheels does not want to enlighten the community as to what "they" are, and who "they" are. I would advise against doing that survey (there are no references provided on the survey page) until some clarification has been provided. Since the survey REQUIRES your email address you may be exposing your account to unwanted spam messages.