Absolutely mrmo.
Watch this video of [s]heaven[/s] [s]utopia[/s] [i]Groningen[/i] and you'll hear things like: "easier by bike than by car", "city centre is split into four quarters - cars can't go from one quarter to another quarter - they have to go around", "pedestrianise the centre", "move all parking to the edge"
think I read about that bloke that designed stevenage (carlton reid article?) was very disappointed when the well planned bike paths were completely ignored while everyone drove on the just as good roads. If you are serious about getting people out of cars you need to gimp the roads. It does make sense in towns and cities, if you want to move a large volume of people across them private cars are not the way to go.You must not under estimate that alot of people, will say the right things, but if they aren't forced it is just talk.
GrahamS is that woman on the right texting while riding? Burn her!
Aye, and later on there are folk passing phones between each other, and some eating ice cream while cycling one-handed. 😯
And not a helmet or high-viz safety jacket in sight.
They've tried this in a few places.
The clue there is "in a few places". If it's not usual the thought processes aren't engaged. Most of Kensington High Street is like my version of road-user Utopia but only part, as a result it only sort-of works.
For the system to work it has to be policed and enforced properly. It would require a wholesale re-think by our Police Service and a driver attitude change for this to come about.(We have more chance of a Large White getting airborn under it's own power!)
According to the Dutch Cycling Embassy, 2/3 of the Dutch cycle network is segregated, so they still have 9000km of shared roads. The difference is that everyone cycles in the Netherlands, so motorists have a completely different mindset.
In the UK anyone who cycles knows that there are too many motorists who just don't care about the safety of other road users. Last night I had someone flooring the accelerator and tailgating me at high revs from a side junction as I passed (actually crossing the give way as I was level with them). They didn't care about the risk to me, and were not deterred by the consequences for themselves if they caused an accident.
Segregated infrastructure is part of the solution, but in the short term we have to get tough on dangerous motorists who don't give a damn. Enforcement, and penalties that really hurt, financially and in loss of liberty.
And let's stop apologising for being on the road. Cyclists are responsible for a tiny fraction of road accidents, and the roads would be safer for everyone if more people were cycling.
Cheaper. Quicker. Easier.
Pick any two.
For people to change their mode of transport they need at least two out of three. Whether it be from car to bus, train, bike, foot very few will change without two of them. This is a simple mantra but it is the nub of behavioural change in this particular issue.