An occasional update on items from the Velo-city.
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THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Are cyclists really ‘the devil incarnate’? Responding to another anti-cycling diatribe by Melbourne newspaper columnist Bruce Guthrie, Alan Davies makes an intriguing point:
The CBDs of Australia’s large cities simply couldn’t exist at their current scale if cars were the prime means of access for commuters. They require trains, trams, buses and ferries to deliver very large numbers of commuters to a very small geographical area in a very short period of time. … they require huge areas of space for driving and parking that could more profitably be used for the very sorts of activities that CBDs were invented for in the first place. …
The fact is hardly anyone needs to drive to the CBD.
Or they could cycle. The thing about bicycles that ought to please Mr Guthrie is that they’re much more like cars than trains. Like cars they’re a private form of transport – they’re not shared with the great unwashed. Like cars they’re available on demand and go direct to the traveller’s destination without deviating or stopping to make pickups and letdowns. And like cars most of the operating costs are paid by the traveller.
In the car-versus-bikesdebate, it’s really about the same kind of transportation competing for the same space. The conflict is more inter-tribal – a war among brothers.
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PEDALLING TOWARDS EQUALITY
Relevant for multi-ethnic societies – From the League of American Bicyclists:
A first of its kind report, “The New Majority: Pedaling Towards Equity,” released today by the League and the Sierra Club, features data on demographic ridership, the effect of safe cycling infrastructure on ridership, new immigrant perceptions of bicycling, as well as the economic impact of transportation and health inequity.
According to the report, the fastest growth in bicycling over the last decade is among the Hispanic, African American and Asian American populations, which grew from 16% of all bike trips in 2001 to 23% in 2009.
According to a national poll, more than 85% of people of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and mixed race) have a positive view of bicyclists and 71% say their community would be a better place to live if bicycling were safer and more comfortable.
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VANCOUVER CYCLE CHIC’S FIRST FILM
From Chris Bruntlett:
Our first short film. It’s one of four that Vancouver Cycle Chic will be releasing throughout the month of June.
In it, we’re pleased to introduce Simon.
Simon traverses the streets of Vancouver on his Babboe bakfiets cargo bike, which he brought over from Ireland. He uses it to transport painting supplies and his eighteen-month-old son, Tadhg.
Favourite quote from the film
: “Inspiration for my creative process is everything. It’s from the point of waking up to the point of going to sleep.”
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Fun fact: Filming in public proved challenging due to the non-stop attention Simon’s cargo bike kept getting from onlookers.
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INDICTMENT
AASHTO Bike Guidelines Not Based on Research, Outdated
In a shock to no sustainable transportation advocate anywhere, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the go-to resource for transportation engineering guidelines, holds antiquated views on bicycling facilities.
Specifically, AASHTO has repeatedly failed to support cycle tracks, also known as physically-separated bike lanes, in its recommendations for bicycling facilities, despite evidence that they’re safer than simply painting bike lanes on roads.
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“Are cyclists really ‘the devil incarnate’?
No but the repetition of such is becoming a bore. Cyclists have attained recognition, support and infrastructure to make their lives easy: all road users benefit!
Yet the rant goes on.
Cyclists and cycling are a very important. But so are many other neglected components of the urban TX debate.
For a start recognize the traditional neighbourhood by incrementalization . . .
http://www.theyorkshirelad.ca/1yorkshirelad/vancouver.re-boot/Vancouver.re-boot.html
http://www.theyorkshirelad.ca/6urbandesign/vancouver.square/vancouver.square.html
http://members.shaw.ca/theyorkshirelad72/working.mount.pleasant.html
http://members.shaw.ca/aguaflor/St.lawrence.center/st.lawrence.center.toronto.html
Of course busy bloggers cannot down tools for the better part of the day to read all the above.
The links above show another solution: incrementalization of existing neighbourhoods! Asking the very relevant question: what is more important? Getting there or being there?
AASHTO has repeatedly failed to support cycle tracks, also known as physically-separated bike lanes, in its recommendations for bicycling facilities, despite evidence that they’re safer than simply painting bike lanes on roads.
You seem to be of the position that since 9 scientific studies out of 10, support the climate change theory, we have to accept it (at the great dismay of your friend Roger Kemble)…
So, it could be good to see same attitude on the bike lane:
The linked evidence is a single article,which contradict the literature which overwhelmingly concludes that separate bike lanes are in fact the least safe bike infrastructure.
The article like another one (by the same author) is in fact flawed as shown in this link
To be sure, the position of the AASHTO is not isolated, the Certu in France, is also of the same opinion, as well as some pro-eminent cyclist organizations in France as well as in Germany…
may be because, like you for climate change, they tend to believe the 90% of the articles concluding to a safety decrease associated with separated bike lane.
Notice on the NYC study recently featured on this blog
The staggering decrease in injury for all user on ave with bike lane in NYC can be largely attributed to a severe “road diet”: less traffic lane, with its corollary, less/slower traffic and shorter crosswalk, is largely able to explain safety gain. The bike lane could be the impetuous for the road diet, but can’t be considered as the reason for safer street, which could have been eventually even safer without it!
Important notice
like recognizing that bike helmet has a protecting effect, is not endorsing a bike helmet law, recognizing that a (urban) cycle track decrease safety, is not in itself a sufficient reason to oppose it.
Advocates against helmet laws recently gained a good victory by having some US federal agencies, retracting some fallacious claims on the helmet safety efficiency which were violating the US Data Quality Act, (nevermind that the VCH use the same fallacious claims, but it seems data quality is not something we bother too much in Canada, do we?)… Fallacious claims which has discouraged any helmet safety progress in the last 20 years.
That is good, so let’s be honest, and recognize flawed work when it is: That is the best path toward better and effectively safe cycle track!
Good morning Voony, here’s your morning coffee and crumpets . . .
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterferrara/2013/05/26/to-the-horror-of-global-warming-alarmists-global-cooling-is-here/
. . . enjoy!
And next time I’m in town I’ll look you up!
http://members.shaw.ca/aguaflor/cyclists.html