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#11
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cyclingcapital of Australia"
On Monday, September 1, 2014 4:00:47 AM UTC+1, Clive George wrote:
And parking in central Cambridge is an utter nightmare. I said to an elderly but still upright don, "Lion Yard consumed my afternoon." He said, "That's why the bootmaker's is across the street from the front gate [of King's College}. Order some Harrow boots and walk, my boy, walk." And of course it's now well established tradition, which is probably the most important thing. That the underlying correct attitude and acceptance is in place seems to me a prime indicator of the success of any formal bicycling scheme. Cambridge is an excellent example. What I'd like to know is what went right in York, a city I don't know, which also is said to have good cycling. Was it the university, or was it some other factor that cyclists elsewhere could usefully copy or aspire to? Andre Jute |
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#12
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cyclingcapital of Australia"
On Saturday, August 30, 2014 7:42:20 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/30/2014 5:48 AM, Andre Jute wrote: Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cycling capital of Australia". http://www.theherald.com.au/story/25...tralia/?cs=303 The guys behind the scheme want the government to commit A$75m to bicycling infrastructure. (Not fiddly cheap local cosmetis that might as well be designed to kill cyclists, real infrastructure.) See the map at the URL above. If it comes off, it will be a model region. Wow. Maybe they'll be as successful as Stevenage and Milton Keynes in Britain, with their designed-in-from-the-start superhighways for bikes, built with underpasses instead of road intersections, allowing easy access all across the towns with almost no interactions with motor vehicles. Just think! As with Stevenage and Milton Keynes, the bike modal share might rise to as much as... well, 3%. At least, that's what those towns have had. Not so impressive after all. From http://www.roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/stevenage/ "The cycleways were mostly flat and there were cycle and pedestrian bridges, and underpasses which wouldn�t have looked out of place in the Netherlands at the time, mainly because they were modelled on Dutch infrastructure. Stevenage was compact and Claxton [the designer] assumed the provision of 12ft wide cycle paths and 7ft wide footways � separated by grass strips as a minimum, and sometimes barriers, too � would encourage residents to cycle and walk everywhere. He had witnessed high usage of cycle tracks in the Netherlands and believed the same could be achieved in the UK. "Instead � to Claxton�s puzzlement, and eventual horror � residents of Stevenage chose to drive, not cycle, even for journeys of two miles or less." "... Squint and, where the infrastructure is intact, under the roundabouts for instance, and you could be in the Netherlands. Except there are very few people on bikes." Trendy Portland's bike mode share has stayed flat for several years, despite more and more "innovative!" segregated facilities. And despite the rah-rah headline, this article's http://urbantimes.co/2014/06/bike-la...crease-biking/ bar graphs make clear that most people riding on "protected" cycle tracks would have been riding anyway. Only a tiny percentage gave up their car to use their bike. By the way, the census information for calculating mode share is based on one question: How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK? If this person usually used more than one method of transportation during the trip, mark (X) the box of the one used for most of the distance. The questionnaire is completed in April -- not a great commuting month in Portland since it is so wet. I don't know what the sample size is. I do know that my commute from Southwest has gotten busier -- a lot busier. I took a hilly-ish route from downtown last week during rush hour (earlier than I usually leave for home), and it was full of cyclists. I drag raced this one kid just because I can't help myself. I'm seeing a lot more cyclists in my part of the town, which is more challenging than the close-in east side from whence most cyclists commute. Today was spectacular -- sunny but not too hot. I was riding in the(former) middle of nowhere with a friend of mine, and I must have seen 100 other riders comprising multiple packs. There were places when I actually sat up and said, goddamn its pretty -- but not for too long, because my buddy was flying, and it was hilly (more so than this picture lets on). http://tinyurl.com/ls5zpho Even got a boat ride: http://tinyurl.com/kr2ez3m -- Jay Beattie. |
#13
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cycling capitalof Australia"
On 01/09/14 23:16, Andre Jute wrote:
There's a lot of opportunity out there. The problem is that the cyclists, with very rare exceptions, are not politicians. They're clumsy in their handling of the pollies, to say the least. I have hope for this Hunter scheme because I know at least one of the people involved, and he's a jollier-along. He might get something done where full-frontal confrontation and lane-taking has already failed. Andre Jute Very close to where I intend to be living soon(ish) is this; http://www.northernriversrailtrail.o...rail/overview/ It'd get me to the coast at Byron Bay from my new home, with only an hour of road riding. I might even persuade the better half! -- JS |
#14
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cycling capitalof Australia"
On 02/09/2014 01:05, jbeattie wrote:
I drag raced this one kid just because I can't help myself. But did you win? |
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cyclingcapital of Australia"
On Monday, September 1, 2014 5:26:47 PM UTC-7, Clive George wrote:
On 02/09/2014 01:05, jbeattie wrote: I drag raced this one kid just because I can't help myself. But did you win? He was pulling away on a hill but then blew a gasket. We rolled over the top together, and we chatted over the next set of rollers. He didn't know where he was going, so I gave him directions. Nice Bohemian kid -- really hairy legs and cut-offs (but with SPDs)riding something Soma-ish. No helmet (don't worry Frank, I didn't scold him). He was clearly over-powered and making a point of flying by the guys in Lycra. As I become older and even more decrepit, I'm going to have to learn to just let people ride by -- which I do nw, but usually after getting dropped. -- Jay Beattie. |
#16
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cycling capitalof Australia"
On 02/09/14 12:16, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, September 1, 2014 5:26:47 PM UTC-7, Clive George wrote: On 02/09/2014 01:05, jbeattie wrote: I drag raced this one kid just because I can't help myself. But did you win? He was pulling away on a hill but then blew a gasket. We rolled over the top together, and we chatted over the next set of rollers. He didn't know where he was going, so I gave him directions. Nice Bohemian kid -- really hairy legs and cut-offs (but with SPDs)riding something Soma-ish. No helmet (don't worry Frank, I didn't scold him). He was clearly over-powered and making a point of flying by the guys in Lycra. As I become older and even more decrepit, I'm going to have to learn to just let people ride by -- which I do nw, but usually after getting dropped. I caught a young gun at a pedestrian light last week. I got going again after the lights went green and thought I was going ok at about 35-38km/h. He had a backpack on, so I didn't expect him to blast by me at near 45km/h to do a turn... but he did. I was fine sitting on, but wasn't looking forward to doing a comparable turn of pace. Then lady luck smiled on me. As he stood up for a small rise, a banana leapt from his back pack and he stopped to go back for it. I kept going and put some distance between us. Thankfully he never caught up to me. -- JS |
#17
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cycling capitalof Australia"
On 9/1/2014 8:05 PM, jbeattie wrote:
By the way, the census information for calculating mode share is based on one question: How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK? If this person usually used more than one method of transportation during the trip, mark (X) the box of the one used for most of the distance. The questionnaire is completed in April -- not a great commuting month in Portland since it is so wet. I don't know what the sample size is. I'm not sure of your point, Jay. Would you suggest they ask the question in December? Yes, I imagine bike mode share is higher in (say) June or July, but it's certainly lower in the dreary winter. April seems about midway. And it's theoretically possible to ask more detailed questions every month, or every week. But someone has to pay for that. I've stated my observations on PDX. I think there is no time that 6% of the vehicles in motion - or stopped on the gridlocked streets and highways - are bicycles. Polling only city residents gives optimistic answers, applicable only to those who have chosen the trendy Portland inner-city lifestyle. IOW, suburban commuters don't count in the surveys, but they dominate on the ground. I do know that my commute from Southwest has gotten busier -- a lot busier. I took a hilly-ish route from downtown last week during rush hour (earlier than I usually leave for home), and it was full of cyclists. I drag raced this one kid just because I can't help myself. I'm seeing a lot more cyclists in my part of the town, which is more challenging than the close-in east side from whence most cyclists commute. Your observations may be accurate, and increases in bike mode share - if any - may be the beginning of a sea change. OTOH, they may just be the tides of fashion, as permanent as love beads or leisure suits. -- - Frank Krygowski |
#18
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cycling capitalof Australia"
On 9/1/2014 10:16 PM, jbeattie wrote:
Nice Bohemian kid -- really hairy legs and cut-offs (but with SPDs)riding something Soma-ish. No helmet (don't worry Frank, I didn't scold him). And I bet he didn't scold you, either. ;-) -- - Frank Krygowski |
#19
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cycling capitalof Australia"
On 9/1/2014 11:01 PM, James wrote:
I caught a young gun at a pedestrian light last week. I got going again after the lights went green and thought I was going ok at about 35-38km/h. He had a backpack on, so I didn't expect him to blast by me at near 45km/h to do a turn... but he did. I was fine sitting on, but wasn't looking forward to doing a comparable turn of pace. Then lady luck smiled on me. As he stood up for a small rise, a banana leapt from his back pack and he stopped to go back for it. I kept going and put some distance between us. Thankfully he never caught up to me. I led a ride last week that had a 1.5 mile steep hill. (Well, maybe 6% grade.) At my age, I decided it was best to just take it easy - or at least, easier than I used to. One guy motored past me, but downshifted when the grade increased. It was pleasant to grind on past him, and pleasant to be 3rd to the top out of about a dozen riders. But there's no doubt I'm slowing significantly. I can remember helping one rider, years ago, by pushing her up a long hill. She's now well known as an excellent climber. It's about time for her to return that favor! (I'm tempted to remove my 3 pound Carradice bag for the hilly rides. I think it might get my bike's weight down to 30 pounds.) -- - Frank Krygowski |
#20
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Melbourne, eat your heart out: "Hunter could be the cyclingcapital of Australia"
On Monday, September 1, 2014 9:07:57 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/1/2014 8:05 PM, jbeattie wrote: By the way, the census information for calculating mode share is based on one question: How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK? If this person usually used more than one method of transportation during the trip, mark (X) the box of the one used for most of the distance. The questionnaire is completed in April -- not a great commuting month in Portland since it is so wet. I don't know what the sample size is. I'm not sure of your point, Jay. Would you suggest they ask the question in December? Yes, I imagine bike mode share is higher in (say) June or July, but it's certainly lower in the dreary winter. April seems about midway. And it's theoretically possible to ask more detailed questions every month, or every week. But someone has to pay for that. I've stated my observations on PDX. I think there is no time that 6% of the vehicles in motion - or stopped on the gridlocked streets and highways - are bicycles. Polling only city residents gives optimistic answers, applicable only to those who have chosen the trendy Portland inner-city lifestyle. IOW, suburban commuters don't count in the surveys, but they dominate on the ground. I do know that my commute from Southwest has gotten busier -- a lot busier. I took a hilly-ish route from downtown last week during rush hour (earlier than I usually leave for home), and it was full of cyclists. I drag raced this one kid just because I can't help myself. I'm seeing a lot more cyclists in my part of the town, which is more challenging than the close-in east side from whence most cyclists commute. Your observations may be accurate, and increases in bike mode share - if any - may be the beginning of a sea change. OTOH, they may just be the tides of fashion, as permanent as love beads or leisure suits. I can't wait for the tide to recede because I'm sick of the bicycle traffic.. This ain't no Amsterdam, but it's still a f****** conga line of bicycles on some mornings. You'll love this morning's conflict: I'm in the traffic lane, and there's a bike lane next to me that is about to end. I'm passing the conga line of cyclists. When the lane ends, the riders in the bike lane just cut to the left and practically in to me. Then I jam on my brakes because some pedestrian has dipped his toe in to traffic, and all the cars stopped (mid block, not at a light -- we have all these mid-block cross walks for no apparent reason). Some cyclist behind me tells me to watch out. I figure that I'm in the lane; the bike lane is ending, and cyclists have to merge like any other traffic, and I'm traffic. Who knows, though -- because we have to look at the rules applicable to over-taking vehicles (me), which I'm too lazy to read this morning. One problem with our bike lane law is that you have to be in the bike lane unless your passing another bike or some other exception applies, which doesn't including riding the speed of traffic. You should not have to be in the bike lane -- or pretend like you're "passing" (bobbing in and out of the bike lane) -- when you're going the speed of traffic. -- Jay Beattie. |
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