tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post8859126894470840986..comments2024-02-24T06:21:30.987+01:00Comments on A view from the cycle path: All those myths and excuses in one postDavid Hembrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-19171475854292484552015-09-24T15:09:10.788+02:002015-09-24T15:09:10.788+02:00If the weather gets too cold to cycle, like -25 C,...If the weather gets too cold to cycle, like -25 C, then take the bus. The Dutch have good and high quality buses and well designed infrastructure can make other cities' buses much more efficient and effective and reliable than other systems. Many bus stops have waiting time indicators, buses have traffic light priority and walking to the stop is safe. Multiparty Democracy Todayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13359081992141220593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-1390473800916264992014-06-09T03:38:10.484+02:002014-06-09T03:38:10.484+02:00This is a really great collection of responses to ...This is a really great collection of responses to "excuses" not to cycle or to not fund cycling infrastructure. <br />I have found that many people when confronted by facts that contradict their own excuses, will respond: You expect that cycling (or any other proposal) will create a utopian society. This straw man argument is true: cycling will not create a utopian society. But we are JimWilcoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02010008973736637210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-43243624011684713822013-08-25T03:45:20.562+02:002013-08-25T03:45:20.562+02:00I'd like to react to the "Which came firs...I'd like to react to the "Which came first?" question by On The Move Tours above. The simple truth is: It works both ways, in a positive cycle. We got cycling infrastructure, which got people cycling, which got more political will behind cycling, which led to more money for cycling infrastructure, which got more people cycling more often, and so on.<br />Andréhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02278675043581385643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-4819249207059601542012-08-27T14:01:35.365+02:002012-08-27T14:01:35.365+02:00Been look at this overall excellent and interestin...Been look at this overall excellent and interesting blog. <br /><br />As someone interested in cycling policy and advocacy for several years, I have to point out a key difference between Netherlands, UK and USA. From the Pucher and Buehler article 'Making Cycling Irrestible' and cited elsewhere on this site:<br /><br />"From 1950 to 1975, the bike share of trips fell by roughly Patrick snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-7731226807525691022012-04-04T13:20:54.020+02:002012-04-04T13:20:54.020+02:00Unknown: Actually, you're wrong about the aver...Unknown: Actually, you're wrong about the average commute length. These are not nearly so long in Canada as you seem to think they are. According to official figures (<a href="http://www.ottawa.ca/city_services/statistics/counts/counts_apr_04/index_en.shtml" rel="nofollow">which you can read here</a>), Toronto does have the longest commutes in Canada, but on average they are just 9.2 km.<br /David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-30372315550717744712012-04-04T13:03:59.181+02:002012-04-04T13:03:59.181+02:00I would love to be only 4.5 km from work. If I was...I would love to be only 4.5 km from work. If I was I would be riding my bike. Unfortunatly it is over 10 km one way, and uphill all the way home. To do the 18 km you talk of I wouldn't even be out if Toronto. <br />Mainly it is safety. We curently have a mayor who hates bikes. He has actually removed bike paths because he said they were slowing down the cars. He said people complained that Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08938329155359702788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-82031561583704165112012-04-03T10:17:24.925+02:002012-04-03T10:17:24.925+02:00Great post with lots of excellent examples. I also...Great post with lots of excellent examples. I also hear the excuse in Australia that cycling is too dangerous. Australians think they'll get a brain injury from just looking at a bike. 20 years of mandatory helmet law propaganda have created this belief. One day we'll grow up here.Geoff McLeodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-25617656302435101262012-01-08T00:33:36.507+01:002012-01-08T00:33:36.507+01:00In Brazil Cycling paths are used to rip off public...In Brazil Cycling paths are used to rip off public money and build path which link nothing to nowhere - This makes people frustrated and discouraged to claim for more infrastructure -Gabriel Garcianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-48370664084442750842011-11-18T23:11:22.881+01:002011-11-18T23:11:22.881+01:00Excellent article.
I'm responding to people w...Excellent article.<br /><br />I'm responding to people who say "building bicycle infrastructure is political suicide."<br /><br />If you look at the history of cycling in nearly every place that has excellent infrastructure, people thought it would be suicide to build it.<br /><br />Once it is built, however, people love it.<br /><br />Also, I find it interesting that people feel Fredhttp://cyclingunbound.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-52234295398769816432011-10-27T05:03:07.576+02:002011-10-27T05:03:07.576+02:00What about "there is inadequate cycling infra...What about "there is inadequate cycling infrastructure, unsafe infrastructure, or good infrastructure given American standards, and none of it makes me feel particularly safe"? If you wait for it, it might never come.TNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-20864796933315147622011-05-17T17:26:42.774+02:002011-05-17T17:26:42.774+02:00I don't know what she says as I've not yet...I don't know what she says as I've not yet read it. Bella appears in one of my videos. I took her <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHmgHu_eRxg#t=75" rel="nofollow">to see the Azor factory</a>.David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-27364121014399451432011-05-17T16:59:40.578+02:002011-05-17T16:59:40.578+02:00I'm reading the Bicycle book by Bella Bathurst...I'm reading the Bicycle book by Bella Bathurst (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Titles/46286/the-bicycle-book-bella-bathurst-9780007305889) and just came across her visit to Assen - alas, she sticks to the myth to a certain degree ("Netherlands... made for cycling... flat.. so no wonder").cocosolishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040377173478647027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-34153379218377435852011-03-08T20:25:46.759+01:002011-03-08T20:25:46.759+01:00"it is a historical fact that the Nazis inven..."it is a historical fact that the Nazis invented segregated lanes."<br /><br />That's awesome, as according to a corollary of <a rel="nofollow">Godwin's law</a>, if you compare someone to Nazis on the internet you automatically lost the argument.<br /><br />:)Daniel Sparinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07770694012992195852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-60916967693697331192011-02-18T19:01:46.945+01:002011-02-18T19:01:46.945+01:00Hello,
nice blog but I am sorry to report up here...Hello, <br />nice blog but I am sorry to report up here from the cold swedish winter that cycling is not particularly supported from the political majority today. I would love to have a bicycle infrastructure like the one the Dutch has (I rode my bicycle from here to Paris this summer and enjoyed the Netherlands alot), maybe somtime...Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-1749857769998926052011-02-16T22:31:42.016+01:002011-02-16T22:31:42.016+01:00John - And while police administration is by appoi...John - And while police administration is by appointment, most county sheriffs are still elected, thus subject to direct political action.<br /><br />". . .look at the pleasure/entertainment/civic/shopping/school trips."<br /><br />Do these places run themselves, or do they require workers to work them? At least half of all commuting takes place along the same routes as those employed kfgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-60172264723350790292011-02-16T21:29:51.495+01:002011-02-16T21:29:51.495+01:00@kfg
I like the counties thought, which goes along...@kfg<br />I like the counties thought, which goes along with regional planning commissions (for which I have worked) One of the notes I made to a planning commission in a job interview process around a bike/ped master plan is that we need to think on a general connective nature in terms of all the communities in the planning commission boundary, but we need to focus on each individual town at a John in NHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07124328678630889953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-36708070148780313432011-02-16T17:57:00.790+01:002011-02-16T17:57:00.790+01:00Glen - I would only point out that the Netherlands...Glen - I would only point out that the Netherlands are one of the great administrative centers of the "American" kleptocracy. When I was younger everyone was worried about the Japanese buying out America, but in fact one quarter of all foreign investment at the time was Dutch and a good many people in my neighborhood still maintained the "van" in their names.<br /><br />So kfgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-25239042509237656332011-02-16T05:23:51.891+01:002011-02-16T05:23:51.891+01:00I have to take issue with your flat country and wi...I have to take issue with your flat country and wind arguements, David. I did cycle in Holland and Denmark in 1974, and in France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Eire. A couple of thousand miles over the course of 9 months. I currently ride (sometimes) 4 miles (each way) to Boat Building School on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State in the USA.<br /><br />Hilly Glennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509609643029842132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-8573531236361992112011-02-15T23:12:25.478+01:002011-02-15T23:12:25.478+01:00""cyclists", who by definition in E...""cyclists", who by definition in English speaking countries are risk takers who don't mind standing out from the crowd"<br /><br />There are aspects of this with which I can agree, and aspects I don't (my mother is a rather risk averse little old lady who cycles, often in places I myself like to avoid); but I'd like to leave that for a better time when we might kfgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-85650163405623708662011-02-15T22:35:27.497+01:002011-02-15T22:35:27.497+01:00kfg: It's not easy, few things are, but for gr...kfg: It's not easy, few things are, but for growth of cycling we've got to get through to those mothers. Society as a whole has to become a more friendly place, not only for "cyclists", who by definition in English speaking countries are risk takers who don't mind standing out from the crowd, but also for all the people who feel that being inside a car, or behind a wall whenDavid Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-61379667510214597242011-02-15T22:01:37.818+01:002011-02-15T22:01:37.818+01:00Addendum:
"I assume you've all seen the ...Addendum:<br /><br />"I assume you've all seen the video of what our local primary schools look like ?"<br /><br />I assume you haven't seen the magazine article my step-father wrote. It started by showing a picture of a school and a prison and asked the reader to figure out which was which.<br /><br />Might was well toss a coin.kfgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-55131442036203814402011-02-15T21:58:30.415+01:002011-02-15T21:58:30.415+01:00"Walking children . . ."
They've be..."Walking children . . ."<br /><br />They've been taken care of as well.<br /><br />"children in cars . . ."<br /><br />Are considered safe by definition. Go figure.<br /><br />"I find that quite a compelling argument."<br /><br />Neither you nor I are the ones that require convincing. As you rightly point out it is the mothers. Mothers whose concerns have little kfgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-70177136745277368102011-02-15T21:24:21.395+01:002011-02-15T21:24:21.395+01:00kfg, Simon: Children don't only die while cycl...kfg, Simon: Children don't only die while cycling. Walking children, and children in cars also die due to the way roads are developed and used in many countries.<br /><br />What's more, car centric road design harms the development of children. Dutch children have an extraordinary amount of freedom of movement, and that's all part of the reason why Dutch children are the happiest in David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-52528672093205687962011-02-15T21:11:23.812+01:002011-02-15T21:11:23.812+01:00Talking about the "deaths of children" w...Talking about the "deaths of children" won't work cos there are no deaths of child cyclists here - there are no child cyclists, at least on the roads.Simonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-53643210849562944232011-02-15T20:41:14.731+01:002011-02-15T20:41:14.731+01:00David –
I hope you don’t mind if I utilized your “...David –<br />I hope you don’t mind if I utilized your “no excuses” topic in today’s trails network blog. I added a list of “remedies” to the problem once people stop making excuses.<br /><br />As always, thanks for being an advocate for alternative and human-powered transportation. Your blog is proof that you’re doing more than just making excuses.trailsnethttp://www.trailsnet.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com