4 ms·

In my wealthy European "cycle friendly" city, they put one of the main cycling lanes that goes downhill to the city center, between trams, cars and cubes of rus

In my wealthy European "cycle friendly" city, they put one of the main cycling lanes that goes downhill to the city center, between trams, cars and cubes of rusted steel with 90 edges. Every time I have to cycle through there I get Final Destination flashbacks. https://maps.app.goo.gl/iq1b5uub7fVx8ez1A https://maps.app.goo.gl/iq1b5uub7fVx8ez1A

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
matsemann 2y ago
Heh, we have one of these in Oslo as well: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nzA2dicDReXYnVBx6 https://maps.app.goo.gl/nzA2dicDReXYnVBx6 Note the tracks even crossing into the already narrow cycle lane. Which is why I, on the board of the bicycle association here, spend most of my energy on the infrastructure. The main blocker for people biking is safety, and perceived safety. Lots of other stuff we can do as well, but this is the main point to make it possible for more people to bike. And since it takes long from planning a road to it being built, and it will remain that way for a long time, getting it correctly planned now is the biggest contribution I can do I feel. So spend my time pushing city planners and politicians.
boesboes 2y ago
Vienna? I remember when it was considered suicidal to even go on the road with your bicycle there, atleast from what the locals told me haha. As a Dutch person though, I see no safety issues in this picture :P On my morning commute people would be side by side on that lane, with two more people on the outside trying to overtake each other, relying on the cars to avoid them haha
wil421 2y ago
Ouch, I wouldn’t want to bike down that on a busy afternoon. My US city has been buying abandoned rail lines and creating biking/walking path instead. I like being away from the streets. Some streets have a barrier that protects the bike lanes and I prefer those with my kids in tow. Abandoned industrial rail line: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PiLfp1DkE3By4gkL7 https://maps.app.goo.gl/PiLfp1DkE3By4gkL7
- bluGill 2y ago
  While those are nice places to ride I still oppose such things because those paths are lost to useful transit forever and cities need long cooridores for transit
  - pjc50 2y ago
    Not forever. Keeping them as public paths retains the option. Selling them off and building over them would definitely make it impossible to reinstate.
    - bluGill 2y ago
      The option is not retained - you will never convince bicycles to give up a path they like once they have it. Thus it becomes politically impossible to reinstate it.
    - daedrdev 2y ago
      Which is essentially forever.
- LargoLasskhyfv 2y ago
  Why so many skid-marks there?
andrepd 2y ago
Everybody should just copy the Dutch and be done with it. It helps that their country has a max elevation of 4m but apart from that we can just transpose their lessons to our cities, and/or hire their designers.
- robertlagrant 2y ago
  It doesn't just help; it is the key that enabled cycling so long ago.
pjc50 2y ago
"Corten" (intentionally rust-patina) steel is becoming a cliche. Edinburgh managed a compromise design that absolutely everybody, cyclists, pedestrians, drivers, and bus drivers is unhappy with. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-cycle-path-dubbed-an-accident-waiting-to-happen-tops-list-of-10-worst-bike-lanes-in-the-world-4510015 https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinbu...

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

matsemann 2y ago

Heh, we have one of these in Oslo as well: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nzA2dicDReXYnVBx6 https://maps.app.goo.gl/nzA2dicDReXYnVBx6 Note the tracks even crossing into the already narrow cycle lane. Which is why I, on the board of the bicycle association here, spend most of my energy on the infrastructure. The main blocker for people biking is safety, and perceived safety. Lots of other stuff we can do as well, but this is the main point to make it possible for more people to bike. And since it takes long from planning a road to it being built, and it will remain that way for a long time, getting it correctly planned now is the biggest contribution I can do I feel. So spend my time pushing city planners and politicians.

boesboes 2y ago

Vienna? I remember when it was considered suicidal to even go on the road with your bicycle there, atleast from what the locals told me haha. As a Dutch person though, I see no safety issues in this picture :P On my morning commute people would be side by side on that lane, with two more people on the outside trying to overtake each other, relying on the cars to avoid them haha

wil421 2y ago

Ouch, I wouldn’t want to bike down that on a busy afternoon. My US city has been buying abandoned rail lines and creating biking/walking path instead. I like being away from the streets. Some streets have a barrier that protects the bike lanes and I prefer those with my kids in tow. Abandoned industrial rail line: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PiLfp1DkE3By4gkL7 https://maps.app.goo.gl/PiLfp1DkE3By4gkL7

bluGill 2y ago
While those are nice places to ride I still oppose such things because those paths are lost to useful transit forever and cities need long cooridores for transit
- pjc50 2y ago
  Not forever. Keeping them as public paths retains the option. Selling them off and building over them would definitely make it impossible to reinstate.
  - bluGill 2y ago
    The option is not retained - you will never convince bicycles to give up a path they like once they have it. Thus it becomes politically impossible to reinstate it.
  - daedrdev 2y ago
    Which is essentially forever.
LargoLasskhyfv 2y ago
Why so many skid-marks there?

andrepd 2y ago

Everybody should just copy the Dutch and be done with it. It helps that their country has a max elevation of 4m but apart from that we can just transpose their lessons to our cities, and/or hire their designers.

robertlagrant 2y ago
It doesn't just help; it is the key that enabled cycling so long ago.

pjc50 2y ago

"Corten" (intentionally rust-patina) steel is becoming a cliche. Edinburgh managed a compromise design that absolutely everybody, cyclists, pedestrians, drivers, and bus drivers is unhappy with. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-cycle-path-dubbed-an-accident-waiting-to-happen-tops-list-of-10-worst-bike-lanes-in-the-world-4510015 https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinbu...