Author Topic: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands  (Read 768 times)

Offline Arcadian_Dreamer

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Though already a very good city for bicycling, in recent years Utrecht has decided to go a step further and reduce the number of cars in the city's center.

How? Eliminating roadways, reaching nearly 33K bike parking spots downtown, making transition to get to the train easier and safer for people bicycling in their new bike parking facility and hosts of other ways. See it all here.

I guarantee you if you live in a city that doesn't have good bike planning or infrastructure this film will equally inspire and depress you!




Sleep is good, death is better; but of course, The best would be never to have been born at all.

Offline RV Pundit

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Re: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2021, 08:01:31 PM »
But can this work in a hilly country? seem like could work in flat countries? Rwanda is trying but it's too hilly to be pracictal but we have battery powered bikes?

But definitely this the future of cities.

I dont know of big cities like Nairobi will 5 million people

But definitely could and should work for small flat cities.

Offline Arcadian_Dreamer

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Re: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2021, 08:52:07 PM »
But can this work in a hilly country? seem like could work in flat countries? Rwanda is trying but it's too hilly to be pracictal but we have battery powered bikes?

But definitely this the future of cities.

I dont know of big cities like Nairobi will 5 million people

But definitely could and should work for small flat cities.

You said it. Electric bikes are a fraction of the cost of IC vehicles, & EV's.

Smart choice. Why waste all that energy to propel a 2 tone vehicle.

If we bold enough to implement people centric cities.

We would halve our oil import bill overnight, inflation would go down, economic output would increase with cheap energy. Environmental benefits, health benefits, safety benefits.

Win, win, win across the board. It is a no brainer.

Instead we are subsidizing Chinese banks and construction firms. Building elevated highways and what not.

We are enriching Japan - already the 3 richest nation on earth, importing clunkers by the shipload. We are not smart species really when you delve into our choices.

If I were the president, I would set up a bicycle factory in this country. I would put the youth to work paving pedestrian walkways and cycle paths, collecting trash, beautify the environment.

One can only dream.

Sleep is good, death is better; but of course, The best would be never to have been born at all.

Offline RV Pundit

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Re: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2021, 09:23:58 PM »
Veitnam and Cambodia are making money exporting bikes.
Kenya should pick this low hanging fruit.
I think Cambodia or veitname does 10B dollars worth of bikes.

Only Kagame understands this.

It takes a lot of courage in place like Nairobi with lazy bones eating nyama choma to be convinced to get into bikes.

Unlike western model...it has to start from bottom..the poor....as only economical way.

For Africa - the comfortable big bellied elite will not like this - the nimble poor already use the bikes - they just need it to become safe.

Africa should start with motor bikes - divide the road into two - motor car and motor bikes - every new design should retain specially marked road for boda boda.

Bicyles should wait a little longer.


But can this work in a hilly country? seem like could work in flat countries? Rwanda is trying but it's too hilly to be pracictal but we have battery powered bikes?

But definitely this the future of cities.

I dont know of big cities like Nairobi will 5 million people

But definitely could and should work for small flat cities.

You said it. Electric bikes are a fraction of the cost of IC vehicles, & EV's.

Smart choice. Why waste all that energy to propel a 2 tone vehicle.

If we bold enough to implement people centric cities.

We would halve our oil import bill overnight, inflation would go down, economic output would increase with cheap energy. Environmental benefits, health benefits, safety benefits.

Win, win, win across the board. It is a no brainer.

Instead we are subsidizing Chinese banks and construction firms. Building elevated highways and what not.

We are enriching Japan - already the 3 richest nation on earth, importing clunkers by the shipload. We are not smart species really when you delve into our choices.

If I were the president, I would set up a bicycle factory in this country. I would put the youth to work paving pedestrian walkways and cycle paths, collecting trash, beautify the environment.

One can only dream.



Offline Arcadian_Dreamer

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Re: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2021, 02:12:28 AM »
Veitnam and Cambodia are making money exporting bikes.
Kenya should pick this low hanging fruit.
I think Cambodia or veitname does 10B dollars worth of bikes.

Only Kagame understands this.

It takes a lot of courage in place like Nairobi with lazy bones eating nyama choma to be convinced to get into bikes.

Unlike western model...it has to start from bottom..the poor....as only economical way.

For Africa - the comfortable big bellied elite will not like this - the nimble poor already use the bikes - they just need it to become safe.

Africa should start with motor bikes - divide the road into two - motor car and motor bikes - every new design should retain specially marked road for boda boda.

Bicyles should wait a little longer.

LOL that is more of the same, same gridlock and pollution.

I said we need bold solutions not half ass solutions.

Sleep is good, death is better; but of course, The best would be never to have been born at all.

Offline Kadudu

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Re: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2021, 09:42:04 AM »
Give it another 20 years and Africans will wake up, stop buying these SUVs and move to e-bikes. Most of the cities in Kenya are actually flat. Only parts of Nairobi are hilly, but should not be a problem for electric powered bikes.
We should have used the money spent on the express highway in Nairobi to build bike lanes. Assembling bikes cannot be a big problem. Most bike comapnies are just bike assembling plants. Most bike parts are bought from different parts of the world and then put together.
It is also good for people's health. Fresh air and one still have to pedal the bike.

Offline RV Pundit

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Re: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2021, 09:47:56 AM »
But it can only work within city limits - say 20kms radius - outside cities - you still need a car. But yes probably most of worse traffic jams are those within the city limits - so if vehicles are restricted in congested cities - and be surfs are left for inter-city or rural travel - this will work.
Give it another 20 years and Africans will wake up, stop buying these SUVs and move to e-bikes. Most of the cities in Kenya are actually flat. Only parts of Nairobi are hilly, but should not be a problem for electric powered bikes.
We should have used the money spent on the express highway in Nairobi to build bike lanes. Assembling bikes cannot be a big problem. Most bike comapnies are just bike assembling plants. Most bike parts are bought from different parts of the world and then put together.
It is also good for people's health. Fresh air and one still have to pedal the bike.

Offline Arcadian_Dreamer

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Re: Planning Cities for People & Bikes Not for Cars - Utrecht, Netherlands
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2021, 04:45:50 PM »
But it can only work within city limits - say 20kms radius - outside cities - you still need a car. But yes probably most of worse traffic jams are those within the city limits - so if vehicles are restricted in congested cities - and be surfs are left for inter-city or rural travel - this will work.

Not necessarily. Check this guy travelling inter city in the UK. In the Netherlands they got Bike superhighways  :D


Sleep is good, death is better; but of course, The best would be never to have been born at all.