Lesson from the Netherlands: when an old city street is too narrow for a bike lane, it is certainly too narrow to have a car lane. Conclusion: make the entire street a bicycle street.
@@peter1062 Weirdly, my city gets just as much rain, gets more snow, has colder winters and warmer summers. Pretty much the norm for much of North America but go around the world and try finding places where cycling is as agreeable as the Netherlands, it's very difficult.
@@RandomPlaceHolderName Our main cycle-paths get cleared of snow first thing in the morning. Hundreds of thousands of kids cycle to school every day, no matter the weather. Their parents tell them they're not made of sugar, so toughen up. And I've been on a bicycle in Indonesia, Thailand and the south of Vietnam. No sweat. Well, maybe a little. 😊
@@peter1062 Agreed. It is possible to cycle in any climate. My point was that it isn't realistic to expect most nations to achieve nearly the same cycling adoption rate as the Netherlands simply due to the weather. And for many places, it's just more realistic to plan a city around public transport. And yeah, I wish more workplaces had shower facilities just to make summer cycling that much easier.
As a cyclist in London, I must say that it’s getting better and better and I truely enjoy cycling in the city as my primary way of commuting. That said, potholes and confusing cycle lanes with dangerous switches to the opposite side of the road like in Blackfriars Bridge need to be fixed! NOW!
As an avid Dutch cyclists seeing cycle videos of London the infrastructure scares the beejezus out of me. Scary points are: 1. A lot, if not most, cycle paths are too narrow. 2. Using bus lanes as cycle lanes. Cheap but dangerous. Definitely not cycle friendly. 3. Wasted and useless painted lines on roads pretending to represent cycle lanes. 4. Cycle infrastructure ending right before you need it at intersections. 5. Ridiculous amount of obstructions. Like road signs on the cycle lanes or blocking visibility on cycle paths and cycle lanes. 6. No plan whatsoever to reduce traffic speeds for automotive traffic within city limits. In other words, a half arsed infrastructure plan. 7. Most cycle lanes and cycle paths are constructed with a total disregard for the infamous "dooring" problem. 8. Overall ridiculous detours for cyclists, despite some through routes, as compared to the ease accomodated for automotive traffic. 9. Ill constructed roundabouts. Or in general, ill constructed intersections. Some subpoints: 10. A lot of road rage between cyclists and drivers. It is a cultural thing, but still ... it does result in some dangerous interactions. 11. No plan or infrastructure for mass cycling parking near offices, schools, railway stations, and the like... 12. No actual commuter bicycles. Everybody (well, most) seem to have a sporty or racing bicycle trying to outrun the automotive traffic.
@@wimahlers As an avid non Dutch cyclist I just can't get over how Dutch cyclists have a "holly cow that can't do no wrong" status. Even vs pedestrians.
@@z00h You said, and I quote you: "As an avid non Dutch cyclist I just can't get over how Dutch cyclists have a "holly cow that can't do no wrong" status. Even vs pedestrians." I have no idea what you mean by that. Can you please explain. Much obliged.
This also needs to happen here in America. Cars are so prioritized I have no bike lanes to even get to work. Working on making this issue relevant to the city council
No bikes in america. Think of the commuters, imagine driving 60 miles to downtown on a bike? How would that happen? You can’t super commute efficiently on a bike and also bike lanes steal traffic lanes which are more precious. If they actually took sidewalk space for these bikes I would be fine with it but since they are taking something important and giving it to some rare minority of a commuter group, then it’s not worth it. Also let’s not forget it snows in the US a lot. U can’t ride bikes in the snow dingus. You would freeze to death and bikes are too pathetic to ride in the snow
@@LucasFernandez-fk8se 2 things. 1) people that live 60 miles out of downtown probably wont bike to the city. But if all or most people within 20-30 miles bike it would create a much more pleasant commute for the 60 miles commuter. 2) Cyclist are a minority because use of bikes are currently unsafe to use in most cities. That number has already increased due to Covid and now we should consider accommodating new cyclist. Honestly a win-win, less traffic, less pollution, healthier population, etc.
@@NewBlueTrue Rio de Janeiro have them.. And we have 35c temperature constantly all year, planting more trees helps the temperature problem as it creates spots of shadow and reduce temperature. But I am no specialist in this
In Kenya, Nairobi City is currently providing bike lanes for cyclists There's some backlash but the number of cyclists has gone up slightly and the general pedestrian is appreciating the clean air
I has been two decades since I was last in Nairobi, and I hear that the traffic has gotten terrible. Honestly an extensive bike infrastructure would do wonders to nearly any city, I believe Nairobi would benefit a lot as well. With a well thought out bike network car congestion also lowers considerably and all travel times decrease significantly.
@@lookingforsomething it is true that the traffic has worsened, but I don't think having bike lanes is enough as we don't quite have that cycling culture. Rather, if the City Council were to employ a better mass transit system as well as a cycling network, then this would surely aid in traffic decongestion. Fortunately, such plans are underway
after my city added bike lanes to this one road i was able to turn a 30-45 minute drive stuck in traffic into a simple 30 minute bike ride to work. best change ever.
@@shr6482 I don't think most are even planning for roads or they wouldn't do it so badly. Which is why they try fix it by painting over roads. That is the only problem I have with bike lanes.
Awww yeah go bikes, there are so many benefits and so few downsides: its healthy, has smaller area than a car or truck, no pollution, no electricity and also one of THE most efficient machines made in history!!! GO BIKES!!!
I'm over here looking at $400 monthly car insurance, plus gas, up front/mortgage and repair costs; thinking to myself "Why the hell can't we have decent bike lanes?" Seriously, transportation shouldn't have to take up a quarter of your budget
@@MFTQ What people consider 'bigger things' in Europe probably means small to medium sized in North America. There's a reason why SUV sales in NA are so huge these days because people want the ability to haul large things and lots of stuff on their own which is something bikes can't do even with a trailer.
I sold my car over 3 years ago and ride a bike everywhere. I am always slightly made fun of by others because i dont use a car. But i just make fun of them for being poor and owning a depreciating asset. Update: Been 5 years now and i saved over $100,000 not owning a car and I bought a second home in Hawaii :)
Non Dutch: "Amsterdam is one of the best cities for cycling in the world". Dutch: "Almost any other city in the Netherlands is a better city for cycling than Amsterdam". =')
@@caiofernando That really depends on your preferences and your budget. Unfortunately housing prices have skyrocketed the last couple of years, I'm guessing mostly in the bigger cities. I myself have lived (or spent a lot of time) in the cities of Delft, Utrecht, Den Haag (The Hague), and Rotterdam. Those cities are all relatively close to one another so I can't really comment on any other cities. Rotterdam is the biggest one out of that list, not only by numbers but also in the way it was rebuilt after WWII. It's known for its modern Architecture which makes it stand out compared to the other cities in the list. It's culturally more diverse and has more of a working class attitude. A bit of a 'harsher' atmosphere for lack of better words. I personally prefer the other cities, for they have retained most of their picturesque city centres and a are a bit more compact. But obviously that comes with a price tag. If you're thinking about moving here, the logical thing to do would obiously be to spend some time here and visit some cities!
Yes absolutely true. Most other cities are way better than Amsterdam. Go see Groningen, Nijmegen, Utrecht....whichever city, they are all better than Amsterdam. And not only the cities, the countryside too. It's the whole of the Netherlands, a country that's unfortunately often equalled to Amsterdam. Which is ridiculous
I was in Amsterdam there are many lanes for bicycles a lot of mopeds take the opportunity to weave in and out of them making it dangerous for bicyclists and even for walkers on the sidewalks.
Got to make most of the bike paths protected lanes. One option becoming more popular is moving car parking away from the sidewalk and putting the bike lane in that space. That way parked cars protect the bike lane. And it is a very inexpensive change to make.
As someone who cycles as my main mode of transport (both short AND long distance -- think city-to-city), I've largely ignored cycling 'infrastructure' here in UK due to how awfuly poor it is. I'm often slowling myself down and putting myself at greater risk by using this 'infrastructure' (i.e., few disconnected and poorly thoughout out road markings) than by simply cycling among motor vehicles... After 5 years of extensive cycling experience and continued interest in the subject here's my personal checklist for ideal cycling infrastructure; - Segragated from motor vehicles (road markings are bare minimum) - Interconnected network to permit long & short, safe journeys for all capabilities - Safe storage locations - Water refill stations - No sharp turns/permanent fixtures that appear out of nowhere - No potholes - Minimal or no stop lights - Direct & easy access to key destinations (i.e., travel hubs, office complexes, markets/shopping centres) PS. Thank you for continuing to keep the spotlight on this wonderful opportunity to VASTLY improve our cities! I'd love to visit London by bike again
I bet cycle lanes would have no problem when it comes to keeping pot-holes out after the path is built or road is converted because there's a lot less weight and traffic traveling on them
@@Rotated Correct, road wear gets calculated by the _fourth_ power of average vehicle weight. So while trucks cause concrete to want repaving every year or two, the biggest degradation from pure bike and foot traffic would instead come from mere weeds and weathering.
It sometimes annoys me that so much focus is laid on the amount of kilometres of cycle path, while the quality is maybe even more important. The spanish sociologist was very concious about this. Cycling space should not just be a marked area on the road, but a safe space from which people of all ages can make use.
Just keep bikes on the sidewalk where they belong and off the streets where cars belong. And don’t open up new “bike sidewalks” just put them on the people sidewalk. It’s not that hard to swerve and avoid hitting people on a sidewalk
I hope the US follows this example- we need more sustainable infrastructure and could benefit from the health aspects of biking as well. The main problem I see us having to overcome though is politics, and making sustainability out to be a partisan issue. It could also be unrealistic in areas where urban sprawl makes biking too impractical, in places where a person's commute to work is already 30 minutes to an hour by car. But in urban areas, we could definitely benefit from more biking
I'd agree with you. With that said, I live in a mid size city, and bought an e-bike in the past year. That has easily allowed me to do a 15-20 mile ride (when I was commuting). My commute is short (about 3 miles) but it's actually quicker on the ebike.
I mean it's much more complicated in the US to start with due to most american cities being laid out very differently than the european ones, with massive seperated suburban streets in circles and cul de sacs stretching nearly endlessly. I guess the most effective way to put in bicycle systems in such a place would be to place dedicated bike paths cutting through the winding suburban streets and connecting them to places like shopping malls or commercial districts, where they from there could be connected to bike paths leading further into the city or connecting with public transit. But making such bike paths cut through the sprawl will be difficult as the properties are practically fully filled. Plus how much the Americans prioritize their space so even getting these homeowners to allow a bit of their backyard to be taken so a bike path can be laid will be a massive struggle. It could work but at the same time it'll take a miracle.
@@drdewott9154 Nah, I don't think it'll take a miracle. We're already seeing cities all over the country take the first steps. We'll get there, slowly but surely.
The benefits of practical cycling literally cannot be overstated. You get aerobic exercise, don't have to stress out driving in traffic, and save lots of money (even if you still own a car). Oh, and it's a lot tougher to swing through the drive thru after work. ;)
I have a 10 minute commute one way and it's so refreshing to start your work after some medium intensity exercise. I once lived very close to work and was actually happier when I moved and had a commute again.
Public officials like mayors, transportation planners, engineers, teachers and Police need to ride bicycles regularly. If they did they could identify what cycling improvements are needed and can implement them quickly.
I live in Atlanta and there is a lot of push back from the trogs that want better lanes for their oversized suvs. Trogs have infinitely more say over what gets done, even when they don't live here, they commute from the outer burbs. You want change make boomers useful by turning them into mulch.
Wrong, not the highway, almost every country needs some form of highway system. Even the Netherlands and Japan. What killed America's dreams is it's extremist zoning laws and culture. The suburbs of America are its downfall in more ways than I can count.
Adding ebikes into the mix makes cycling far more accessible to more people. My commute is a 34 mile round trip, I ain't doing that on a normal bicycle because I'll be exhausted by the time I reach the office or get home and I'd stay home / use the motorcycle whenever the weather isn't great. On my ebike none of that matters, I can gear up for rain and cycle with relative ease.
I just started biking again after almost 20 years! Its fun and i feel healthier especially with not many cars around to hit you i feel like it can be considered an option
Sometimes it’s not the cycle lanes that we need more of, we just need some of them to connect with each other and be PROTECTED. I WOULD LIKE ALL OF THE SUBURBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS IN UK TO IMPLEMENT SIGNAGE AND IMPROVE THE PAVEMENTING. WE DONT NEED TO ADD SOMETIMES, WE JUST NEED TO IMPROVE.
I ride my bike for a lot of reasons here in Bogotá. Always choose to ride in the road with the cars because of two main reasons. 1. Security issues: everyday cyclists get robbed and often stabbed when using the bike lanes located in the sidewalk (like in Seville) and those kind of bike lanes are the majority of the bike system for the city. 2. Those bike lanes are full of pot holes. Or the concrete is really rough with too much grip. Or the tree roots lift the concrete and put you in an MTB situation in seconds. Or the ramps used to conect the bike lane in a crossing are not well built and you have to sometimes get off the bike to pass them. Our politicians are always making publicity about the bike system of Bogotá but for the cyclists there are more flaws than positive elements. Cycling parking is also really limited, specially in the night. Our best bike experience is on sundays and holydays when several lanes of several avenues in the city transform from car to bike lanes. This system connects a lot of the city and it is more enjoyable than riding in those narrow bike lanes in the sidewalks.
Got a bike a week ago and kept the pace with work and errands. I live in Japan, so I can take for granted the safety of leaving my bike outside a store among other riders. I love riding here, and I will miss it greatly when I leave. I hope the UK continues to improve and set an example for other western countries.
it is a step. We've become very impatient these last decades... Small steps will have to do, in a lot of cases. Stick to it! Don't give up and keep coming up with initiatives. a lot of small steps can equal the giant steps we foresee. We just have to settle, not give up on the small steps. Otherwise, nothing changes.
@@corbeau-_- That's true! I think change is inevitable but one could wish for somethings to change faster. I will still contribute and seek to do more.
It took 6 seconds to see that this video editor really knows what he's doing. The transition from the bike to the bus to the city was really amazing. Reinforced what was said and was visually interesting. Congrats!
Seems like London could learn a lot from Warsaw. Over the last 10 years, the change and development has been impressive. There is now a road separate network all across the city with more routes being built every year. Plus a hugely popular city rent bike scheme.
Warsaw has wide 3 even 4 lane one direction streets whereas London doesn't even have too many proper 2 lane. London is just too narrow and filled with supply/city infrastructure vehicles. White vans, trucks, delivery or taxis make roads uncomfortable to ride. All of this added to a huge demand on cycling and you have traffic jams on bikes lanes during rush hours. City built major superhighways which are similar to the ones in Sevilla but of course more needs to be done.
Amazingly enough, the way that cycling infrastructure is designed is still evolving. I live in the town of Wageningen, the Netherlands. A recent addition here is a cycle first road. The idea is that bicycles have orecence and cars are guests. They have to adapt. The way this is done is that the entire road is coloured a pinkish red, the standard colour for cycle lanes, with signs that say that cars are allowed. Another one is a waiting time indicator at the traffic lights for bicycles, using a ring of leds that go out one at a time and are all off when the light turns green. I expect that it enhances reaction speed.
The most important thing is to have a _safe_ cycling lane, where the cyclist either rules alone or has priority over any other kind of traffic (like cars).
The ideal safe bicycle infrastructure is it's own system separate from cars. meaning you can get to places in two ways and never have to cross paths with the other commuters.
@@latenightthinker4737 that's not really realistic, and not necessary. While cyclists should be offered routes that cars can't take, particularly shorter routes that might go through parks or extend dead end roads, well designed protected bike lanes, and priority considerations at crossings means bikes can happily travel the same routes vehicles do.
I really wish some of these techniques would be used in the US. Many suburban areas are well developed for them to have bike paths everywhere, but yet we still prioritize the cars. Very happy to see other countries taking a different approach though.
The use of Ebikes extends the range of the common bike and lets you haul larger loads.Five years ago I drove a car 12,000 miles, last year I drove a car for 5000 miles and this year down to 4000 miles. Cars cost 40 to 60 cents a mile that small decrease from last saves over $400. I built the cargo Ebike for $1500, so bicycling was a great investment.
As for storing bikes, folding bikes are very useful and shouldn't be overlooked. They can be taken indoors at your destination so theft isn't as much as an issue. I recently got a Brompton (folding bike) which I can take on a bus/plane it folds up so small. I also have an electric bike for shopping. As a cyclist I have a different map of the world to most people because I want to keep off main roads and use back streets as they are much quieter safer and often prettier. Cycling requires a different mindset.
6:28 Where did he get the costs proportion of 1 highway km = 100 km cycle lane? I've seen a study from Canada where they say the costs proportion is 1 highway km = 300 km cycle lane!
North America seems to generally be even more car-centric than the car-centric European countries. Because of that, it's quite possible that Canada's comparison involved higher-quality highways, lower-quality cycle lanes, or both - and that that explains the difference in cost proportion.
North American car lanes are wider than car lanes in Europe, most of their cars are wider than what you would see in Europe anyways and bigger cars are usually heavier, and North American highways might also have more lanes compared to European highways? Going to guess it all depends on what they compare to what in the end.
I have a suggestion for a bike friendly city road sharing plan💡👆🚲🚗.. Every other street should be a bike only street and let's compare the business impact on those changes. I'm very sure it's going to be a positive one because there would be more pedestrian on the bike only streets and that would generate more foot traffic for those businesses
I live in the U.S. suburbs and I have nothing when it comes to legit bike lanes. It is a shame as there are rarely any bikers around and I am sharing the road with cars speeding near me, shoulder or riding on the sidewalk. Dangerous. I also ride the shoulder lane of a highway.
To be fair, I thought all the things said in the report were all very much on point, I'm saying as someone with an interest for mobility issues and who has ridren a bike his whole life in Belgium.
I live in Greater London and commute to central. I must say I only start to see cycle infrastructure once I enter the city. It shouldn’t be like this and you can’t have a cycle lane just meters before a set of traffic lights to just disappear afterwards. London needs to pick, either expand on the car or expand on the cycle you can’t be on a standstill for both.....
Unfortunately this is much harder to do in America, just because the very structure of our cities has been built around cars. Many businesses are spread out, designed to cover very large areas that a car can traverse fairly quickly.
Hi I'm from Jakarta, Indonesia. our city become more friendly to cyclist. the city recently expand its bike lane, and more people commute with bike. at the same time rules for cyclist also improve, we required to wear helmet, and needs to intall bell and mydflaps, even if you use mtb or roadbike. anyway, thanks for nice video, and have a safe ride.
Compulsory helmet laws are a bad idea as they reduce cycling trips. When Australian states took that route, cyclist numbers reduced (especially among children), while road deaths & injuries remained the same. Cyclists with or without helmets live longer than the general population, so the fact there where fewer cyclist had a negative effect on the countries obesity, heart attack rates etc. without reducing the number road accident victims.
Bikes should have madatory safety features as cars do. Since bikers are very vulnerable to crashes, the number one priority should be to avoid those in the first place. And you do that by improving visibility: obligatory reflectors in the wheels (side view) and front/back. obligatory working lighting. obligatory working bell. In Germany this is mandatory, in the UK apparently not (or the journalist just doesn't care) Please also enforce it. Happy and safe cycling to everyone
Obligatory bell in Germany is actually great. I visited Hannover from the US (where people rarely use bells), and passing and communicating with riders/pedestrians is so much easier. I think the vulnerability of bikes is a bit misleading, since bikes are very vulnerable to crashes with CARS, which is usually caused by infrastructure/driver error. Removing cars and offering training in cycling safety would go a long way towards making bikes less vulnerable.
6:39 Mikael Colville-Anderson (Copenhagenize) rails against adjacent bi-directional bike lane traffic. Notice how bike lane also next to oncoming vehicle traffic with no physical separation. (:-( Paint physical separation: paint < bollards/cones < curb < fence < Jersey barrier.
Even in the Netherlands, cities are still steering towards more cycling and fewer cars for the exact same reasons mentioned in this vid: lower costs, less congestion, less polution, better health.
Cities are for the inhabitants and their transportation needs. Pedestrians first then people on bicycles or mobility scooters etc, and then cars and delivery trucks. Neighborhoods without through roads only access roads and lots of traffic calming.
It's quite hard to implement this in a more dense country such as the Philippines, but movement towards 2 wheels is the future if there's less space to work with!
I've always thought of having a "Fast Lane" for those who want to get someplace faster, and a slow-lane for those who don't have a need for speed. It should be part of the thought process now, so bike lanes/paths do not have to be engineered later at additional expense.
@@latenightthinker4737 you don't honk your horn at every car you pass nor should you have to do the same for bikes, especially in places with lots of people.
@@Shrouded_reaper right, and that's why in cities that have high bicycle traffic it's already a thing to have the passing lane on the left side and if someone on the left side is someone you want to pass you say "on your left" simple
I was always very pro-bike, having longed for the romantic scenes of Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and living in Southern California. It could never adopt here though, way too dangerous with no clear paths, and nonexistent incentives. Now, as a permanently disabled person with a whole slew of belongings that have to come with on every trip, I have had to bid a farewell to that dream once and for all. An electric cargo bike would be a fleeting fantasy.
@@eiypo there is no winning that fight. We can't even prevent police brutality and bias, convincing the real monsters that are politicians is a losing battle. It doesn't stand to profit any of them.
It’s also important to have sufficient affordable housing so that more people can live within biking distance from their work - looking at you California 🙄
Not everyone uses bikes. There are many of us who use rollerblades, skateboards, (non electric) scooters etc. We have different requirements from bike users and the most important of these is a smooth road surface and wider lanes.
True even though most people will be using bikes I agree that we should attempt building some infrastructure for people using those modes of transportation as well
Great video! I love me some bikes. However, at a couple of points it felt like it was down on public transport too because of infection risk, and I would hate to lose public transport infrastructure. We need to unite advocates for cycling and public transport to finally get more cars off the road
In North America, physical barriers are absolutely ESSENTIAL due to all the suburban drunks who feel entitled to drive home from the bar and who will easily drift into the bike lane without noticing. The lack of enforcement of DUIs is obviously another colossal issue.
funly enough i'm working on a project on a bike paths network on my uni and, let me tell you the city norms are very pissy about the whole bikes over cars thing, has taken me a whole week to find all the information that norms the one estreet i'm assigned and it insist on parking spaces and freedoms for car traffic, hopefully our teacher will actually present it to the municipality and it will get accepted so we'll have bike paths
This video missed one important mark and that'd be zoning. This is all possible in many Asian and European countries given their close proximity living. But this would be much harder to implement in an American city because of the separation between amenities and housing. American suburbs make it impossible for cycling to a viable form of daily transportation because you'd spend so much time just getting out of the suburbs. Along with adding bicycle infrastructure and safety measures, start reorganizing cities and towns and start changing zoning laws
Part of the answer is to make bikes more enjoyable, less of a fight to ride. Many cities are tough on bike riders because of the topography...too many hills. We need to promote ebikes big time. Mainstream affordable ebikes and the problem will solve itself.
7:00 at 20 mph (30 km/h) you don't need a cyclepath by the way. At least we in the Netherlands have figured out how to do mixed traffic there: we lay down bricks on those roads and that screams to everyone: hey, this is a mixed zone, slow down! Incidently my old town needs cyclelanes where the speed is 50 km/h, so I like to slow those down to 30 km/h. Just speed up out of town, thanks very much. Again, shows you we're not done in the Netherlands. Not yet.
What is needed is a cycling infrastructure that is inherently safe. People are often surprised to see Dutch cyclists not wearing helmets. The reason they don't is that their safety is guaranteed by the infrastructure, not by what they wear.
Don't reinvent the wheel, just copy what the Dutch do. A cycling lane is not enough, traffic needs to be separated as much as possible. A curb between the road and the cycling lane is a first step. Just visit any Dutch city and see how it's done. Also important are intelligent traffic lights that optimize throughput. Drivers need to understand that it's also better for them, you can't get annoyed by a cyclist if it isn't on your road. It'll be better for everyone.
In Amsterdam cars don't own the road. If there's a accident between car and a bike the car is always in the wrong. You need to start whit the transformation.
Electric cars and trucks are ending the pollution problem. As a middle-aged male I loved to bike ride until I recently and permanently am unable to ride a bike or walk very far. I guess the handicapped will be stranded at home. I also can't see well enough to use electric scooters and wheelchairs outside.
Would you ride an ebike? If you go to places like Amsterdam, plenty of disabled people ride assisted bikes (partially funded by gov I believe) there’s also micro cars for disabled people which can go in bike lanes :)
Even if electric vehicles solved the pollution problem, they would not solve the traffic congestion problem. When more people who are able to ride a bike do so when they can will mean less traffic for those like you who can't. Imagine getting to where you are going in your car faster because 50% of the able bodied people are riding bikes.
@@captainmakai I think it depends on the nature of the disability. Assisted bikes can be a great help to some disabled people others still would have issues. For many people, cars and public transportation are the only way to get around, and they can't be left out of the conversation or they will be stuck at home. I think the answer isn't "everybody should ride a bike", or "everyone should drive a car" but rather making many different methods of transportation accessible to everyone. If you are able to swap your car for something else, doing that would leave more space/infrastructure for those who rely on a car as their only option.
The point that there is more carstreets in Amsterdam is some bs. Yes there are more streets that are also reachable by car but we make sure to separate the main cycle paths form the car streets. We also discourage driving for cars on alot of streets so that it is in fact really safe to cycle on. Technically it is a car street but there is a heavy focus on the cycling. We also have a different grid for cycling which is almost completely apart from the car grid. If you want to find out more about amsterdams infrastructure look up not just bikes on youtube and find out how the dutch do it.
The biggest obstacle in the UK is the mentatlity from drivers towards cyclists. They would rather run them over instead of sharing a bit of road space.
Humans are the same wherever you go. Some countries mitigate this by building decent separate infrastructure for different modes, so it doesn't make any difference if drivers are inconsiderate or not.
Actually cycle lanes to the level of the pavement are not the best idea. It does not separate physically what is space for pedestrians, what is for bikes. And so the tendency is for both to intermingle. Instead the bike lane should be to the level of the roadway, because bikes are a vehicle, and segregated with a physical or planted divider.
Things are changing - here in Ipswich, some of our existing cycle lanes have had bollards installed, which means the cars aren't driving right on the lines; some streets have been closed to through motorized traffic; and yesterday, I spotted a public tyre pump complete with pressure gauge. I also feel car drivers [on the whole] are more courteous towards cyclists than they were a few years back. Cycle racks are still poor though; they are often badly located - not in clear view, ideal for thieves - not near where cyclists want to be.
It's not just cycle lanes that are needed, the amount of places to lock bikes up needs to be expanded too.
Seattle has amazing bike parking infrastructure I believe
They can build underground automated cycle parking in this case.
Superb!
Every bus stop and train station needs places to park and lock bicycles safely.
The Netherlands has blueprints for everything. You just have to have the balls to execute them.
Lesson from the Netherlands: when an old city street is too narrow for a bike lane, it is certainly too narrow to have a car lane.
Conclusion: make the entire street a bicycle street.
Another lesson from the Netherlands; have very flat terrain and mild winters and summers.
@@RandomPlaceHolderName We have rain, frost, some snow and no mountains but lots of wind. mostly headwinds.
And ever increasing heatwaves.
@@peter1062 Weirdly, my city gets just as much rain, gets more snow, has colder winters and warmer summers. Pretty much the norm for much of North America but go around the world and try finding places where cycling is as agreeable as the Netherlands, it's very difficult.
@@RandomPlaceHolderName Our main cycle-paths get cleared of snow first thing in the morning. Hundreds of thousands of kids cycle to school every day, no matter the weather. Their parents tell them they're not made of sugar, so toughen up.
And I've been on a bicycle in Indonesia, Thailand and the south of Vietnam. No sweat. Well, maybe a little. 😊
@@peter1062 Agreed. It is possible to cycle in any climate. My point was that it isn't realistic to expect most nations to achieve nearly the same cycling adoption rate as the Netherlands simply due to the weather. And for many places, it's just more realistic to plan a city around public transport. And yeah, I wish more workplaces had shower facilities just to make summer cycling that much easier.
As a cyclist in London, I must say that it’s getting better and better and I truely enjoy cycling in the city as my primary way of commuting. That said, potholes and confusing cycle lanes with dangerous switches to the opposite side of the road like in Blackfriars Bridge need to be fixed! NOW!
Yeah well said! But roads are getting better and more and more people cycling to work.
As an avid Dutch cyclists seeing cycle videos of London the infrastructure scares the beejezus out of me. Scary points are:
1. A lot, if not most, cycle paths are too narrow.
2. Using bus lanes as cycle lanes. Cheap but dangerous. Definitely not cycle friendly.
3. Wasted and useless painted lines on roads pretending to represent cycle lanes.
4. Cycle infrastructure ending right before you need it at intersections.
5. Ridiculous amount of obstructions. Like road signs on the cycle lanes or blocking visibility on cycle paths and cycle lanes.
6. No plan whatsoever to reduce traffic speeds for automotive traffic within city limits. In other words, a half arsed infrastructure plan.
7. Most cycle lanes and cycle paths are constructed with a total disregard for the infamous "dooring" problem.
8. Overall ridiculous detours for cyclists, despite some through routes, as compared to the ease accomodated for automotive traffic.
9. Ill constructed roundabouts. Or in general, ill constructed intersections.
Some subpoints:
10. A lot of road rage between cyclists and drivers. It is a cultural thing, but still ... it does result in some dangerous interactions.
11. No plan or infrastructure for mass cycling parking near offices, schools, railway stations, and the like...
12. No actual commuter bicycles. Everybody (well, most) seem to have a sporty or racing bicycle trying to outrun the automotive traffic.
@@wimahlers As an avid non Dutch cyclist I just can't get over how Dutch cyclists have a "holly cow that can't do no wrong" status. Even vs pedestrians.
@@z00h You said, and I quote you:
"As an avid non Dutch cyclist I just can't get over how Dutch cyclists have a "holly cow that can't do no wrong" status. Even vs pedestrians."
I have no idea what you mean by that. Can you please explain. Much obliged.
@@wimahlers I wrote it in plain English, it's your job to read it with comprehension. Stop smoking pot, maybe that will help.
This also needs to happen here in America. Cars are so prioritized I have no bike lanes to even get to work. Working on making this issue relevant to the city council
you want bike infrastructure when you havn't even figured out the basics of street design to discourage speeding and cars driving into buildings?
No bikes in america. Think of the commuters, imagine driving 60 miles to downtown on a bike? How would that happen? You can’t super commute efficiently on a bike and also bike lanes steal traffic lanes which are more precious. If they actually took sidewalk space for these bikes I would be fine with it but since they are taking something important and giving it to some rare minority of a commuter group, then it’s not worth it. Also let’s not forget it snows in the US a lot. U can’t ride bikes in the snow dingus. You would freeze to death and bikes are too pathetic to ride in the snow
@@LucasFernandez-fk8se 2 things. 1) people that live 60 miles out of downtown probably wont bike to the city. But if all or most people within 20-30 miles bike it would create a much more pleasant commute for the 60 miles commuter. 2) Cyclist are a minority because use of bikes are currently unsafe to use in most cities. That number has already increased due to Covid and now we should consider accommodating new cyclist. Honestly a win-win, less traffic, less pollution, healthier population, etc.
Easy Going Quick question. How would a city implement a bike friendly city when it is over 100°F/40°C 3 to 4 months out of the year?
@@NewBlueTrue Rio de Janeiro have them.. And we have 35c temperature constantly all year, planting more trees helps the temperature problem as it creates spots of shadow and reduce temperature. But I am no specialist in this
In Kenya, Nairobi City is currently providing bike lanes for cyclists
There's some backlash but the number of cyclists has gone up slightly and the general pedestrian is appreciating the clean air
When you are in a car you are stuck in traffic in Nairobi.
Did they physically separate the bike lanes from the car lanes in Nairobi?
@@HansVerburg they tried... Some roads were designed well while others need further intervention 😅
I has been two decades since I was last in Nairobi, and I hear that the traffic has gotten terrible. Honestly an extensive bike infrastructure would do wonders to nearly any city, I believe Nairobi would benefit a lot as well. With a well thought out bike network car congestion also lowers considerably and all travel times decrease significantly.
@@lookingforsomething it is true that the traffic has worsened, but I don't think having bike lanes is enough as we don't quite have that cycling culture. Rather, if the City Council were to employ a better mass transit system as well as a cycling network, then this would surely aid in traffic decongestion.
Fortunately, such plans are underway
after my city added bike lanes to this one road i was able to turn a 30-45 minute drive stuck in traffic into a simple 30 minute bike ride to work. best change ever.
Sounds like you there was other issues besides the car there. If you do the same time.
@@MrBashem yes, the problem was every one else with a car 🤣
@@frogery or poor city planners
@@MrBashem Exactly, because car centric planning is poor city planning.
@@shr6482 I don't think most are even planning for roads or they wouldn't do it so badly. Which is why they try fix it by painting over roads. That is the only problem I have with bike lanes.
This is easiest thing govt can do to improve lives of ppl.
exactly! Also, exercise helps people's mental state as well as health!
Unfortunately, that ease almost guarantees that it _won't_ happen...at least in America.
I have been waiting 50 years for this. Bring it on.
Awww yeah go bikes, there are so many benefits and so few downsides: its healthy, has smaller area than a car or truck, no pollution, no electricity and also one of THE most efficient machines made in history!!! GO BIKES!!!
And if you need to buy something bigger, than you can have a bike for bigger things. It's common in the Netherlands.
I'm over here looking at $400 monthly car insurance, plus gas, up front/mortgage and repair costs; thinking to myself "Why the hell can't we have decent bike lanes?" Seriously, transportation shouldn't have to take up a quarter of your budget
I bike is a electric bike so yha electricity is not out of the equation but I get what you mean.
@@MFTQ
What people consider 'bigger things' in Europe probably means small to medium sized in North America. There's a reason why SUV sales in NA are so huge these days because people want the ability to haul large things and lots of stuff on their own which is something bikes can't do even with a trailer.
@@nickgennady electric motors actually have a smaller carbon footprint than human muscles when you compare similar power ratings.
I sold my car over 3 years ago and ride a bike everywhere. I am always slightly made fun of by others because i dont use a car. But i just make fun of them for being poor and owning a depreciating asset.
Update: Been 5 years now and i saved over $100,000 not owning a car and I bought a second home in Hawaii :)
Non Dutch: "Amsterdam is one of the best cities for cycling in the world". Dutch: "Almost any other city in the Netherlands is a better city for cycling than Amsterdam". =')
What's the best city for living in the Netherlands in your opinion?
Yeah fellow Dutchie here, couldn't agree more ;) But hey, aparently Amsterdam equals The Netherlands for a lot of foreigners.
@@caiofernando That really depends on your preferences and your budget. Unfortunately housing prices have skyrocketed the last couple of years, I'm guessing mostly in the bigger cities. I myself have lived (or spent a lot of time) in the cities of Delft, Utrecht, Den Haag (The Hague), and Rotterdam. Those cities are all relatively close to one another so I can't really comment on any other cities. Rotterdam is the biggest one out of that list, not only by numbers but also in the way it was rebuilt after WWII. It's known for its modern Architecture which makes it stand out compared to the other cities in the list. It's culturally more diverse and has more of a working class attitude. A bit of a 'harsher' atmosphere for lack of better words. I personally prefer the other cities, for they have retained most of their picturesque city centres and a are a bit more compact. But obviously that comes with a price tag. If you're thinking about moving here, the logical thing to do would obiously be to spend some time here and visit some cities!
Yes absolutely true. Most other cities are way better than Amsterdam. Go see Groningen, Nijmegen, Utrecht....whichever city, they are all better than Amsterdam.
And not only the cities, the countryside too. It's the whole of the Netherlands, a country that's unfortunately often equalled to Amsterdam. Which is ridiculous
I was in Amsterdam there are many lanes for bicycles a lot of mopeds take the opportunity to weave in and out of them making it dangerous for bicyclists and even for walkers on the sidewalks.
Soon people will be yelling at drivers to get off the bike lanes.
They already are! It’s time to start listening.
Got to make most of the bike paths protected lanes. One option becoming more popular is moving car parking away from the sidewalk and putting the bike lane in that space. That way parked cars protect the bike lane. And it is a very inexpensive change to make.
Soon fossil fuel cars are stopped from using.
Sean Avery’s, former NHL player, whole Instagram is him doing that in New York
haha, cars love using bike lanes for parking, and I love yelling at filthy trogs.
As someone who cycles as my main mode of transport (both short AND long distance -- think city-to-city), I've largely ignored cycling 'infrastructure' here in UK due to how awfuly poor it is. I'm often slowling myself down and putting myself at greater risk by using this 'infrastructure' (i.e., few disconnected and poorly thoughout out road markings) than by simply cycling among motor vehicles...
After 5 years of extensive cycling experience and continued interest in the subject here's my personal checklist for ideal cycling infrastructure;
- Segragated from motor vehicles (road markings are bare minimum)
- Interconnected network to permit long & short, safe journeys for all capabilities
- Safe storage locations
- Water refill stations
- No sharp turns/permanent fixtures that appear out of nowhere
- No potholes
- Minimal or no stop lights
- Direct & easy access to key destinations (i.e., travel hubs, office complexes, markets/shopping centres)
PS. Thank you for continuing to keep the spotlight on this wonderful opportunity to VASTLY improve our cities! I'd love to visit London by bike again
I bet cycle lanes would have no problem when it comes to keeping pot-holes out after the path is built or road is converted because there's a lot less weight and traffic traveling on them
@@Rotated Correct, road wear gets calculated by the _fourth_ power of average vehicle weight. So while trucks cause concrete to want repaving every year or two, the biggest degradation from pure bike and foot traffic would instead come from mere weeds and weathering.
As in a bike being a tenth of the weight. Of a car there is an increase in durability by a factor of 10000?
Golden age of cycle commuting around the world
- is coming, we're not there yet
It sometimes annoys me that so much focus is laid on the amount of kilometres of cycle path, while the quality is maybe even more important. The spanish sociologist was very concious about this. Cycling space should not just be a marked area on the road, but a safe space from which people of all ages can make use.
I wonder of they have too many pedestrians walking on the bike path though...
@@idromano Better to have pesky pedestrians in the bike path than no bike path at all.
Just keep bikes on the sidewalk where they belong and off the streets where cars belong. And don’t open up new “bike sidewalks” just put them on the people sidewalk. It’s not that hard to swerve and avoid hitting people on a sidewalk
I don't want to kill a child or dog riding 25 mph on a sidewalk, I'll ride in the street thanks.
yeah, the paint wont save us from cars...
Yes! Go for it! Greetings from the Netherlands.
Absoluut! Groeten uit Middelburg!
I hope the US follows this example- we need more sustainable infrastructure and could benefit from the health aspects of biking as well. The main problem I see us having to overcome though is politics, and making sustainability out to be a partisan issue. It could also be unrealistic in areas where urban sprawl makes biking too impractical, in places where a person's commute to work is already 30 minutes to an hour by car. But in urban areas, we could definitely benefit from more biking
I'd agree with you. With that said, I live in a mid size city, and bought an e-bike in the past year. That has easily allowed me to do a 15-20 mile ride (when I was commuting). My commute is short (about 3 miles) but it's actually quicker on the ebike.
Installing bike lanes and reducing infrastructure built around cars is how you reduce urban sprawl.
I mean it's much more complicated in the US to start with due to most american cities being laid out very differently than the european ones, with massive seperated suburban streets in circles and cul de sacs stretching nearly endlessly. I guess the most effective way to put in bicycle systems in such a place would be to place dedicated bike paths cutting through the winding suburban streets and connecting them to places like shopping malls or commercial districts, where they from there could be connected to bike paths leading further into the city or connecting with public transit. But making such bike paths cut through the sprawl will be difficult as the properties are practically fully filled. Plus how much the Americans prioritize their space so even getting these homeowners to allow a bit of their backyard to be taken so a bike path can be laid will be a massive struggle. It could work but at the same time it'll take a miracle.
@@drdewott9154 Nah, I don't think it'll take a miracle. We're already seeing cities all over the country take the first steps. We'll get there, slowly but surely.
DrDewott Unfortunately you're right, maybe I should just leave the US lol
The benefits of practical cycling literally cannot be overstated. You get aerobic exercise, don't have to stress out driving in traffic, and save lots of money (even if you still own a car). Oh, and it's a lot tougher to swing through the drive thru after work. ;)
also, your country's entire economy doesn't implode every time some corporate bigwig decides oil can be a little bit more expensive this week
I have a 10 minute commute one way and it's so refreshing to start your work after some medium intensity exercise. I once lived very close to work and was actually happier when I moved and had a commute again.
Public officials like mayors, transportation planners, engineers, teachers and Police need to ride bicycles regularly. If they did they could identify what cycling improvements are needed and can implement them quickly.
I live in Atlanta and there is a lot of push back from the trogs that want better lanes for their oversized suvs. Trogs have infinitely more say over what gets done, even when they don't live here, they commute from the outer burbs. You want change make boomers useful by turning them into mulch.
Walking, Cycling, Electric scooter, Electric Bikes, Electric minicars, Electric golf carts.
@LazicStefan are you made out of sugar? Get on that bicycle!
The US totally destroyed most of our cities with the highway
I hate it here
Come to Canada! Toronto has a decent amount of bike lanes (still could use some work though).
Come to the Netherlands '-))
@@emthegem8141 i live in scarborough and would like to havea word.
@@drfusioncraft ooof i felt that hahaa, the bike lanes that do exist there are like only a foot wide, big sad.
Wrong, not the highway, almost every country needs some form of highway system. Even the Netherlands and Japan. What killed America's dreams is it's extremist zoning laws and culture. The suburbs of America are its downfall in more ways than I can count.
Adding ebikes into the mix makes cycling far more accessible to more people.
My commute is a 34 mile round trip, I ain't doing that on a normal bicycle because I'll be exhausted by the time I reach the office or get home and I'd stay home / use the motorcycle whenever the weather isn't great. On my ebike none of that matters, I can gear up for rain and cycle with relative ease.
I just started biking again after almost 20 years!
Its fun and i feel healthier especially with not many cars around to hit you i feel like it can be considered an option
Sometimes it’s not the cycle lanes that we need more of, we just need some of them to connect with each other and be PROTECTED. I WOULD LIKE ALL OF THE SUBURBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS IN UK TO IMPLEMENT SIGNAGE AND IMPROVE THE PAVEMENTING. WE DONT NEED TO ADD SOMETIMES, WE JUST NEED TO IMPROVE.
I ride my bike for a lot of reasons here in Bogotá. Always choose to ride in the road with the cars because of two main reasons.
1. Security issues: everyday cyclists get robbed and often stabbed when using the bike lanes located in the sidewalk (like in Seville) and those kind of bike lanes are the majority of the bike system for the city.
2. Those bike lanes are full of pot holes. Or the concrete is really rough with too much grip. Or the tree roots lift the concrete and put you in an MTB situation in seconds. Or the ramps used to conect the bike lane in a crossing are not well built and you have to sometimes get off the bike to pass them.
Our politicians are always making publicity about the bike system of Bogotá but for the cyclists there are more flaws than positive elements.
Cycling parking is also really limited, specially in the night.
Our best bike experience is on sundays and holydays when several lanes of several avenues in the city transform from car to bike lanes. This system connects a lot of the city and it is more enjoyable than riding in those narrow bike lanes in the sidewalks.
Friends all over the world... let's start the permanent transformation!! 👍🌍 Same world, same problem! Best regards from Germany!
Got a bike a week ago and kept the pace with work and errands. I live in Japan, so I can take for granted the safety of leaving my bike outside a store among other riders. I love riding here, and I will miss it greatly when I leave. I hope the UK continues to improve and set an example for other western countries.
This is a great moment to convert many cities towards bike friendly cities and I am hopeful change will happen
This video wont get the attention it needs. Go bikes tho.
Like and share.
@@offwhitemke Absolutely, when I have seen this video has under 1 million views, I got sad. This should be a virial movement right now world wide!
it is a step. We've become very impatient these last decades... Small steps will have to do, in a lot of cases. Stick to it! Don't give up and keep coming up with initiatives. a lot of small steps can equal the giant steps we foresee. We just have to settle, not give up on the small steps. Otherwise, nothing changes.
@@corbeau-_- That's true! I think change is inevitable but one could wish for somethings to change faster. I will still contribute and seek to do more.
@@offwhitemke And comment.
I come from Vietnam and I have high hopes for the future of bicycle cities in my homeland
Make safe bikelanes and the bikers will follow.
It took 6 seconds to see that this video editor really knows what he's doing.
The transition from the bike to the bus to the city was really amazing.
Reinforced what was said and was visually interesting.
Congrats!
I really can't understand where the revenue comes from for Bloomberg to make such high quality videos
Selling terminals mostly
wait seriously?
When the people in your city cycle in helmets and special clothing, you know that your city has already failed :P
it's ok, they're progressing
@ILovePancakes24 nah, but forexample here in the netherlands, its so safe to cycle, you legally arent required to wear one.
Honestly if London becomes a cycling central I'd consider moving there!
Seems like London could learn a lot from Warsaw. Over the last 10 years, the change and development has been impressive. There is now a road separate network all across the city with more routes being built every year. Plus a hugely popular city rent bike scheme.
Warsaw has wide 3 even 4 lane one direction streets whereas London doesn't even have too many proper 2 lane. London is just too narrow and filled with supply/city infrastructure vehicles. White vans, trucks, delivery or taxis make roads uncomfortable to ride. All of this added to a huge demand on cycling and you have traffic jams on bikes lanes during rush hours. City built major superhighways which are similar to the ones in Sevilla but of course more needs to be done.
Amazingly enough, the way that cycling infrastructure is designed is still evolving. I live in the town of Wageningen, the Netherlands. A recent addition here is a cycle first road. The idea is that bicycles have orecence and cars are guests. They have to adapt. The way this is done is that the entire road is coloured a pinkish red, the standard colour for cycle lanes, with signs that say that cars are allowed. Another one is a waiting time indicator at the traffic lights for bicycles, using a ring of leds that go out one at a time and are all off when the light turns green. I expect that it enhances reaction speed.
The most important thing is to have a _safe_ cycling lane, where the cyclist either rules alone or has priority over any other kind of traffic (like cars).
The ideal safe bicycle infrastructure is it's own system separate from cars. meaning you can get to places in two ways and never have to cross paths with the other commuters.
@@latenightthinker4737 that's not really realistic, and not necessary. While cyclists should be offered routes that cars can't take, particularly shorter routes that might go through parks or extend dead end roads, well designed protected bike lanes, and priority considerations at crossings means bikes can happily travel the same routes vehicles do.
Yeah more important than pedestrian ..... typical Cyclist greedy mentality.
I really wish some of these techniques would be used in the US. Many suburban areas are well developed for them to have bike paths everywhere, but yet we still prioritize the cars. Very happy to see other countries taking a different approach though.
Philippines is like a bike heaven now cause of the abundance of bikes and bike parts.
I don't even want to be a "cyclist". I just think if I'm not going further than 2 miles I should be able to physically bike there safely.
Yeah people in the Netherlands don't really consider themselves cyclists it's just a method of getting around.
Brisbane Sydney and Hobart in Australia are installing new bike lanes which are on trial for 12 months which is great....
This video opened my mind, conceptually on how I view vehicles.
The use of Ebikes extends the range of the common bike and lets you haul larger loads.Five years ago I drove a car 12,000 miles, last year I drove a car for 5000 miles and this year down to 4000 miles. Cars cost 40 to 60 cents a mile that small decrease from last saves over $400. I built the cargo Ebike for $1500, so bicycling was a great investment.
In Sydney, the Sydney City Council puts in bike lanes, and the NSW State Government rips them up and puts in car parking spaces.
That sucks.
I've decided to dedicate my life to cycling as an activist
I'm watching this 8 months late, but it's a great video. More biking equals higher quality of life.
With the advent of the brompton electric bike, it makes it a lot more convenient to use bikes
As for storing bikes, folding bikes are very useful and shouldn't be overlooked. They can be taken indoors at your destination so theft isn't as much as an issue. I recently got a Brompton (folding bike) which I can take on a bus/plane it folds up so small. I also have an electric bike for shopping. As a cyclist I have a different map of the world to most people because I want to keep off main roads and use back streets as they are much quieter safer and often prettier. Cycling requires a different mindset.
It’s time to bike to everything.
Thank you for finally bringing up a critical need, we need to drastically improve the ability to bike!
6:28 Where did he get the costs proportion of 1 highway km = 100 km cycle lane?
I've seen a study from Canada where they say the costs proportion is 1 highway km = 300 km cycle lane!
well that depends. It might just be 3 times more expensive to build cycling lanes in cities like London
Was completely expecting this comment to turn negative. Turned out to be 3x as positive!!
North America seems to generally be even more car-centric than the car-centric European countries. Because of that, it's quite possible that Canada's comparison involved higher-quality highways, lower-quality cycle lanes, or both - and that that explains the difference in cost proportion.
North American car lanes are wider than car lanes in Europe, most of their cars are wider than what you would see in Europe anyways and bigger cars are usually heavier, and North American highways might also have more lanes compared to European highways?
Going to guess it all depends on what they compare to what in the end.
I wish my Ancestral homeland England all the best in 2022 with you cycling infrastructure projects, cheers from Canada!
I have a suggestion for a bike friendly city road sharing plan💡👆🚲🚗.. Every other street should be a bike only street and let's compare the business impact on those changes. I'm very sure it's going to be a positive one because there would be more pedestrian on the bike only streets and that would generate more foot traffic for those businesses
Had a brilliant time cycling in this beautiful city.
I just love biking so i would like this because it can make the day to day
Society: Gains 72 cents through cycling from healthcare spending
Me: Laughs in USA
Yeah, and coming home or at work relaxed and not annoyed at the world can't be measured in $$$.
69 likes😀
And yet the US government spends more per capita on healthcare than the UK government...
I live in the U.S. suburbs and I have nothing when it comes to legit bike lanes. It is a shame as there are rarely any bikers around and I am sharing the road with cars speeding near me, shoulder or riding on the sidewalk. Dangerous. I also ride the shoulder lane of a highway.
- Writes about mobility in cities
- Lives in London
- Bought a bike 4 days ago.
Sounds about right for bloomberg's level of journalism.
To be fair, I thought all the things said in the report were all very much on point, I'm saying as someone with an interest for mobility issues and who has ridren a bike his whole life in Belgium.
So?
I live in Greater London and commute to central. I must say I only start to see cycle infrastructure once I enter the city. It shouldn’t be like this and you can’t have a cycle lane just meters before a set of traffic lights to just disappear afterwards. London needs to pick, either expand on the car or expand on the cycle you can’t be on a standstill for both.....
I like how you filmed a lot of this is Peckham and Dulwich.
Cycling can become a symbol of protest against a lot of modern evils.
Unfortunately this is much harder to do in America, just because the very structure of our cities has been built around cars. Many businesses are spread out, designed to cover very large areas that a car can traverse fairly quickly.
American cities were not built for cars. They were bulldozed in the 20th century to make room for cars.
Hi I'm from Jakarta, Indonesia. our city become more friendly to cyclist. the city recently expand its bike lane, and more people commute with bike.
at the same time rules for cyclist also improve, we required to wear helmet, and needs to intall bell and mydflaps, even if you use mtb or roadbike.
anyway, thanks for nice video, and have a safe ride.
Compulsory helmet laws are a bad idea as they reduce cycling trips. When Australian states took that route, cyclist numbers reduced (especially among children), while road deaths & injuries remained the same. Cyclists with or without helmets live longer than the general population, so the fact there where fewer cyclist had a negative effect on the countries obesity, heart attack rates etc. without reducing the number road accident victims.
You need to have a bell in the Netherlands as well, that much I agree with.
In my city they were building a cycle path and got backlash for it. Hope they could understand the benefits of these kinds of Infrastructure.
Bikes should have madatory safety features as cars do. Since bikers are very vulnerable to crashes, the number one priority should be to avoid those in the first place. And you do that by improving visibility: obligatory reflectors in the wheels (side view) and front/back. obligatory working lighting. obligatory working bell.
In Germany this is mandatory, in the UK apparently not (or the journalist just doesn't care) Please also enforce it.
Happy and safe cycling to everyone
Obligatory bell in Germany is actually great. I visited Hannover from the US (where people rarely use bells), and passing and communicating with riders/pedestrians is so much easier.
I think the vulnerability of bikes is a bit misleading, since bikes are very vulnerable to crashes with CARS, which is usually caused by infrastructure/driver error. Removing cars and offering training in cycling safety would go a long way towards making bikes less vulnerable.
6:39 Mikael Colville-Anderson (Copenhagenize) rails against adjacent bi-directional bike lane traffic. Notice how bike lane also next to oncoming vehicle traffic with no physical separation. (:-( Paint physical separation: paint < bollards/cones < curb < fence < Jersey barrier.
Even in the Netherlands, cities are still steering towards more cycling and fewer cars for the exact same reasons mentioned in this vid: lower costs, less congestion, less polution, better health.
in addition to highlighting how bikes can improve our cities, can you make a video about improving natural spaces to provide ecosystem services?
Cities are for the inhabitants and their transportation needs. Pedestrians first then people on bicycles or mobility scooters etc, and then cars and delivery trucks. Neighborhoods without through roads only access roads and lots of traffic calming.
Shoutout to the cameraman riding backwards for the shot
It's quite hard to implement this in a more dense country such as the Philippines, but movement towards 2 wheels is the future if there's less space to work with!
The thing especially in a more dense situation is, that it's cars, not bikes, that waste the existing space. Take the streets from the wasters.
I've always thought of having a "Fast Lane" for those who want to get someplace faster, and a slow-lane for those who don't have a need for speed. It should be part of the thought process now, so bike lanes/paths do not have to be engineered later at additional expense.
typically you just say "on your left" or something and the person in front of you will let you pass
@@latenightthinker4737 you don't honk your horn at every car you pass nor should you have to do the same for bikes, especially in places with lots of people.
@@Shrouded_reaper right, and that's why in cities that have high bicycle traffic it's already a thing to have the passing lane on the left side and if someone on the left side is someone you want to pass you say "on your left" simple
I love bikes !!
I was always very pro-bike, having longed for the romantic scenes of Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and living in Southern California. It could never adopt here though, way too dangerous with no clear paths, and nonexistent incentives. Now, as a permanently disabled person with a whole slew of belongings that have to come with on every trip, I have had to bid a farewell to that dream once and for all. An electric cargo bike would be a fleeting fantasy.
@@eiypo there is no winning that fight. We can't even prevent police brutality and bias, convincing the real monsters that are politicians is a losing battle. It doesn't stand to profit any of them.
Ironically southern California was the site of the first bike highway but it was abandoned after the car became king in America.
@@carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102 yikes
A very important part of cycle-safety on busy crossroads is to have bicycles move separately from cars.
It’s also important to have sufficient affordable housing so that more people can live within biking distance from their work - looking at you California 🙄
Not everyone uses bikes. There are many of us who use rollerblades, skateboards, (non electric) scooters etc. We have different requirements from bike users and the most important of these is a smooth road surface and wider lanes.
True even though most people will be using bikes I agree that we should attempt building some infrastructure for people using those modes of transportation as well
Great choice on the bike mate. I'm very hopeful about the surge in cycling thanks to the virus.
3:54-4:16 Says it all
Not only a better environment, but a better healthy and millions saved to the healthy system
Commenting for the popularity of this video . Go bikes!
Great video! I love me some bikes. However, at a couple of points it felt like it was down on public transport too because of infection risk, and I would hate to lose public transport infrastructure. We need to unite advocates for cycling and public transport to finally get more cars off the road
In North America, physical barriers are absolutely ESSENTIAL due to all the suburban drunks who feel entitled to drive home from the bar and who will easily drift into the bike lane without noticing. The lack of enforcement of DUIs is obviously another colossal issue.
funly enough i'm working on a project on a bike paths network on my uni and, let me tell you the city norms are very pissy about the whole bikes over cars thing, has taken me a whole week to find all the information that norms the one estreet i'm assigned and it insist on parking spaces and freedoms for car traffic, hopefully our teacher will actually present it to the municipality and it will get accepted so we'll have bike paths
Tell them to vacation in the Netherlands
This video missed one important mark and that'd be zoning. This is all possible in many Asian and European countries given their close proximity living. But this would be much harder to implement in an American city because of the separation between amenities and housing. American suburbs make it impossible for cycling to a viable form of daily transportation because you'd spend so much time just getting out of the suburbs. Along with adding bicycle infrastructure and safety measures, start reorganizing cities and towns and start changing zoning laws
Part of the answer is to make bikes more enjoyable, less of a fight to ride. Many cities are tough on bike riders because of the topography...too many hills. We need to promote ebikes big time. Mainstream affordable ebikes and the problem will solve itself.
7:00 at 20 mph (30 km/h) you don't need a cyclepath by the way. At least we in the Netherlands have figured out how to do mixed traffic there: we lay down bricks on those roads and that screams to everyone: hey, this is a mixed zone, slow down! Incidently my old town needs cyclelanes where the speed is 50 km/h, so I like to slow those down to 30 km/h. Just speed up out of town, thanks very much. Again, shows you we're not done in the Netherlands. Not yet.
What is needed is a cycling infrastructure that is inherently safe. People are often surprised to see Dutch cyclists not wearing helmets. The reason they don't is that their safety is guaranteed by the infrastructure, not by what they wear.
Dear engies, please care about quality of cycle path besides lenght. Asphalt ones totally outclass cobble-bricked
Don't reinvent the wheel, just copy what the Dutch do. A cycling lane is not enough, traffic needs to be separated as much as possible. A curb between the road and the cycling lane is a first step. Just visit any Dutch city and see how it's done. Also important are intelligent traffic lights that optimize throughput. Drivers need to understand that it's also better for them, you can't get annoyed by a cyclist if it isn't on your road. It'll be better for everyone.
At 4:40 your video was interrupted by an ad for Ford Bronco!
In Amsterdam cars don't own the road.
If there's a accident between car and a bike the car is always in the wrong.
You need to start whit the transformation.
Electric cars and trucks are ending the pollution problem. As a middle-aged male I loved to bike ride until I recently and permanently am unable to ride a bike or walk very far. I guess the handicapped will be stranded at home. I also can't see well enough to use electric scooters and wheelchairs outside.
would you rely on public transport then?
Would you ride an ebike? If you go to places like Amsterdam, plenty of disabled people ride assisted bikes (partially funded by gov I believe) there’s also micro cars for disabled people which can go in bike lanes :)
Mobility scooters can also drive on bicycle lanes
Even if electric vehicles solved the pollution problem, they would not solve the traffic congestion problem. When more people who are able to ride a bike do so when they can will mean less traffic for those like you who can't.
Imagine getting to where you are going in your car faster because 50% of the able bodied people are riding bikes.
@@captainmakai I think it depends on the nature of the disability. Assisted bikes can be a great help to some disabled people others still would have issues. For many people, cars and public transportation are the only way to get around, and they can't be left out of the conversation or they will be stuck at home. I think the answer isn't "everybody should ride a bike", or "everyone should drive a car" but rather making many different methods of transportation accessible to everyone. If you are able to swap your car for something else, doing that would leave more space/infrastructure for those who rely on a car as their only option.
Geneva is a brilliant city for cyclists. And priority is always for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and last for cars.
The point that there is more carstreets in Amsterdam is some bs. Yes there are more streets that are also reachable by car but we make sure to separate the main cycle paths form the car streets. We also discourage driving for cars on alot of streets so that it is in fact really safe to cycle on. Technically it is a car street but there is a heavy focus on the cycling. We also have a different grid for cycling which is almost completely apart from the car grid.
If you want to find out more about amsterdams infrastructure look up not just bikes on youtube and find out how the dutch do it.
The biggest obstacle in the UK is the mentatlity from drivers towards cyclists. They would rather run them over instead of sharing a bit of road space.
Humans are the same wherever you go. Some countries mitigate this by building decent separate infrastructure for different modes, so it doesn't make any difference if drivers are inconsiderate or not.
just look at the netherlands(not just amsterdam) if you want to look at bike friendly areas, everyone uses a bike here
I was just thinking about buying a bike. This is a sign
Actually cycle lanes to the level of the pavement are not the best idea. It does not separate physically what is space for pedestrians, what is for bikes. And so the tendency is for both to intermingle. Instead the bike lane should be to the level of the roadway, because bikes are a vehicle, and segregated with a physical or planted divider.
Things are changing - here in Ipswich, some of our existing cycle lanes have had bollards installed, which means the cars aren't driving right on the lines; some streets have been closed to through motorized traffic; and yesterday, I spotted a public tyre pump complete with pressure gauge.
I also feel car drivers [on the whole] are more courteous towards cyclists than they were a few years back.
Cycle racks are still poor though; they are often badly located - not in clear view, ideal for thieves - not near where cyclists want to be.
East Anglia is flat. it should be a cycling paradise on a par with the Netherlands just over the water.