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Is it time for a bit of Pandemic Pedal Power? In the first of a series of articles to come, I look at @DundeeCouncil's use of #SpacesforPeople funding to date as local people start to question whether they take active travel as seriously as they say: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1382561/pandemic-pedal-power-the-effort-to-keep-streets-cycling-friendly-after-lockdown/
To date the council has applied for and received £470,000 of #SpacesforPeople funding from @SustransScot to close off roads in affluent areas and city centres so people can cycle. It pales in comparison with other city councils (dark grey in this graph)
While it boasts of unprecedented investment in active travel, Dundee City Council is also making questionable planning decisions, like blocking off one lane of a dual carriageway with kerbs so people can park there, contrary to a recommendation it be used as a cycle lane.
Later in this series we'll be giving the council a chance to have their say on the criticisms levelled at them in this and other pieces, but I'm looking forward to sharing more with you soon, including chats with @husamalwaer and @colvilleandersn. Watch this space.
NEW: urban mobility expert @colvilleandersn says Dundee planners need "a kick in the pants" if they think the city is fit for cycling, and criticises the "pornographic obsession" with packing cities with cars https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1385489/mikael-colville-andersen-city-leaders-need-a-kick-in-the-pants-if-they-think-dundee-is-fit-for-cycling/
Mikael Colville-Andersen was highly critical of Dundee's car-centric Waterfront layout when he visited the city in 2019 - and says the city is engineered for those who commute into it rather than those who live there.
So what needs to change? Colville-Andersen says infrastructure is key: make it easier and faster to get about by bike than it is by car and people will cycle. Major cities the world over are embracing this - how long until Dundee follows suit?
The full interview is available to read here - and subscribers to The Courier can also watch 18 minutes of my chat with Mikael Colville-Andersen and hear from the man himself: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1385489/mikael-colville-andersen-city-leaders-need-a-kick-in-the-pants-if-they-think-dundee-is-fit-for-cycling/
Today's @thecourieruk print edition features my interview with @colvilleandersn: "I like Dundee, it was a great city to spend time in, but the traffic was depressing. Your traffic engineers and politicians maybe need a kick in the pants."
NEW: Urban planning expert @husamalwaer calls on @DundeeCouncil to be more ambitious in taking road space away from cars and giving it to cyclists and businesses to create livable communities: https://buff.ly/37P4Oki
Dr AlWaer, reader in architecture and urban planning at @dundeeuni, says people will make wasteful short journeys by car unless investment is made in cycle infrastructure everywhere - not just in areas where bike ownership is already high. Car journeys are rising each week now
He says cities need "fewer cars on the road, more cycle lanes" starting from now, experimenting with temporary lanes and other ideas to get people walking and biking.
But this will be a challenge in a city where car traffic outnumbers bicycles by a factor of 481 to one.
But this will be a challenge in a city where car traffic outnumbers bicycles by a factor of 481 to one.
But how do we get people to think of cycling to work rather than driving? The answer lies in design: make it easy to get about by bike with priority lanes, etc, and people will cycle. But that requires courage and action.
Read the full interview here: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1386716/let-us-try-local-urban-expert-calls-on-dundee-council-to-be-ambitious-in-reclaiming-road-space-for-cycling/
Read the full interview here: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1386716/let-us-try-local-urban-expert-calls-on-dundee-council-to-be-ambitious-in-reclaiming-road-space-for-cycling/
NEW: I've spoken to local and international experts alike such as @colvilleandersn and @husamalwaer. But what do the people who cycle in Dundee every day think of the city? Their verdict: Must Try Harder. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1391453/cycling-in-dundee-local-riders-weigh-in-on-citys-bike-friendliness/
NEW: @CyclingScotland CEO @keithirving1 on why pursuing electric cars as an eco priority won’t work…
“All councils should be looking to expand their network of cycle routes. There really is no alternative if you’re serious about climate change.” https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1390460/the-car-is-not-the-star-cycling-scotland-ceo-on-why-electric-vehicles-wont-save-our-cities/
“All councils should be looking to expand their network of cycle routes. There really is no alternative if you’re serious about climate change.” https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/1390460/the-car-is-not-the-star-cycling-scotland-ceo-on-why-electric-vehicles-wont-save-our-cities/
