Cycling and the Economy
Comments
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I cycled a lot as a child and then not at all from ages 10-35. Then I moved into a house with a segregated bicycle path passing the front door. I can't go far though on totally segregated paths though because the infrastructure isn't there. I then went to Holland and Denmark where the infrastructure does exist. It's clearly beneficial for EVERYONE. They've done all the work. We just need to copy it. I remember coming home being shocked and horrified that some UK cyclists DON'T want bicycle paths. In Holland it's all about normal people in normal clothes (no helmets) cycling quietly and reasonably slowly. The lycra racers are a tiny minority. There are so many people who would cycle in the UK given the infrastructure. Every road should be built with a cycle path. It's expensive but so worth it. If there is money to build a railway that no-one wants there should be money to build cycle lanes that benefit EVERYONE.0
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No they won't.
I have mentioned before a wanabee organ donor I pass in the mornings who instead of riding down a perfectly designed £2.5 million cyclepath requested by Sustrans and designed by them, instead takes a longer route down a busy A road (and doesn't bother with high viz either).
Pretty unusual behaviour - though I can guess a couple of reasons.
1) the "perfectly designed" Sustrans route isn't as perfect as it could be - certainly the ones round here (the Sandy to Bedford one and the route from St Neots to Grafham Water) have sections that are ballsachingly uncomfortable to ride on or even completely unrideable on a road bike due to the nature of the surface - which in the Grafham Water route is actually unsurfaced farm track.
2) the shorter route takes the guy out of his way for his destination. Eg cutting a long arc of A road with a straight line is great - unless you want to turn off the A road in a direction away from the cycle-route half way along that arc ...0 -
Similarly, there's a route between Kendal and Shap designed primarily for the use of cars, namely the A591/A590 and M6. It is the safest road between the two locations, all dual carriageway and motorway, devoid of cyclists and pedestrians, and probably the fastest route too. Yet car drivers will use the A6, increasing their personal accident risk by a factor of about 5, and increasing the fatality risk to cyclists on that road by a factor of thousands.No they won't.
I have mentioned before a wanabee organ donor I pass in the mornings who instead of riding down a perfectly designed £2.5 million cyclepath requested by Sustrans and designed by them, instead takes a longer route down a busy A road (and doesn't bother with high viz either).
For their own selfish reasons (fuel economy, better scenery etc) motorists use a road with increased risk to vulnerable road users when the safe road that's designed solely for them, the motorway, is ignored.
Do you agree Altarf that motorists should be banned from using the A6 when there is a much safer alternative designed specifically for them?
And please can you identify the road that your organ donating cyclist is using. Otherwise your rant is meaningless.Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.0 -
Similarly, there's a route between Kendal and Shap designed primarily for the use of cars, namely the A591/A590 and M6. It is the safest road between the two locations, all dual carriageway and motorway, devoid of cyclists and pedestrians, and probably the fastest route too. Yet car drivers will use the A6, increasing their personal accident risk by a factor of about 5, and increasing the fatality risk to cyclists on that road by a factor of thousands.
For their own selfish reasons (fuel economy, better scenery etc) motorists use a road with increased risk to vulnerable road users when the safe road that's designed solely for them, the motorway, is ignored.
Do you agree Altarf that motorists should be banned from using the A6 when there is a much safer alternative designed specifically for them?
And please can you identify the road that your organ donating cyclist is using. Otherwise your rant is meaningless.
Sorry but what road a road user, vulnerable or otherwise, decides to use and why is no-one elses business. I'm sure you'd take great exception if someone queried the actual purpose, if any, of the vast majority of those cycling journeys on the A6.0 -
Sorry but what road a road user, vulnerable or otherwise, decides to use and why is no-one elses business. I'm sure you'd take great exception if someone queried the actual purpose, if any, of the vast majority of those cycling journeys on the A6.
Thank you for making my point.
My absurd response to Altarf was purely to highlight the nonsense of his earlier comment when he said that cyclists should be prohibited from using certain roads because there are others available.
Athough the point will be lost on him, because he opts out of threads whenever he is asked to evidence his claims.Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.0 -
That's a great idea actually, but it needs to be worked out how Government will manage special routes for cyclists. I feel this will be a long term process where every step have to be foreseen. Generally it will be good for everyone I think0
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Pretty unusual behaviour - though I can guess a couple of reasons.
1) the "perfectly designed" Sustrans route isn't as perfect as it could be - certainly the ones round here (the Sandy to Bedford one and the route from St Neots to Grafham Water) have sections that are ballsachingly uncomfortable to ride on or even completely unrideable on a road bike due to the nature of the surface - which in the Grafham Water route is actually unsurfaced farm track.
The route in question is perfectly smooth straight, flat and 3m wide tarmac path along the whole length.2) the shorter route takes the guy out of his way for his destination. Eg cutting a long arc of A road with a straight line is great - unless you want to turn off the A road in a direction away from the cycle-route half way along that arc ...
He takes a longer route by using the road. I have passed him at various points in his journey including his destination at the railway station.0 -
The route in question is perfectly smooth straight, flat and 3m wide tarmac path along the whole length.
He takes a longer route by using the road. I have passed him at various points in his journey including his destination at the railway station.
Why not simply provide a link to the location?0 -
You will only get large numbers of people cycling if you provide traffic free cycle paths from where people live to where they want to go to. I can go from my house to my children's school on such paths. Half path, half road is no good. People won't do it.
Where I work people whinge that our employer charges for car parking. I don't pay parking because I cycle to work. "Why don't you cycle to work?" "I'd rather pay and live a bit longer, thanks." is the standard response.
When you cycle in the Netherlands you know that the paths have been designed for you. You know where you are supposed to be. You have priority at junctions.
Trying to use cycle paths in the UK is a joke.
So government need to instruct councils to look at maps. See where people live, where they work and install cycle paths along the whole route.
In the Netherlands the motorists seem to understand that you should drive at a speed appropriate to the area you are driving through. 70mph on a motorway is fine. 70mph on a urban street where children are playing isn't. I am not sure how the Dutch do that. Cameras do seem to be the only way to get motorists to obey speed limits.
When you have quality cycle paths and a large proportion of the population cycling then it would seem appropriate to ban cyclists from the certain roads as they do on in Holland.
I have said before I am a cyclist who uses a bicycle to live their normal day to day life. Going to work, gym, shopping etc. Normal bicycle, normal clothes. My views are often opposite to those held by by lycra wearing, racing cyclists who go round in circles on a Sunday morning.0
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