The auto industry campaigned against the relatively bloody rise of cars in the early 20th century via TV, the term “jaywalker” and school safety patrols
Drivers may feel spooked by seeing the first self-driving cars appear in coming years. But the new era could prove far less disruptive and bloody than the automobile’s 20th-century battle to push pedestrians off U.S. streets.
The bicycle, an amazing tool for change. People all over the world are moving towards a new system. Will the economic power allow it? Read article
Joachim Hochstein recently gave talks in Tralee and Dublin on the Frankfurt Cycling Scene: his presentation is available here
Cyclist.ie, Ireland’s National Cycling Network and Lobby Group, has welcomed An Bord Pleanala’s rejection (9 September) of a controversial Kerry County Council/National Roads Authority (NRA) scheme for the N86 in the Dingle peninsula. The road upgrade scheme running from Camp to Dingle had attracted particular concern because the designers planned to co-locate a tourist cycle-path directly beside high speed traffic for the entire length of the scheme (28 km), rather than making use of the old Tralee-Dingle Railway alignment (abandoned) and adjacent minor roads along the route. The designers missed the fact that an off road cycle route would be a tourist attraction in itself, creating an entirely new tourist product. Continue reading Cyclists welcome rejection by An Bord Pleanala of controversial Kerry N86 road design
German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Europe’s biggest bike trade fair Eurobike last Wednesday, signaling a huge step forward for the cycling advocacy movement. At the same time ECF released its analysis of the “Economic benefits of cycling in the EU-27” making it clear that such high level interest in cycling is set to continue. Senior politicians are beginning to realize that daily cycling not only changes the face of our cities for the better, it also makes much sense in economic terms.
As a student and tourist I cycled around Ireland in 1988 without a care, knowing nothing about the country. In June 2013, 25 years later, I had an unusual and unbelievably enriching experience when I came back to Ireland to talk about Berlin’s policies on cycle traffic at the National Bike Week in Dublin. Now that I am a traffic planner, specialising in cycle promotion, I see Dublin through quite different eyes. Read article & see earlier post.
Britain would need ten times the £77m of investment promised to raise it from its near bottom place of bike usage in the EU; read article
No better here?
The Government is to introduce new regulations allowing gardai to impose fines of €50 against cyclists who break road safety laws, it has been learned. Read article
Helmets do not provide sufficient protection to warrant the claim that they are highly effective – and the right to cycle bare-headed is by no means trivial