Living Car Free - The Key To A Cycling Future Part 2

This topic appears to be very long. So I thought that breaking it up into 2 parts would be better for all. Here is a more up-to-date video on this key. It is one video posted on 2 different Websites. The You Tube one is lower resolution for the slower Internet connections. The other one is the Quick Release higher resolution for the faster Internet connections among us.

You Tube Version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rwwxrWHBB8

Quick Release Version
http://cdn4.libsyn.com/carltonreid/CyclingCities.m4v?nvb=20100304055133&nva=20100305060133&t=054a0e2acab321f8a98dc (http://cdn4.libsyn.com/carltonreid/CyclingCities.m4v?nvb=20100304055133&nva=20100305060133&t=054a0e2acab321f8a98dc)

But... what about the American Dream? :rolleyes:

Sounds like SOCIALISM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Xuj2sCh90

There's a lesson for ya -- the 'benefactors' of the post-WWII 'American Dream'; verse 3 sums it up well:

"We were born into an age of infinite prosperity --
And we never saved a nickel, we just spent incessantly --
Now we've postponed our retirement until the age of 93 --
If nothing else goes wrong."

Is that the American Dream to which you refer? The "two in every driveway" mentality?

Personally, my @$$ is a little sore from the repeated f***ing I've gotten from the fallout of this. The idea that we, the citizens of the self-titled 'greatest country in the world', should demonstrate our delusion of greatness by indulging in excesses that would turn Caligula green with envy, is disturbing. We have produced decadence, rebellion against hypocrisy by being even more hypocritical, amoral self-interest, and a sense of entitlement that's off the charts.

As far as Socialism is concerned -- a cute little euphemism for communism, to most people, BTW -- well, hey, Germany is a socialist country! There is a little something over there about responsibility to society that we may want to 'steal' from them. So maybe a little 'socialism' wouldn't be an altogether bad thing, then maybe we wouldn't be so far down the list among the nations of the world in academics.

Now, if the two of you are being tongue-in-cheek facetious....forget everything I just said.

I think what's also left out in those Video's is the massive public transportation system moving people. Amsterdam has an extensive bus and lightrail system that moves more people than those on bicycles. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful they are riding bikes but this was only made possible because they limited car use while providing an alternative, public transit. If cities like Copenhaegen (sp) had little transit, then the majority would be driving and never would have agreed to gas and parking taxes along with wide bike lanes.

Great video!

One of the questions I have in watching this about the timeline to implement a strong bicycling infrastructure and to establish a cycling culture. Bogota seems to have started down this path since 1998, which is only 12 years years ago. Holland and Copenhagen have been chipping away at car culture since the 1970s.

I wonder how long it will take before your average North American city starts to have 33% of all trips accomplished by foot or bicycle. That would be an enormous success. And it probably is possible within one decade.

Yes?

I wonder how long it will take before your average North American city starts to have 33% of all trips accomplished by foot or bicycle. That would be an enormous success. And it probably is possible within one decade.

Yesterday Alan Drake posted the following on The Oil Drum:


At a Rails to Trails conference in New Orleans, I talked to the woman in charge of planning new bike routes in DC. With a maximum effort to support bicyclists, and $10/gallon gas, she estimated that the % of bike commuters would jump from 2% to 30% over time (almost a decade to get full response in ridership after conditions improve).

Note the assumptions:
1 - this is for Washington DC which seems to be favorably positioned for non-car alternative transportation
2 - 30% bike commuters doesn't necessarily translate to 30% of all trips by bike
3 - assuming a maximum effort to support bicyclists
4 - assuming $10 a gallon gasoline

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6285#comment-598638

Yesterday Alan Drake posted the following on The Oil Drum:



Note the assumptions:
1 - this is for Washington DC which seems to be favorably positioned for non-car alternative transportation
2 - 30% bike commuters doesn't necessarily translate to 30% of all trips by bike
3 - assuming a maximum effort to support bicyclists
4 - assuming $10 a gallon gasoline

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6285#comment-598638

There are a couple of other assumptions he should have added:
- considerable support from city halls, who are seeking to save money on transportation infrastructure.
- a trend where car travel is becoming less fashionable, especially among younger urbanites.

I suspect you might see a kind of tipping point (...sorry, I seem to quote Malcolm Gladwell a lot) where a number of factors converge to make everyone aware suddenly that cycling is a do-able, good thing. The same sort of phenomenon that saw North America go from the horse and buggy to the automobile.

I suspect this got Holland and Denmark where it is today... that and a lot of prodding and nudging by lobbyists and governments.

T
- a trend where car travel is becoming less fashionable, especially among younger urbanites.


This kind of thing:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc0Xf5XKB84

Random thoughts.

Our City now has a new bike shop dedicated to commuting/city/dutch/cargo bicycles.
I take this to be a good sign. He made some nice sales in the first week.

Amsterdam, and the Netherlands in general, has some advantages before political pressure and incentives are considered.
Generally flat, Mild weather, Compact cities etc.

I think there will be a steady increase of cycling in N.A. generally, we are already seeing it. It's slow, creeping, the car culture is highly ingrained/embedded in North American culture.

Power bicycles, or ebikes, are having an impact, and are partly negating the disadvantages most N.A. cities have,, I think as they improve and battery technology comes on, this will become a major factor. I see several ebikes on my commute, I know some consider them "Not real bikes" but consider the alternative.

Without any major programs here, I forsee a steady uptick in biking, maybe as high as 1% a year, doesn't sound like much, but 15-20% by 2020? I'll take that.