Yeah Beek I remember you mentioning such projects. Yost has to be off the list now because he's getting a degree in working for the man which means that "he's interested" but isn't going to "get anything done"
It's one of those things that Garmin could probably offset the cost of their crappy bike specific GPS' with the same way that biketown(?) does...
Biketown, if thats what its called (hence the ?) is that project that either Trek or bicycling magazine organizes (or at least writes about) where some group gives a certain number of bicycles to one specific area or town and then asks them about their riding experiences. They tell all sorts of feel good stories which in turn is huge for the culture (in terms of advertising) since cycling is one of those things that the more people around, the easier it is to do (my example for that is spandex... MOST new dudes will show up in some baggy athletic shorts over their spandex because they aren't sure if its socially acceptable to wear such attire... then we just make fun of them until they wear spandex. And then everyone ELSE makes fun of all of us... for wearing spandex. But I digress.
It would be relatively simple (or seemingly so) for Garmin to "give away" (sidebar: Now that I think about it, this is something that Google would probably be interested in) GPS units to a group of cyclists with the understanding that their data will be tracked and used for research. This would (seemingly) EASILY tell community planners what to spend more money on and where to put it.
I STILL have a hard time going this high tech though because I am (obviously) adamant that there are much simpler solutions to improving cycling infrastructure and that is with some simple education. When I get home, I'm going to see if I can find a way to weasel my way into this somehow. Even if they let me talk for 10 minutes at some points reduction classes I think it would be making a difference. The biggest hurdle that I see is breaking down the wall that already exists between the motorist and the cyclist.
Come to think of it, what type of drivers education do we even have in this country? I wonder what the percentages are of people that get any "formal" training in motor vehicle operations PRIOR to getting their license? And I wonder what standards exist for those "private" driving schools?
Hmmm.... I have too many underdeveloped ideas.