Living Car Free - Copenhagen- Where Cycling Is Normal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoQmAxT7OK0&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoQmAxT7OK0&NR=1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoQmAxT7OK0&NR=1)

I wonder what the Copenhageners and the other more progressive Europeans think of North Americans with our crazy anti-bicycle and other alternative vehicles lifestyle?

I am sure they do not bother thinking about what we or others are doing.

Close one at 2:33...

Close one at 2:33...

Not really. If you notice the motorists are waiting for the cyclists. It's all about attitude.

Not really. If you notice the motorists are waiting for the cyclists. It's all about attitude.

While generally the case, she wouldn't have had to swerve several feet out of the bike lane if the driver of the Mercedes had not expected her to turn right.

Had she not been paying attention (like many, many Danes), she'd have gotten smacked.

While generally the case, she wouldn't have had to swerve several feet out of the bike lane if the driver of the Mercedes had not expected her to turn right.

Had she not been paying attention (like many, many Danes), she'd have gotten smacked.

The driver of the Mercedes obviously expected her to turn right. She in fact didn't turn right but went straight ahead. The Mercedes turned right.

The driver was going so slow and with such care that she was well able to miss by a good four foot.

At 2.45 you can see a green truck giving way to a cyclist who also is going straight ahead and has 'right of way' just like the first cyclist has.

Notice how un-stressed everybody looks.

Notice how un-fat everybody looks.

Not really. If you notice the motorists are waiting for the cyclists. It's all about attitude.

An attitude that is enforced by law. In a car-bike or car-ped collision in Copenhagen, the burden of guilt rests upon the car as it the most dangerous user of the road. Imagine how much more attention American motorists would pay to other road users if they were actually held accountable when they run someone over.

It's been said before, but if you want to murder someone in America, run them over with your car. If you're sober, the worst you'll get is a monetary fine.

I am sure they do not bother thinking about what we or others are doing.


+1 I know they don't!

I was wondering what those cyclist with those huge bags that were the size of a suitcase carrying? They also had one attached to the rear!

They still have a ways to go. Even in this video, which no doubt tries to show times/places with the best bike/car ratio, there are still an awful lot of cars. Also, why do the cars get three to four times as much road space as the bikes? I look forward to that ratio being reversed both in the U.S. and in the civilized countries.

They still have a ways to go. Even in this video, which no doubt tries to show times/places with the best bike/car ratio, there are still an awful lot of cars.

Copenhageners take more trips than by bike than by car, with a 36% modal share for cycling compared to 26% for cars. That's only one out of every four trips taken by car, so I'd say that they're doing pretty good.


Also, why do the cars get three to four times as much road space as the bikes? I look forward to that ratio being reversed both in the U.S. and in the civilized countries.

Um, because cars take up three to four times as much space as bikes? Bikes don't need a lot of space. Besides, according to this modal census (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_share), of the four cities with equal or lower modal shares for cars as Copenhagen (Bern, Bratislava, Warsaw, and Zurich), none have a cycling modal share higher than 11%. What they have instead is a high modal share for public transport, so if American cities wish to reduce the number of cars on the road maybe they should be improving bus and light rail service and infrastructure, instead of building bike boulevards.

Copenhageners take more trips than by bike than by car, with a 36% modal share for cycling compared to 26% for cars. That's only one out of every four trips taken by car, so I'd say that they're doing pretty good.



Um, because cars take up three to four times as much space as bikes? Bikes don't need a lot of space. Besides, according to this modal census (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_share), of the four cities with equal or lower modal shares for cars as Copenhagen (Bern, Bratislava, Warsaw, and Zurich), none have a cycling modal share higher than 11%. What they have instead is a high modal share for public transport, so if American cities wish to reduce the number of cars on the road maybe they should be improving bus and light rail service and infrastructure, instead of building bike boulevards.

Ratio is a lot higher than that, I recall having seen a number more like 10 times. As in the space required for cars requires a 10 fold increase in the space required for bicycles. Think parking lots, interstate on and off ramps, turn lanes, etc.

Aaron :)

I was wondering what those cyclist with those huge bags that were the size of a suitcase carrying? They also had one attached to the rear!

The three or four at the beginning are Post Danmark carriers.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4649478645_a025632fc8.jpg

While I would love to see cycling become that popular in the US I have to say that in a way it wouldn't be as fun. I mean, who wants to get stuck in bike traffic? Go the speed of everyone else? It seems like you would get stressed from the bike traffic, almost the same as trying to drive in rush hour over here.

I remember reading an interview with a dutch woman who spent some time in SF and she said that she almost preferred riding over here because there weren't as many restrictions to the way she rode. Makes sense to me.

While I would love to see cycling become that popular in the US I have to say that in a way it wouldn't be as fun. I mean, who wants to get stuck in bike traffic? Go the speed of everyone else? It seems like you would get stressed from the bike traffic, almost the same as trying to drive in rush hour over here.

I remember reading an interview with a dutch woman who spent some time in SF and she said that she almost preferred riding over here because there weren't as many restrictions to the way she rode. Makes sense to me.

This is both true and false. Most of the time, bike traffic is no big deal and you can go as fast as reasonable given the stop lights, etc. Of course, this doesn't make the greatest video.

But it's funny to see how people act the same regardless of whether they're driving or cycling. People budging up to the front of the line. Last minute cut-ins from the right turn lane. People riding aggressively, ignoring your right-of-way because they know you'll stop. Of course, there are a few laws that act against you (pedestrian left, for example).

Overall, though, I'd prefer the Danish model, the lousy driver in the white Mercedes excepted.

... how people act the same regardless of whether they're driving or cycling...
A big difference: when you have a bike wreck the worst that might happen is you break a collarbone.

A big difference: when you have a bike wreck the worst that might happen is you break a collarbone.

I'm struggling to figure out how that is relevant.

I'd much rather be right-hooked by a cyclist than a bus. So the comment that people still act badly when riding a bike is much less weighty in the cycling realm.

While generally the case, she wouldn't have had to swerve several feet out of the bike lane if the driver of the Mercedes had not expected her to turn right.

Had she not been paying attention (like many, many Danes), she'd have gotten smacked.

Standard evasive sverwe from average commuter. (I ride the filmed streets Daily.) And Caretaker is rigth, the mercedes driver is carefull.