We have a ton of problems. Climate change, traffic congestion, pollution, the corona virus (and other diseases) and more. The humble bicycle is about the only thing that will help with most of them. But, to be blunt about it, most of our cities suck. We need to make the country bike friendly. It's quite doable, and the benefits would be staggering. Here's a video about how you do it, and why.
Bicycles do not provide instant gratification or offer options that make it widespread and/or sustainable.
Much of Europe has worked to make cycling safe and pleasant. Nowhere more so than the Netherlands. We can do the same thing. I have no idea what you meant by sustainable. It prob the most sustainable transport we have.
If enough people spun the crank for long enough and experienced endorphins, cycling is sustainable imo. Done what I could for sustainability yesterday. Cleaned the chain with a Park Cyclone and re-lubed it. Shifting is easy again.
I lived in a subdivision that didn't have sidewalks except on the main roads in/out. People walked in the streets. Many areas have designated areas for bicycles but they aren't everywhere. Yes, it's a nice option for people that don't have sidewalks or bike trails or do not want to pay garage fees or are couriers. Who else would be interested in riding a bike for anything but exercise which can be mimicked with a stationary bike? How would it be possible to shift the tide toward using a bicycle versus walking or driving an automobile?
Uhmm...me? I'm nearly 40 and have ridden bikes almost exclusively for transportation my entire life. I had a learners permit long ago but lost my wallet. Never had a license but if I want one I just have to take the test and pay the fee. Cars are nice but they are a constant expense. My friends have cars. IMO it's like a boat, better to have a friend who owns one, than to own one yourself. If anything, I'd get a motorcycle.
That's why I posted 2 videos. I can post more videos about this, if you want. But the idea is simple enough. Design cities for people, not cars. http://www.rethinkingstreets.com/download.html
There are differences in attitude towards cycling among the different countries in the EU. THE Netherlands is often used as a model among cycling enthusiasts, and what helps in that regard is a long history with a combination of factors that have contributed to making it popular. Among these is The Netherlands is relatively flat and many places in villages and urban areas are closed to vehicular traffic There is also culture attitude that is less rushed, and more relaxed to that found in much of the US, that accommodates enjoying a trip as much as the destination Petrol is expensive making vehicles a costly mode of transportation Traffic is often congested in communities and parking inconvenient and costly In many communities many people live close enough to work, shopping and entertainment to walk with cycling being a faster mode of transport Many people tend not to load up when shopping for food, but buy smaller amounts of fresh food more frequently when not dinning out and socializing In the Netherlands transportation planning has a hierarchy of design considerations that give high priority to pedestrian and cycling modes of transport when designing infrastructure, particularly to enhance safety https://bicycledutch.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/enschede-cycle-bridge2.jpg Both public and private facilities provide accommodations for cyclists such as places to store and secure bikes, lockers to store backpacks and cycling gear, and even places for changing clothes and cleaning up Then too are other innovations of thinking like building energy harvesting tech in biking paths (pizo Electric energy harvesters that feed batteries for path illumination) and even passive illumination built into ascetically interesting art. The innovations in the Netherlands has not gone unnoticed by others amid rising concerns of environmental impacts, fuel costs, and even health benefits. So countries like Ireland have followed suite, closing areas to vehicular traffic (like Graffton St in Dublin, or old Town in Galway) and even redesigned transportation planning initiatives. https://www.transportforireland.ie/...eation of Public Transport Information_v1.pdf Even in Spain, some communities have banned vehicular traffic (with out special permit), but then their layouts are more conducive pedestrian and cycling to begin with... https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191011-what-happens-when-a-city-bans-car-from-its-streets Build the infrastructure and they will use it is my belief. But, what do I know? Just before writing this post, I had returned from a 40mi bike ride in near perfect weather conditions (I am near 70, but cycle 6-7000 mi per year... more miles than I drive... gives me the ability to be In denial of my age). Nice break from the Covid19 life constraints.
I'm not refuting that some people use bicycles exclusively. It makes sense to promote widespread bicycle use but that doesn't sound as easy as one might think.
No doubt architects and city planners can build for people, not cars. So, your plan is only for new design and construction?
The challenges here are different than a small European country, for sure. I live in a small city of 4.2 sq miles but if I want to go to the nearest larger city, it's 30 miles away. While I have pedaled it many times, it's not practical for a casual cyclist. But around a small city, it's practical for most
Thank you for reading what I wrote. I lived in Chicago. Anybody that has ever tried to drive downtown knows how awful the traffic is. There are many overpriced parking garages and hardly any street parking. Couriers use bikes because they can ride between cars and get around faster. I believe anything is possible if enough people put their minds to it. I just don't see how this can be implemented for areas that were already developed without taking bicycling as a viable mode of transportation for the masses into consideration.
Depends. Are we talking about doing stuff now, or during a Biden presidency (with the Dems in control of Congress) or a Progressive era? In Portland Maine, we got bike lanes. But where are the most dangerous places? Intersections.. Wanna guess where bike lanes disappear? Intersections. At some point, we are going to have to make cities a lot more energy efficient. That will be part of it.
It's your idea. How are you hoping this will happen? Most car accidents happen within ten miles of where a person lives. Why? Because that's where we travel the most. Of course intersections are dangerous. If they weren't, we wouldn't need traffic signals. It would also help if people paid attention. ;-0 I think people are waking up to the idea that we will have to make many things a lot more efficient.
These are becoming more common, nationwide. How to use Grand Rapids' green bike boxes - mlive.com www.mlive.com › news › grand-rapids › 2019/10 › ho... Oct 2, 2019 - When the traffic light turns red, motorists must come to a stop behind the bike box. It's unlawful to drive into the bike box while the light is red, ...
Got another video for ya. After a lengthy preamble they start talking about how modernising transportation infrastructure is working out in NYC. The principles would apply to most cities. We're going to have to make some serious changes now.
Most of our cities in the US are not even that planned, let alone well-planned. Too often random developers and property owners control what happens and then the government tries to sort out the congestion. The entire north side of my city is a testament to what happens when there is no real urban planning and one road in particular is a widowmaker. There was yet another fatal accident there today because they kept widening and widening the main road to allow more traffic at higher speeds to appease the suburb developers while doing nothing about the many dozen dead end side roads that feed into it upon which are placed a plethora of high density housing, including senior citizen complexes. If I had a billions of dollars, I would buy everything on that road and demolish it, knowing the lives I saved made it money well spent.
