The BBC on how the pandemic is making Europe a better place to ride
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The BBC on how the pandemic is making Europe a better place to ride
There is an ebike boom happening in Europe, cities across the continent are working to make their city more bike friendly.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0i...audFG-xAvUEO-A
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0i...audFG-xAvUEO-A
Last edited by late; 03-14-21 at 08:58 PM.
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The big worry with the pandemic is it has scared many people away from mass transit. The market for used cars in many European countries is blowing up. Hopefully people will continue to be allowed to work remotely to take some strain off the roadways.
Getting more people on bicycles would help as well, but there are obvious limitations to that as well.
Getting more people on bicycles would help as well, but there are obvious limitations to that as well.
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Here in the USA the average is ~16 miles so not as easily doable by bike.
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The commutes are longer than that, and we need to rebuild cities into sustainable places to live anyway.
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it will be interesting to see what the end of corona virus restrictions do to auto traffic in Europe. It could increase considerably. That would be bad for bicycle infrastructure.
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This was exactly the point I was trying to make. Europe's population densities are greater than the majority of the US. Even a 10 mile commute is beyond what one can expect anything other than a hardcore cyclist to do everyday. It is going to take more than a few feel-good laws and bike lanes to radically increase the number of bike commuters in the US. It will almost require a lifestyle change, moving people closer to where they work.
it will be interesting to see what the end of corona virus restrictions do to auto traffic in Europe. It could increase considerably. That would be bad for bicycle infrastructure.
The burbs are going to die, for the most part. We need to make cities liveable, and that would be a good place to start.
The trend in cycling infrastructure in Europe is separated paths. Only a small percentage of people will ride in traffic (even with painted bike lanes), but most will ride (at least occasionally) if it's clearly safe. And the Netherlands showed the world how to do it. If you've seen pics of the Netherlands, the number of people riding is astonishing.
Last edited by late; 03-22-21 at 01:41 PM.
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The problem in the United States is that most roads are too dangerous for bicyclists and many are seriously injured or killed after being struck by inattentive or overly aggessive motorists. When traveling in Europe I was immediately aware of the difference with many city streets closed completely to motor vehicles of any kind. There would be elderly men and women out on their bicycles running errands around town - and they were on the whole in much better shape and far fewer super fat people as is now common in the states.
This is not by accident. A company was formed shortly after World War II and funded by Standard Oil, Firestone Tire, and General Motors. This company bought up all the electric trollery car operations across the country and then burned the coaches and ripped up the tracks and replaced this green infrastructure with buses from GM burning fuel from Standard Oil and running on Firestone tires. Roadways for cars also need more space than trolley car lines and houses need space to garage cars and this created the suburban sprawl in this country.
I envy the people of Europe who in many cases do not even own a car and will rent one for a vaction but do not have the expense of buying and insuring and maintaining and storing one year round. The savings often go into a second home instead which is why so many Europeans own two homes free and clear. In American cities literally 50% of the land is taken up to accommodate motorists and their cars and it is being subsidized by everyone.
The Europeans also have access to high speed rail as this form of transportation is not subverted by auto manufacturers as in the USA. Sitting across from my wife in a comfortable seat with a table for laptops or a meal and going a 200 mph from city to city is a very different experience than having to fly while jammed into an aircraft and traveling at an effective speed of 50 mph, It takes me 1.5 hours to drive to the nearest airport and then another 2 hours before I board the plane and then I need to wait for my luggage and the get to a rental car agency and then get to the rental car, for a total elapsed time of more than 6 hours to go 300 miles. Unless someone has spent time in Europe or China they are ignorant of how screwed up our privatized transportation options are and how expensive they are.
This is not by accident. A company was formed shortly after World War II and funded by Standard Oil, Firestone Tire, and General Motors. This company bought up all the electric trollery car operations across the country and then burned the coaches and ripped up the tracks and replaced this green infrastructure with buses from GM burning fuel from Standard Oil and running on Firestone tires. Roadways for cars also need more space than trolley car lines and houses need space to garage cars and this created the suburban sprawl in this country.
I envy the people of Europe who in many cases do not even own a car and will rent one for a vaction but do not have the expense of buying and insuring and maintaining and storing one year round. The savings often go into a second home instead which is why so many Europeans own two homes free and clear. In American cities literally 50% of the land is taken up to accommodate motorists and their cars and it is being subsidized by everyone.
The Europeans also have access to high speed rail as this form of transportation is not subverted by auto manufacturers as in the USA. Sitting across from my wife in a comfortable seat with a table for laptops or a meal and going a 200 mph from city to city is a very different experience than having to fly while jammed into an aircraft and traveling at an effective speed of 50 mph, It takes me 1.5 hours to drive to the nearest airport and then another 2 hours before I board the plane and then I need to wait for my luggage and the get to a rental car agency and then get to the rental car, for a total elapsed time of more than 6 hours to go 300 miles. Unless someone has spent time in Europe or China they are ignorant of how screwed up our privatized transportation options are and how expensive they are.