On Sep 9, 3:32 am, jdannan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
...
> > It isn't enough to develop better bikes, I certainly agree with you
> > there. What I see though is that government must step in to deal with
> > the "network" side of things. Bicycles are dangerous, when they have
> > to share road space with cars doing 100 km/h. Build bicycle lanes and
> > make car drivers drive more slowly, and it's suddenly a lot less
> > dangerous. And there's safety in numbers. 1000 times as many bicycles
> > on the road doesn't multiply accidents by a factor 1000, not least
> > because car drivers learn about cyclists' behaviour.
>
...
> Well I agree that more speed restrictions in urban areas would be a good
> thing in general, but separate-but-equal (not) routes are generally not.
> The assumed danger of /sharing/ roads with motorised vehicles is rather
> small, and the danger of /intersecting/ such routes is much greater. So
> swapping some of the former for more of the latter is a bad move.
>
> You will note that in practice where separate-but-equal (not) facilities
> do exist, it is inevitably the cyclist that has to give way and take
> detours when a conflict occurs. That's not going to do much for your
> high-speed commute!
>
...
> What really could make a difference, and does not require any
> technological miracles, is acceptance of they bicycle as a practical
> means of transport over modest distances (say up to 5 miles, which
> covers 75% of car trips in the UK). That is primarily a social issue,
> not a technological one. In my experience, most people who say "I would
> love to ride a bicycle, if only problem (insert arbitrary reason) was
> solved" actually mean "I don't want to ride a bicycle and am
> regurgitating the most socially acceptable/convenient excuse".
>
> James
Do note that the suncycle site is in Dutch. The language of a flat
country where bicycles are the normal vehicle for short-range
commutes, bicycle lanes are ubiquitous (with their own traffic
signals), and auto drivers tend to be highly law abiding.
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