I'm sure I'm not the only one to post this, but just in case. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/7009034.stm

Wonder if they ignore signals...

It's like the New York Five borough bike tour except it's only 9 miles!! There going to have 30,000 cyclists go nine miles in a large parade. With that many cyclist and so small a distance, you're probably better off walking! LOL

While I appreciate they are trying to promote cycling, I am not sure this was the best of ideas. Cars and bikes should be able to "co-exist" pretty well in cities, assuming certain provisions of infrastructure and cyclists playing fair by not acting like idiots (many do in my experience). Shutting cars out just creates a nuisance for people who need cars for work or their disability. It doesn't prove anything. Its just rather token.

Note: I commute by bike, shop by bike and do a lot of exercise by bike.

I agree. I don't mind cars that much either. However, I *hate* signals (especially having to wait up to 2 minutes for missing a light by 10 seconds) and not having cars would certainly make signals less necessary.

It is amazing that a city like London can pull this off. It has been suggested here in Davis to do the same for downtown on 1 Sunday a month but it has not been executed.

Look, if New York City can close down over 40 miles of road, ANY city can do it. Have you seen the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, or New York at Times Square? The city closes off miles of road without any care of the motorist needs. The city could NEVER hold any of these events without closing miles or roads. When you think about it, that's what make New York City special is they hold dozens of parades and feasts right on the city streets and redirect traffic elsewhere.

I think even token is probably an overstatement. Roads are closed for various events all the time, this is just another one. It really has very little to do with "promoting cycling" or anything else. Over here they shut down half of Surfers Paradise for three days every year for a car race, and very few people bat an eyelid (or at least nobody's listening if they do complain). If people were really trying to promote cycling, there are other ways they could go about it. I think this is more of a "day out" than anything else.

Incidentally, I recently had the pleasure of riding on London for the first time, and I have to say I found it an extremely pleasant experience. Just to ride around through the sites, the architecture and the well-behaved drivers (relatively speaking) was thoroughly enjoyable.

It's like a Critical Mass, only organized and without the pissed off drivers who jump out of their cars to scream at you.

Works for me...

I think you hit the nail on the head. One idea would be to give people (more of) a monetary incentive to ride a bike, probably a tax break which would be excecuted by how many miles they put on a bike or how much less they drive their automobiles. How bike or auto usage would be measured is a problematic issue but.. basically offering them $$$ to ride more and drive less would get many people's attention.

Must admit I was there. True with 40,000 cyclists on 9 miles of road I bearly broke 10 mph (and most of it was dual carridgeway), the event was clearly a 'fun for all the family' day so I agree not many more people will sudden;y be riding to work. I went because it is the first time I've managed to get my girlfriend out on London roads and like Chris L she was surprised by how friendly they felt (there were group rides to and from the car free section).

As for tax breaks, they already exist. If your employer is willing to sign up to the Ride2Work scheme you can get up to a £ 1,000 bike as a tax free transport benefit (and since it's done through salary sacrifice that's up to a 40% discount).

London is pretty cycle friendly and is getting more so as car drivers learn to expect cyclists to be part of the traffic. If we could get rid of the bendy busses again then everything would be great.

If you look at the map, it's really more of a case of one embankment and a couple of roads linking to the park being closed. Which is fine - just to say it's not the whole city.
It's not really supposed to prove anything, it's a family fun day. Is the Notting Hill Carnival supposed to encourage people to dance to work?

WooHOO I can only dream that they would do that in Chicago.