Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,438 Location: Paris, France
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #90 on May 3, 2010, 5:28am »
The office is too far -- more than a 30-minute ride, which would mean parking a bike somewhere along the way and having to wait a few minutes until I could take a new one out.
Also, I am not a big fan of biking in rush hour traffic in those areas (other routes are not a problem).
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #91 on Jul 8, 2010, 2:28pm »
It is with tremendous glee that I post the following pictures. At long,long last, a bicycle path along a major corridor just 2 blocks from my house. They began work on back around Carnival time and have just opened it to traffic. It is on both sides of the avenue and runs from Saint Charles Avenue all the way to Earhart Blvd. You have no idea how long I have waited for this!!!! (This may not seem like a big deal for most cities but,this is New Orleans, and it's a real big deal!!)
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 25,290 Location: Mexico
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #92 on Jul 8, 2010, 5:54pm »
*jaw drops*
Casimira, this is fabulous! Do you feel that the configuration will lessen the chance of people opening the doors of their parked vehicles into oncoming bikes? Maybe it's gotten better through the years, but I always felt New Orleans drivers were particularly bone-headed about sharing the road with cyclists.
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #93 on Jul 8, 2010, 6:22pm »
They're a bit better about it Bixa,although, I don't ride my bike down Oak Street during peak hours for that very reason. Generally,on Carrollton, in the pics, one can see ahead of time when on a bike and holler out or do whatever to avoid being doored. It really depends on the street and also in what part of town and time of day. By and large, it is better though. The new bike path has gotten a fair amount of press and in the stories about they do address that particular issue. I never thought I would live to see the day this would happen. They are putting one in on Saint Charles Ave. as we speak. It is so very cool.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,438 Location: Paris, France
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #94 on Jul 8, 2010, 8:18pm »
That is fantastic, Casimira. It takes a while for the cars to adapt, but they have no choice. We have won the battle. Within 6 months, Bixa will be taking photos of her new cycle paths.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 5,367 Location: Montana & Florida, USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #96 on Jul 17, 2010, 3:36pm »
(I have forwarded a link to this Any Port thread to our local Pedestrian Bicycle Coordinator in hopes that he will be inspired to move our fair city forward into bicycle-vehicle equality.)
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #100 on Jul 31, 2010, 9:35am »
I heard on the news yesterday,that London has gone the same route with bicycles as Paris,using a similar model for public rental etc. I will be curious to see/hear how this goes from some of our British friends and any thoughts they may have on the system. I don't see how it could be a bad thing. And, perhaps,some of the kinks were worked out using Paris as a model,what to avoid etc.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,548 Location: Montréal
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #101 on Jul 31, 2010, 5:28pm »
They are using our BIXI bikes now ... though quite understandably there are people in the UK who think they could build their own! Alas much of the once-proud British bicycle manufacture has been outsourced... The Brompton folders are still made in London though.
Here is a YouTube not to be missed, with Amsterdam promoting its bicycle culture involving people of all ages and walks of life, and some impressed tourists:
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,438 Location: Paris, France
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #102 on Jul 31, 2010, 5:39pm »
Current systems
Europe
Villo!, Brussels, Belgium Bycyklen, Copenhagen, Denmark V'hello, Aix-en-Provence, France Vélam, Amiens, France Vélopop', Avignon, France VéloCité, Besançon, France VCUB, Bordeaux, France V’eol, Caen, France Vel'in, Calais, France VélO2, Cergy-Pontoise, France Réflex, Chalon-sur-Saône, France Cristolib, Créteil, France Velodi, Dijon, France Yélo, La Rochelle, France Vélo'v, Lyon, France Le vélo, Marseille, France Vélomagg', Montpellier, France VéloCité, Mulhouse, France VélOstan, Nancy, France Bicloo, Nantes, France Vélo Bleu, Nice, France Vélib', Paris, France BIP!, Perpignan, France Velcom, Plaine-Commune, France Cap'Vélo, Poitiers, France LE vélo STAR, Rennes, France Cy'clic, Rouen, France Vélo Vert, St. Etienne, France VélôToulouse, Toulouse, France Libélo, Valence, France Vélocéa, Vannes, France Dublin Bikes, Dublin, Ireland BikeMi, Milan, Italy OYBike Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales, UK OYBike Farnborough, Farnborough, England, UK OYBike Reading, Reading, England, UK Barclays Cycle Hire London, England, UK Bicing, Barcelona, Spain Girocleta, Girona, Spain n'bici, Pamplona, Spain Sevici, Seville, Spain ValenbiSi!, Valencia, Spain Stockholm City bikes, Stockholm, Sweden
North America
As of 2010 the following systems are operating in North America:
DECOBIKE Miami Beach & South Beach Public Bicycle Sharing & Rental Program, Miami Beach, FL | | starting Sept. 15th, 2010 www.decobike.com
B-Cycle - Denver, CO -www.denver.bcycle.com Bixi - Montreal, Canada Blue Bike - Buffalo, New York Nice Ride - Minneapolis, Minnesota SmartBike DC - Washington, D.C. B-cycle - Chicago, Illinois - 100 bicycles in 3 locations yellow bike program- marquette, michigan
Universities
Green Bike - St. Xavier University, Chicago, IL Green Bike Program- Keene State College, Keene, NH Reggie Ride - Illinois State University, Normal, IL Southwestern University- Pirate Bike Program ZotWheels- University of California, Irvine. Yellow Bike Program - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona Yellow Bike Program - Hampshire College, Amherst, MA NYU Bike Share - New York University, New York, NY Geen Bikes - St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,438 Location: Paris, France
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #103 on Jul 31, 2010, 5:45pm »
That list is clearly not up to date, because I saw a system in Luxembourg last month. If things are developing too fast for Wikipedia to keep up, things are looking up.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,548 Location: Montréal
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #104 on Jul 31, 2010, 6:46pm »
Yes, it is a positive sign. I'm sure there are others they have missed as well. Think one is starting up in Toronto, but it might be only a pilot project (like a small one in Ottawa and Gatineau). And there is a new one in Melbourne.
Odd that US cities get their state, but Mtl is simply in "Canada".
Kerouac, there doesn't seem to a be such a scheme in Strasbourg, which is the top French city for cycling as share of transport modes.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,548 Location: Montréal
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #105 on Jul 31, 2010, 7:31pm »
Strasbourg seems to have a different type of system, addressed in particular to people travelling to the city for tourism or business: http://www.velocation.net/
Probably because so many people have their own bicycles there.
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #106 on Jul 31, 2010, 7:39pm »
Pitiful representation from the US. I'm not surprised re.Miami Beach,it's the most bicycle friendly city I've ever visited,wouldn't dream of using a car there,and haven't,if only to get to and from the airport. For a city of it's size,NYC is surprisingly bike friendly,although,people tell me I'm nuts when I say this.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,548 Location: Montréal
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #107 on Jul 31, 2010, 10:16pm »
I don't think it's nuts at all - so many people walk (often quite a long way, for fitness as well as practicality) and take public transport in NYC that it should logically be more bicycle-friendly than cities where everyone drives everywhere. And New York has made quite a few improvements - there was a big push celebrating the founding of New Amsterdam, (Amsterdam sent over bicycles, no doubt tulips as well). I've read some interesting articles about a cultural conflict though, in Brooklyn. Some of the ultraorthodox Jews in certain areas of the borough don't want bicycle paths since they want to keep to themselves - and there was the issue (grossly overstated) of "scantily-clad" young lovelies on bicycles.
Joined: Nov 2011 Gender: Female Posts: 48 Location: Toronto Canada
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #108 on Aug 1, 2010, 1:10am »
Toronto is hardly on the 'cutting edge' of cycling. The exciting news is that we hope to have the BIXA program in place by the end of November, 2010, if enough people pledge subscriptions. It appears to be similar to the Paris system. We need it. http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/
My cycling friends have told me how difficult it is to get around Toronto with bicycles. You can try to plot a quiet route, but you usually have no option but to be fighting on streets with heavy traffic, perhaps 10 blocks later, or much more, it is calm. Drivers of cars and bicycles have little idea how to live peacefully together. It's frightening when I am signaling to turn right, ignored by the cyclist (to my right), who whizzes blissfully through, completely ignoring my signal. Perhaps cyclists, as well as car drivers, should have to pass a 'rules of the road' test.
But, we really do need provision for cyclists in Toronto. Slowly, in the last few years, more and more bicycle lanes are appearing. More people would use bicycles…if they felt safe! Our subway system was badly planned originally, with little to no thought of growth. Therefore, the predominant use of cars.
Paris and Toronto are very close is size and this says it all:
Paris Metro: Begun in 1900 and now has 16 lines. Their designer had incredible foresight.
Toronto Subway: Begun in 1954 and now has 4 lines. (!)
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,548 Location: Montréal
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #109 on Aug 1, 2010, 1:47am »
Jazz, while I utterly agree about clueless cyclists, there are MANY motorists here who don't understand my utterly standard hand signals. Also, many here start turning right when there is a green arrow indicating cars, bicycles etc can move straight ahead but not turn, cutting everyone else off.
In the Netherlands and Denmark, schoolchildren have classes in cycling as part of their physical education regimen. This also means that drivers (almost all of whom are also cyclists) have taken these classes as well. I was happy to see some initiatives by community groups for cycling classes for adults.
Our métro system was planned with provision for growth, but we don't have any money (or so they say).
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #110 on Aug 1, 2010, 9:04pm »
I agree that riding a bicycle in NYC is not nuts and try to convey this to as many people as I can. I think a lot of people's perception of NYC is derived from seeing movies,with massive traffic,honking horns,general madness. While traffic can get pretty crazy during rush hour,mid and downtown in particular,the streets are lined out so perfectly for cyclists to zip around. Most of my riding while there is confined to a general area,the Village,both East and West are a breeze to ride through (one does have to know where one's going of course) and to get over to the West side and vice versa,one gets to ride through lovely Central Park.There are parts of the city that I don't know real well,and although, lined out in a grid,I would probably avoid,just based on my general ignorance of them. I was hoping to hear from Patrick London in here and his take on the new London system. I hope Toronto does get it together,it's such a lovely city,a bike system seems ideal.
Joined: Nov 2011 Gender: Female Posts: 48 Location: Toronto Canada
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #111 on Aug 2, 2010, 2:15am »
I am surprised that New York is so bicycle friendly! We seem to have a long way to go here in Toronto. Just today my friend was cycling in a downtown cemetary and emailed me with this. '...Hey, I almost hit a deer today while riding my bike. In Mt. Pleasant cemetery a young buck with velvet on his horns hopped out in front of me and I had to slam on my brakes. He was as surprised as me!...'
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #114 on Aug 5, 2010, 4:45pm »
So,after going out for a ride this morning to run some errands and reshoot some pics of our beautiful new bike path,who do I encounter but the cyclist's enemy #2 (after the opening car door). This UPS driver,pulls up his truck to make a delivery,right after this major intersection,and right turn,just as I am approaching on my bike!!! As you can see,I have to veer to my left to avoid him,and there's a changing of the light with a steady stream of traffic right behind me!! They don't give a damn!
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 5,367 Location: Montana & Florida, USA
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #115 on Aug 5, 2010, 5:04pm »
Glad to see you've resurrected your photos, casi, and this thread as well.
I would add that Missoula had a green cycles lending program where you could pick up a bike for free wherever you saw it parked and return it whenever and wherever you wanted. The bikes were rebuilt by volunteers and painted green. The program was phased out when all the bikes ended up in the bushes or the rivers with the "borrowed" shopping carts. Need to fine-tune the program.
Since most people own bikes here, though, it works well that many businesses, including Walmart, have bike lockers where you can safely store your ride out of the weather and away from thieves and scavengers who will take off your seat or wheels or lights...
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,438 Location: Paris, France
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #116 on Aug 5, 2010, 5:25pm »
None of the totally free bike systems anywhere in the world has ever worked, so I guess we are not living in a perfect world yet. What is always interesting in the articles about the failed system is how long they lasted until the last bike disappeared or was destroyed.
It has often been pointed out that subway systems such as Paris would cost hardly anything or maybe even save money if they became free -- no tickets, no turnstiles, no ticket checkers, no big computer control system, etc., not to mention more use and therefore fewer cars on the road.
But apparently every single survey everywhere has indicated that people do not respect anything that they don't have to pay for -- and the cost of vandalism is huge.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,548 Location: Montréal
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #117 on Aug 5, 2010, 9:11pm »
I'm not sure that would apply to a métro system though.
Obviously we have to pay for any public good, such as education, healthcare etc.
I do think a free (or rather publicly-funded) métro system would be worth experimenting, as all the controlleurs and such is costing a fortune in Paris. It might well save money.
There is a lot of vandalism of the Vélib system now, and it isn't free-of-charge.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 25,290 Location: Mexico
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #118 on Aug 7, 2010, 5:36pm »
Here's a nice little piece of serendipity ~~
I was looking for something on the Paris board and saw a subject heading I didn't remember. Clicking on it leads to a thread about lost revenue on the Paris Métro because of scammers:
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,982 Location: South-West France
Re: Cycling in the city « Reply #119 on Aug 8, 2010, 5:58am »
Noticing Casi's picture in 114, I see the NO bike lanes are on the outside of the parked car zone. This is what they have in the few places in Toulouse that has painted lanes along streets. Absolutely useless, and ours are half the width of the NO ones. And they also tend to stop approaching an intersection, or sometimes for no apparent reason. Which I why I only cycle along the canal, on the separated bike path and don't use my bike as much as I should.
I also read above about vandalism and stealing. It happens everywhere. A friend of mine, who rides her bike absolutely everywhere, went to the Fête de la Musique in downtown Toulouse. During the 15 minutes she popped in to a church to hear some music, her new bike was stolen, despite the 2 locks attaching it to a bench. She went to the police to report the theft, and a few days later went to the main police station to see whether her bike had been found. They took her into a huge room filled with bikes that had been stolen, found and not reclaimed. Of course, I assume this is because nobody figures the police will find them, so don't bother asking.
But what struck her the most was that there were even some Velib bikes from the Toulouse programme there. Surely they should have been returned to the city?
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