CNN article on walkable neighborhoods
08-28-09, 05:22 PM
#26
In the right lane
I have moved to a smaller town,that is bike friendly.
I rode with my 7 year old to the centre of town yesterday. Drivers would have thought I was unreasonable doing this in most other cities. The attitude of drivers has a big influence on the walk ability of a city not just the layout. Also buses in may preivious city tend to disreguard cyclists and they often have to take evasive action. One I had a Bus ride so close to me that I felt I needed to stop, and got off the bike to pulled on to the pavement.I am a very experienced cyclist. I spoke to the driver about his lack of "duty of care" and one of the passengers called me an idiot. Presumably all cyclists in his view have their safety rightly disregarded if they ride a bike?
another bus driver beeped his horn at me for using the road where there is a cylce path. I was doing 25MPH,the department of transport (UK) recommend using the road above 18MPH. I spoke to the bus driver and suggested he concentrated on keeping his own passengers safe by keeping both hands on the wheel, and not using the horn unnessasserly.
we can all quote situations of urban bad driving ,poor road use eduaction, and poor awareness, but the interesting thing in my mind is that the raods were generally wider,less busy and faster than my current situation where few driver/cyclist problems occur.
ALot is the attitude of driver, padisetrans, and cyclists, not just town planners.
I rode with my 7 year old to the centre of town yesterday. Drivers would have thought I was unreasonable doing this in most other cities. The attitude of drivers has a big influence on the walk ability of a city not just the layout. Also buses in may preivious city tend to disreguard cyclists and they often have to take evasive action. One I had a Bus ride so close to me that I felt I needed to stop, and got off the bike to pulled on to the pavement.I am a very experienced cyclist. I spoke to the driver about his lack of "duty of care" and one of the passengers called me an idiot. Presumably all cyclists in his view have their safety rightly disregarded if they ride a bike?
another bus driver beeped his horn at me for using the road where there is a cylce path. I was doing 25MPH,the department of transport (UK) recommend using the road above 18MPH. I spoke to the bus driver and suggested he concentrated on keeping his own passengers safe by keeping both hands on the wheel, and not using the horn unnessasserly.
we can all quote situations of urban bad driving ,poor road use eduaction, and poor awareness, but the interesting thing in my mind is that the raods were generally wider,less busy and faster than my current situation where few driver/cyclist problems occur.
ALot is the attitude of driver, padisetrans, and cyclists, not just town planners.
Perhaps the real truth is that you've just run into the two toads who live in your vicinity. Probably 99% of drivers would treat you courteously.
09-01-09, 08:09 AM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 187
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
"I would be curious to see what the enlightened people of Europe would do in about 10-20 years if gas were the equivalent of $2.50/gallon."
"If Europe is so unenlightened, then why do they do well on surveys of health and happiness? "
I never said they were unenlightened. I was indicating that if they had an opportunity to pay merely $2.50/gallon of gasoline they might very well begin behaving more like we do here in the US. They do have other disincentives to drive, everything from a different transportation infrastucture, zoning controls and less wealth.
"If Europe is so unenlightened, then why do they do well on surveys of health and happiness? "
I never said they were unenlightened. I was indicating that if they had an opportunity to pay merely $2.50/gallon of gasoline they might very well begin behaving more like we do here in the US. They do have other disincentives to drive, everything from a different transportation infrastucture, zoning controls and less wealth.
09-27-09, 08:22 AM
#29
Bike ≠ Car ≠ Ped.
Roughly, and I mean very roughly, the difference in housing price between a carfree-capable neighborhood and a car-dependent one seems about the same as the cost of owning a car. Not coincidental at all, I'd say.
