Copenhagen has 37% of journeys made by bike

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Permalink Reply by LS on December 3, 2011 at 23:51

No it couldn't. Too many stupid people.

  

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Permalink Reply by Jon Ingram on December 4, 2011 at 8:16

Slow of wit indeed. Wonder what it would take? Dynamite?

That report makes great reading, doesn't it? The part that brought joy to my heart was where it says they "prioritise cycles along the primary routes, so that cycles travelling at 20km/hr can travel non-stop into the city."

What? Not just paint on a few feet of white line making it a slower, twistier, more dangerous route than if you just cycle on the road? Bloody foreigners - it's just not British!

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Permalink Reply by John KIRK on December 4, 2011 at 9:18

We need to get our Council leaders and MPs over to Copenhagen to see how it can be done. What has been done in Copenhagen has taken real political leadership,planning and 10 years.Parkinson's Big City Plan hardly addressed cycling or walking . Yes Copenhagen is flatter than Birmingham but I have seen more people cycling in Sheffield than here!

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Permalink Reply by LS on December 4, 2011 at 10:24

Deputy Leader Paul Tilsley and Head of Sustainability (?), Sandy Taylor  went to the Copenhagen Summit a couple of years ago. Klaus Bondam, (ex) Mayor of Copenhagen responsible for sustainability / cycling has spoken at conferences in Birmingham in 2009 and a few weeks ago. Lynne Jones, ex MP for Selly Oak went on a Parliamentary visit to Holland to look af cycling there a few years ago (video on this site). I haven't seen any evidence that these visits had any impact on cycling at all.
The city ieaders and most people living here are obsessed with the motor car. Councillors who supposedly support cycling are afraid to change anything that would upset car owners.

I could go on but I'm trying to get back to sleep but there's fat chance of that with cars going past my window every 10 seconds (on a Sunday morning).





John KIRK said:

We need to get our Council leaders and MPs over to Copenhagen to see how it can be done. What has been done in Copenhagen has taken real political leadership,planning and 10 years.Parkinson's Big City Plan hardly addressed cycling or walking . Yes Copenhagen is flatter than Birmingham but I have seen more people cycling in Sheffield than here!

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Permalink Reply by LS on December 4, 2011 at 10:47

Council Leader Mike Whitby gets chauffer driven Jag for lunch in city centre restaurants a few minutes walk from the council house. At our expense.

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Permalink Reply by John KIRK on December 4, 2011 at 11:44

That's because his combover might get a little wind blown.Maybe a hairnet could save the planet ?

LS said:

Council Leader Mike Whitby gets chauffer driven Jag for lunch in city centre restaurants a few minutes walk from the council house. At our expense.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Carins on December 4, 2011 at 11:45

This blog makes ineresting reading for those who think Birmingham is too hilly for cycling:

 

http://thisbigcity.net/san-francisco-became-cycling-city-against-odds/

 

Birmingham has few hills, sure, but it's nothing compared to San Francisco or even Sheffield!

 

Cycling is simply seen as too crackpot, and cars are too mainstream. It would be political suicide to prioritise cycling over driving.  There are heaps of simple and effective policy measures that would cut traffic - massive increases on car parking charges in the city centre would be one - and therefore make cycling safer, without having to faff around with "cycling infrastructure". 

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Permalink Reply by John KIRK on December 4, 2011 at 11:48

Useful information.Didn't know these visits had happened, probably because very little has changed as a consequence. I do think the 37% figure is a useful political lever though,even in a car obsessed city. Am not ready for giving up yet! LS said:

Deputy Leader Paul Tilsley and Head of Sustainability (?), Sandy Taylor  went to the Copenhagen Summit a couple of years ago. Klaus Bondam, (ex) Mayor of Copenhagen responsible for sustainability / cycling has spoken at conferences in Birmingham in 2009 and a few weeks ago. Lynne Jones, ex MP for Selly Oak went on a Parliamentary visit to Holland to look af cycling there a few years ago (video on this site). I haven't seen any evidence that these visits had any impact on cycling at all.
The city ieaders and most people living here are obsessed with the motor car. Councillors who supposedly support cycling are afraid to change anything that would upset car owners.

I could go on but I'm trying to get back to sleep but there's fat chance of that with cars going past my window every 10 seconds (on a Sunday morning).





John KIRK said:

We need to get our Council leaders and MPs over to Copenhagen to see how it can be done. What has been done in Copenhagen has taken real political leadership,planning and 10 years.Parkinson's Big City Plan hardly addressed cycling or walking . Yes Copenhagen is flatter than Birmingham but I have seen more people cycling in Sheffield than here!

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Permalink Reply by LS on December 4, 2011 at 11:58

It's probably not 37% of people but 37% of journeys. I think more people cycle but not for every journey.

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Permalink Reply by LS on December 4, 2011 at 12:02

This shows a couple of things wrong in Birmingham...
http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-transport-news/201...
1. The belief that widening roads in the city centre is the solution to congestion.
2. Including car parking for apartments across the road from New Street station.

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Permalink Reply by John KIRK on December 4, 2011 at 12:04

San Francisco is a challenge in terms of hills which makes 6% impressive. Maybe what we need is a few Green party cllrs who hold the balance of power in a hung Council. £180 Million on a new library ironically covered In what look like bike wheels is a strange project in an era when very few people are reading books.Maybe cycling is for the weird minority.It is generally for the White,middle class and male commuter from the outer city.I have never seen a black or South Asian woman on a bike in Birmingham in 10 years of living and cycling here.Unless those racial and gender groups can be encouraged there is no chance of getting to 3.7% never mind 37%.
Daniel Carins said:

This blog makes ineresting reading for those who think Birmingham is too hilly for cycling:

 

http://thisbigcity.net/san-francisco-became-cycling-city-against-odds/

 

Birmingham has few hills, sure, but it's nothing compared to San Francisco or even Sheffield!

 

Cycling is simply seen as too crackpot, and cars are too mainstream. It would be political suicide to prioritise cycling over driving.  There are heaps of simple and effective policy measures that would cut traffic - massive increases on car parking charges in the city centre would be one - and therefore make cycling safer, without having to faff around with "cycling infrastructure". 

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Permalink Reply by LS on December 4, 2011 at 12:31

http://www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=13579
Mentions bringing someone over from the US to demonstrate the Copenhagen wheel bikes, it didn't happen but it would make more sense to buy some for council staff to use. Also they took pleasure in parading electric (coal powered) cars in Copenhagen. Embarrassing.



John KIRK said:

Useful information.Didn't know these visits had happened, probably because very little has changed as a consequence. I do think the 37% figure is a useful political lever though,even in a car obsessed city. Am not ready for giving up yet!

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