KingOfTheApes wrote:

Anyway, this assessment about Holland seems to support my idea TRAFFIC
TAMING, BIKE ROUTES AND BIKE LANES. Thank you!

Or rather, the above assessment shows you didn't read what I wrote very
carefully, so take back your tanks and read it again.

I said that what makes the real difference isn't the bike paths but the
typical cycle-awareness of the drivers. Think how cycle-aware the
average driver where you are is, and now think how he might improve if
rather than confronting him with more bikes, you confront him with
/less/, by moving the traffic off the road for most of the time (but
crucially *not* the time at junctions where there is most danger).

As I pointed out, there's plenty of shared road space in NL, and it is
shared relatively civilly because, AFAICT, of the awareness of the
typical motorist for cyclists. That awareness does not come about by
removing cyclists from the roads.

The key to be safe isn't putting up physical barriers between cars and
bikes, it's making sure motorists are properly aware of cyclists and
share the road with them as equals. In much the same way that users of
Smart cars share as equals with 18 wheeler trucks that /could/ squash
them like bugs.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/