So the issues of bicycle lanes is a subject that appears to polarise the masses. Your either a lover of them (though possibly have never used one) or think they are expensive handbag for city whereby the city council try to make itself a little more user friendly for the locals or visitor.
Now - as a keen and enthusiast cyclist I think they are great. Though I don't always use them, they do demonstrate the road is there to be shared and can be used by all. I find it in pick hour though a nightmare where it can like trying to get tickets in masterchef audition.
Now for the picture - this guy is all over it. He was not travelling any faster than 7km/h and had a smile too. He is obviously living the dream. What a kick ass bike..... This was in Buenos Aires. Yes, they too have jumped on the friendly bike lanes down Julio 4.!!
So - what do you think, are building cycle roads better for you? Would you prefer trams instead?
See you soon - on the bike I hope.
Josh, as a bike rider, I like being able to use them seeing it is faster for me to ride into the centre of Melbourne than get a tram. The concept is good too, especially in highly built environments, even just on the basis of giving people another option for getting into and around a city. This stops pressure on other modes of transport, which luckily, Melbourne also has a fair diversity in (how long this will hold out with the increasing population is a matter I want to note but not focus on in this comment).
ReplyDeleteHow they are used I think it where the contention lies. bikes taking up space of cars can lead to disgruntlement between the two, but then having designated bike/walking paths just bring walkers and bikers into a power struggle. While it would be great to have solely designated bike paths, having the space to do this is of course limited in highly built environment, and if space is found, it can be a bit of a journey as the direct route is generally designed for cars. I guess it then becomes urban planning design that can hopefully make this issue better with new cities that may be developed once we hit saturation point of our current cities. Trying to reconfigure a current system to give directness but safety has been trialed on the road I take into Melbourne CBD, where a bike lane has been established on the kerbside of the parked cars, giving space from moving vehicles. However, being a new concept, many people parking cars are oblivious to the painted/posted/etc bike path, and so I am continuously dodging people, but maybe not as bad as a bike/walking path, and sometimes people park there cars in the bike lane thinking they should be parking up against the kerb. Anyway, that is my experience, and still not sure how it can be overcome. should we all ride at 7km/h and cruise like that dude in the photo...that would be good!
Beefy - thanks for the comment and the examples. You made an exceptional point of the interaction of the bike rider not only cars but also pedestrians. A good example in Sydney is Pyrmont Bridge in Sydney. They have tried to slow the bike user there too. Centennial Park is possibly hitting that saturation point soon?
DeleteI like the new blog. If you are interested in the built environment and urban planning this is a great book that explores the city, transportation, travel, and the bicycle.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.davidbyrne.com/art/books/bicycle_diaries/
Thanks Ryan! Wow what a guy. He has ridden to far out places.
ReplyDeleteI just remembered Bob. Bob is cycling hardcore from the top of Alaska to the bottom of South America. Check it out.
ReplyDeletehttp://buff3ysbicyclingblog.com/