NYT: Bike commuting in Copenhagen

This topic has 14 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 9 months ago by Greenbelt.

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July 18, 2012 at 2:14 pm #946179

Guus
Participant

Denmark is a smart country

I like this quote:

“The plan has received widespread support in a country whose left- and right-leaning lawmakers both regularly bike to work (albeit on slightly different models of bicycle). “

July 18, 2012 at 2:26 pm #946185

KelOnWheels
Participant

Lars Gemzo, a partner at Gehl Architects, said that within Copenhagen, biking was already the best option for many kinds of trips. “If you want to drive a car for a medium distance, you know you are a fool,” he said. “You are going to waste time.”

July 18, 2012 at 2:37 pm #946188

Greenbelt
Participant

I work in the health care industry, and I love how this was funded in part by the Danish health care agencies. With all the hundreds of billions we spend on preventable health problems this country, our health care industry should step up and invest in things like this! Maybe the DOT’s could grant them sponsorships. I’d be perfectly happy to cycle to work on the “Blue Cross” bike highway (blue lane paint?) or cross a highway on the “Kaiser Permanente” bike bridge.

July 18, 2012 at 2:43 pm #946190

dasgeh
Participant

@Guus 25658 wrote:

in a country whose left- and right-leaning lawmakers both regularly bike to work (albeit on slightly different models of bicycle). “

What are the different models? One with pedals on the left for the right-leaning? Or does the whole road-bike v. hybrid play out with the politicians in Denmark?

July 18, 2012 at 3:02 pm #946192

GuyContinental
Participant

I love the idea of a “bike bus” but imagine that few things would piss off the other trail users more…

July 18, 2012 at 3:27 pm #946193

ShawnoftheDread
Participant

Look at the first pic. I think if we had it, we’d all be complaining that it’s too crowded and annoying people use their cell phones while riding.

July 18, 2012 at 4:06 pm #946198

dasgeh
Participant

@ShawnoftheDread 25672 wrote:

Look at the first pic. I think if we had it, we’d all be complaining that it’s too crowded and annoying people use their cell phones while riding.

It’s so nice and wide and smooth and free of pedestrians… The Custis is way too crowded, but that’s because it’s narrow, the surface is subpar and there are tons of people not on bikes (which take up relatively more room because of the difference in speeds).

July 18, 2012 at 4:27 pm #946200

Certifried
Participant

Our country is just too big. We have way too much land to squander on massive highways. That’s the biggest difference I noticed when I was in the military and went overseas.

The funny thing is, rather than realizing we also have plenty of space to put down dedicated bike routes and encourage cycling, we’re constantly trying to figure out how to squeeze in more lanes for more cars. I think we all know how widespread the positive impact would be by changing that thinking (health care, less reliance on oil, environmental benefits, etc), but it will take a looooong time for that change to happen. I didn’t realize it myself until BTWD and I found out that I could get to work cycling in the same time it took metro to get me to work. Of course, by car I can get to work in 1/2 the time in moderate traffic conditions. It’s just an “awakening” that has to happen, and I think we all know how thick-headed some drivers can be!

July 18, 2012 at 5:01 pm #946202

Terpfan
Participant

It was a good story. I laughed at the reporter including a Dane explaining it’s not about environmentalism and is instead about saving time. In the very next paragraph the reporter cites the environmental impact.

July 18, 2012 at 5:17 pm #946204

KLizotte
Participant

To be fair however, Denmark is as flat as a pancake and has a more temperate climate than the US, and is thus more conducive to cycling for the average person.

That said, I am insanely jealous of the folks who live in the Netherlands and Denmark.

July 18, 2012 at 5:19 pm #946205

ShawnoftheDread
Participant

@Terpfan 25682 wrote:

It was a good story. I laughed at the reporter including a Dane explaining it’s not about environmentalism and is instead about saving time. In the very next paragraph the reporter cites the environmental impact.

It’s impossible to separate a reporter from his chosen meme.

July 18, 2012 at 5:36 pm #946213

DaveK
Participant

@Greenbelt 25667 wrote:

I work in the health care industry, and I love how this was funded in part by the Danish health care agencies. With all the hundreds of billions we spend on preventable health problems this country, our health care industry should step up and invest in things like this! Maybe the DOT’s could grant them sponsorships. I’d be perfectly happy to cycle to work on the “Blue Cross” bike highway (blue lane paint?) or cross a highway on the “Kaiser Permanente” bike bridge.

Someone in the US is on board – note the sponsor logos on the fender skirts – https://www.niceridemn.org/about/

July 18, 2012 at 5:47 pm #946215

KLizotte
Participant

Interesting article about the new wave of social media sites helping to boost carpooling in the US:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/technology/technology-makes-car-pooling-safer-and-easier.html?src=rechp

Responding to a Silicon Valley blog that issued a call this year to build a future without cars, Mr. Barnikel wrote on GreenBiz.com that one way to change how cars are viewed is through ride-sharing. “If Americans could arrange ride sharing as easily as they could check e-mail or Facebook,” he offered, “you might see a shift.”

July 18, 2012 at 6:07 pm #946221

Greenbelt
Participant

NYT video accompanying the article:
[video]http://nyti.ms/MGH14D[/video]
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