VeloPaso

Make it easy for tons of people to ride bikes, and tons of people will choose to ride bikes. e.g. transformation in Paris

One of the biggest disinformation campaigns ever applied to cities involves the constant claims that “driving pays its way.” It’s actually MASSIVELY subsidized, while things like walking, biking, public transit & supportive housing for the unhoused actually SAVE PUBLIC MONEY. HT to the classic Andy Singer cartoon. #UrbanTruth

Half of all new vehicles are truck SUVs. America's most popular vehicles are also the ones most likely to ruin the lives of people outside the vehicle.

“A city’s creativity doesn’t depend on cars. That’s the 20th century. We’re in the 21st.”— Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. No matter what happens in the Paris election, the world’s cities owe Mayor Hidalgo a huge debt of gratitude. The boldest, most inspiring mayor I’ve seen. ft.com/content/8fbad7…

Ojalá algún día entendamos todo lo que hemos perdido por construir nuestras ciudades alrededor del coche y no de la gente.

“Parisian car traffic fell by more than half between 2002 and 2023, while cycle lanes expanded sixfold. Bikes now make more than twice as many journeys as cars.” @FinancialTimes

🐦‍⬛🐦🦉🕊️🐥 Cities don’t have to be loud 💥📣 Bikes are quiet 🤐 Riding lets us hear birds instead of engines. More cycling = less noise, cleaner air, calmer streets.

Safe separated infrastructure is a win for everyone, let's have more, not less of it. 📷@rovelocreative

Here's one example of why I'm so optimistic about design possibilities in America's suburbia.

~75% of vehicles being produced today are the most dangerous type for pedestrians.

@GregAbbott_TX We now need to defund Governors who defund public schools.

It’s amazing what some paint & flex posts can do. Richmond’s Lighter-Quicker-Cheaper program will be helping to rearrange street space like this. Why drive when it’s so much fun to ride a bike? 😎

This is so important for US planners and cities to understand — if we hold up the Dutch as an example, they *don’t* mix children on bikes with fast cars (and it’s very few cars at that.) Children and bikes can’t be safely engineered to coexist unless that car is going way under 20mph. That’s not a thru street for traffic; that’s parking lot speed. Ok, but what about adults? Lots of adults are risk-tolerant enough - the ‘fit and the brave’ to bike around moving cars — 1-8% depending on the danger level. But there is a hard ceiling — most people (92%) are risk-averse and unmovable. Ask your average person over the age of 30 if they’d use a low quality bike lane: I’ve had my head bitten off many times at the suggestion. So the bike strategy hangs on the question: does adding bikes lanes that only 1% or 8% of people will use CONVERT people to be pro more bike lanes? The evidence says they anger and scare drivers and pedestrians and make cautious wannabe bikers literally sick to their stomachs with stress. 80-90% of any population across the world will bike when it’s safe. My hunch is Ciclovia is the *great conversion* strategy - close streets across a city every Saturday or Sunday year round - and see if some communities want to expand safe biking zones. Or build ground-up car free communities like @CAForever

"We have to fix the traffic jams."

@ricey63 @francesca_kms

Suburbia's dangerous arterials would benefit tremendously from roundabouts. Convert 🛑 to roundabout: 82% reduction in fatal and injury crashes Convert 🚦 to roundabout: 78% reduction in fatal and injury crashes

"Cyclists must follow the rules of the road," insists operator of motor vehicle who doesn't use turn signals, stop at stop signs, drive under the speed limit, or yield to people in crosswalks.

When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. (🖼️ by @fabiantodorovic)

The American car owner is held captive to a single mobility option, and then becomes conditioned to see their situation as necessary for their well-being. Psychologists call that Stockholm syndrome.