All posts by John Dawson

Why America’s Love Affair with Cars Is No Accident

why-americas-love-affair-cars-no-accident_1The auto industry campaigned against the relatively bloody rise of cars in the early 20th century via TV, the term “jaywalker” and school safety patrols

Drivers may feel spooked by seeing the first self-driving cars appear in coming years. But the new era could prove far less disruptive and bloody than the automobile’s 20th-century battle to push pedestrians off U.S. streets.

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Cyclists welcome rejection by An Bord Pleanala of controversial Kerry N86 road design

Cyclists hail scrapping of NRA “fake greenway” scheme

Similar schemes based on putting recreational and touring cyclists beside busy trunk roads should now be halted and reviewed by Government

Cyclist.ie, Ireland’s National Cycling Network and Lobby Group, has welcomed An Bord Pleanala’s rejection (9 September) of a controversial Kerry County Council/National Roads Authority (NRA) scheme for the N86 in the Dingle peninsula. The road upgrade scheme running from Camp to Dingle had attracted particular concern because the designers planned to co-locate a tourist cycle-path directly beside high speed traffic for the entire length of the scheme (28 km), rather than making use of the old Tralee-Dingle Railway alignment (abandoned) and adjacent minor roads along the route. The designers missed the fact that an off road cycle route would be a tourist attraction in itself, creating an entirely new tourist product. Continue reading Cyclists welcome rejection by An Bord Pleanala of controversial Kerry N86 road design

Economic benefits of cycling in the EU-27

German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Europe’s biggest bike trade fair Eurobike last Wednesday, signaling a huge step forward for the cycling advocacy movement. At the same time ECF released its analysis of the “Economic benefits of cycling in the EU-27” making it clear that such high level interest in cycling is set to continue. Senior politicians are beginning to realize that daily cycling not only changes the face of our cities for the better, it also makes much sense in economic terms.

Continue reading Economic benefits of cycling in the EU-27

Cycling in Dublin and Berlin (Burkhard Horn)

11505387-STANDARDAs a student and tourist I cycled around Ireland in 1988 without a care, knowing nothing about the country. In June 2013, 25 years later, I had an unusual and unbelievably enriching experience when I came back to Ireland to talk about Berlin’s policies on cycle traffic at the National Bike Week in Dublin. Now that I am a traffic planner, specialising in cycle promotion, I see Dublin through quite different eyes. Read article & see earlier post.