Well folks, there was a train and tube strike in São Paulo this week. People said it was the worst traffic in the city’s history.
The news ran a story about how cycling is a way to beat the monster jams the likes of which you can not imagine
http://g1.globo.com/bom-dia-brasil/videos/t/edicoes/v/paulistano-ganha-incentivo-a-mais-para-rodar-a-cidade-de-bicicleta/1963105/
On here, the first chap if I have understood him correctly, rode 40km in 2 hours, and he says by car it would have taken 4 or 5 hours by car the traffic was that bad. That seems about right, as a friend left for a conference around 7.20, and although it started at 8.30, he didn’t get there till 11.30!
There is also footage showing you just how little respect drivers have for cyclists with one totally ignoring a cyclist when turning left.
Some of the cyclists I know say that although there may be two lanes free on a three-lane road, the driver may well still try and harass a cyclist instead of overtaking safely in the empty lane since they feel that the cyclist has no right to be there.
So this type of tv coverage is very welcome in Brazil, where cyclist groups are working very hard to change people’s attitudes, and where they are working very hard getting new cycle lanes. Today also saw the first cycle hire scheme in the city which although is very small, hopefully will grow over the coming years.
In Rio, they are about to have Rio+20 about climate and sustainability, but the Government, as always, have introduced new economic measures, as always, to stimulate car sales. So still a long way to go in terms of stopping corrupt policies favouring car manufacturers, but there is some good news in amongst all this.
In the tv clip you will also see a cycle lane along the “river”. This is more of a toxic sewer which really stinks, and I can’t see myself managing to cycle it, not without a gas mask anyway, since as well as the stink, it is along side a motorway too.
