spare_wheel

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2013/0...ths-a-summary/

Even Dutch data shows that injury trips to hospitals are more common on physically separated paths.


The safest is on the street == DZfree bike lane.

Bingo. Slow downs and needless meandering are a feature not a bug to the copenhagenistas.

Cycling mode share in Munich:

1996: 6%
2011: 17.4%


I wonder if Mikael Colville-Andersen considers Munich to be world class.

lostarchitect 

GP

#11. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-w...es-2013-4?op=1

I-Like-To-Bike

Purrfect, Meow!

spare_wheel

Nothing less? Eh?

I guess despite Munich's demonstration that non-world class bike lanes can lead to 20% mode share, it still has a way to go before it can replicate the glorious declines in cycling seen in a world-class cycling city:

https://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com...-in-world.html
https://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com...openhagen.html

kalliergo 

Only people who have already totally screwed up their city streets, by creating automobile-priority infrastructure and rules, think they have to solve the "problem" of cycling by creating scenes like this.

That includes most of the overdeveloped Western world, of course. But it's not the only choice.

Some people live like this, for instance.

And others like this.

If we're lucky, more people will live in ways like those in the near-ish future. Or maybe rich people will hire poor people to push their cars when the gas runs out. "Americans love their cars."

buzzman

I actually think Jan Heine is making some good responsible observations, which are open for discussion and interpretation and not yet, IMO, quite enough information to form hard and fast conclusions. And he doesn't just critique but offers some solutions and does so without an overt bias or in an overly contentious way.

In fact, he starts the article with this phrase:

Which is why it is so unfortunate when the dialogue gets inflamed by terms like "Copenhagenistas"- a term Mr. Heine never uses. Or "smack down".

What is that need to immediately polarize the discussion?

Don't we all "win" when we have the best possible infrastructure?

I-Like-To-Bike

Hysterical rhetoric is good bait.

noglider 

buzzman, are you sure you're from New York? Some people aren't comfortable unless a discussion is contentious.

buzzman

You're right. If your intention is getting attention on the internet it's effective. If you actually want to accomplish something maybe not so much.


For me it's refreshing to see that the dialogue has now moved not from "infrastructure" vs "no infrastructure" but to what kinds of infrastructure best serve in specific locations and situations.

Bekologist

Despite spare wheels ardent and unremitting misframing of the state of bicycling advocacy,

even his so called phantom group of "copenhagenistas" call for a variety of infrastructure that supports cycling,including shared lane use and bike lanes adjacent to the main travel lanes, in addition to cycle tracks and paths.





This is such a contrived argument, with no merit. Jan Heine supports cycle tracks in well considered placements in Seattle as superior to bikelanes adjacent to the main roadway - he states full separation would be his "First choice always" if it is well considered for cycling.

John Forester

So the discussion turns on what is meant by "best possible infrastructure". Frankly, I find the Dutch requirement that I swerve left in front of a right turning car particularly reprehensible. That's just another unpleasantly dangerous result of the false policy of keeping cyclists out of traffic. It's like telling lies; the first lie requires further lies to bolster it, and so on. Start destroying the way that traffic flows normally, and you get led into further and further dangerous complications.

Bekologist

THAT'S rich, John. Abrupt, unsignallized swerving in front of traffic to make left turns is part of your published (sic) "effective" cycling techinque! Your methods of changing lanes call for swerving between the lane lines, never getting in front of faster traffic. Appalling cycling method you saw fit to print in your book.

It's pretty lowbrow, and terribly inaccurate, to foist that horrendous cycling technique on the quite responsible, aware and trained Dutch cyclists.

spare_wheel

I still believe that copenhagenista is a reasonable term to describe those who promote copenhagen-style infrastructure. I would be happy to be called a Munichista. I have absolutely no idea why you find if offensive.

A common internet colloquialism to describe internet debate is hardly polarizing.

There are deep disagreements about what is "best".

spare_wheel

So according to danish best practice all roads with a speed limit below 50-60 kmh should have bike lanes or no infrastructure. Can you name a single cycle track in Portland or Seattle that is built on a road with a speed limit in excess of 50 kmh? What an amusing diagram.


Its fascinating to see you be so dismissive without even making a single attempt to address arguments put forth by Jan Heine in the above blog post.

bikemig 

Signing on to this thread to watch the fur fly:

spare_wheel

Attacking the person instead of the argument. I've noticed you do this a lot.

noglider 

OY!

I'm a cycling activist. I believe that if more people rode bikes, there would be more happiness in the world.

This contentious style of debate doesn't appear to be aiming for happiness for anyone.

I know the pluses and minuses of bike lanes and similar things. I encourage people to get on their bikes. It's easier to do it one at a time than convincing government to do anything. And I have done the latter, successfully.

buzzman

Is it just me or is this use of language tending towards a kind of hysteria?

noglider 

buzzman, John Forester is the author of a lot of cycling literature. I'm honored to have him here, but yes, his language is pretty absolutist. I have learned a lot from my copy of Effective Cycling, but I make my own decisions, not based on ideas of right and wrong but on what appears to work well and not work well.

spare_wheel

and instead of addressing Jan Heine's blog post you speculate about another commenter in an insulting way.

kalliergo 

No. John is not even remotely hysterical. He is stubborn, unyielding, pissy, and annoying. He is one of the great contributors to modern cycling and a pain in the butt.

He's John being John. It's really pointless to over-dramatize the situation. Picking personal fights with Forester, or pursuing them, or encouraging them, is truly counterproductive.

gcottay

Thank you. After several years I now finally understand this dispute.

I-Like-To-Bike

It isn't just you. Though pointing it out sometimes gets the offending party to flap his angel wings in protest.

spare_wheel

ILTB has 3 comments on this thread and not one of them addresses Jan Heine's blog post.

PS: I am going to drink every time someone posts the word hysteria.