Category Archives: International Posts

Outside EU / UK / US

Social vs Individual (Travel) Mode Costs

“Although these costs are easy to overlook, that doesn’t make them any less real,” says George Poulos, a transportation engineer and planner who analyzed the data behind the Cost of Commute Calculator. “Sometimes we pay them upfront, other times indirectly. But, at the end of the day, we still pay them, so we should consider them in our calculus when making big decisions.”

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The Business Case for Converting Street Parking Into Bike Lanes

… here’s the thing about the “studies on possible economic impacts” requested by retailers, or really wherever bike-lane plans emerge: they’ve been done. And done. And done again. And they all reach a similar conclusion: replacing on-street parking with a bike lane has little to no impact on local business, and in some cases might even increase business. While cyclists tend to spend less per shopping trip than drivers, they also tend to make more trips, pumping more total money into the local economy over time … Read Article

Let’s talk seriously about why cyclists break traffic laws

A view from the US (Washington Post)

In full disclosure, I have scoffed the law while cycling. In my neighborhood at night, when there’s no one around, I have rolled through a stop sign. I have paused at an intersection, “no turn on red,” and then done exactly that on a bike. I do these things … occasionally.

“I do, too,” says Wesley Marshall, now that we’re confessing. “If I’m sitting at a red light next to a bunch of cars, and there are no cars crossing, I’ll go through the red light to establish myself in the street in the next block, because I feel like I’m safer doing that.”

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ECF Factsheet on Fast Cycling Routes

FAST CYCLING ROUTES, WHAT ARE THEY?

Fast cycling routes are “high standard bicycle paths reserved for cyclists for fast and direct commuting over long distances.”

The 5 widely agreed criteria for high-quality cycling infrastructure can be applied to fast cycle routes. These are: 1. Safety, 2. Coherence, 3. Directness, 4. Comfort, 5. Attractiveness.

Beyond that, additional commonly agreed criteria and characteristics do not exist yet as the concept of fast cycling routes is relatively new.

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Paris plans to ban cars from its city center

Paris is surging toward the front of the peloton of European cities racing for more bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets. Mayor Anne Hidalgo recently announced an ambitious plan to transform the historic city center into a “semi-pedestrianized” zone, where walking and biking will be encouraged, and automobile access will be limited to emergency vehicles, residents’ cars, and delivery trucks. Read article

ECF stresses economic benefits of cycling

Europe: The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) has put out a growth plan detailing how the cycling community can contribute to economic growth in Europe.

The ECF’s Kevin Mayne said: “We can create more jobs for Europeans through investment in cycling, not only because it has a proven record for creation of green and sustainable jobs, but because of the huge contributions it makes to the EU’s wider objectives. Our partners, our businesses and policy makers are ready to build on cycling’s current 650,000 jobs and €217bn per year contribution to the EU economy.”

There are three main focus points for the ECF: great investment in cycling through provision of EU subsidies; integration of cycling into growth plans; and provision of fiscal benefits for cyclists.

The report stresses that 650,000 full time jobs are linked to cycling in Europe today. It argues that this figure could increase to up to one million by 2020, should cycling’s modal share double.

According to the ECF, over €2bn can be utilised from the EU up to 2020 to invest into cycling resources.

The cycling organisation argues that its plan fits into the European Commission’s pushing of a €300bn investment strategy, saying that cycling can play an important role in the future of Europe and should receive adequate investment.