Comments on: Over the Pond http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/13/over-the-pond/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Clarence Eckerson Jr. http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/13/over-the-pond/comment-page-1/#comment-4715 Clarence Eckerson Jr. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:58:03 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1895#comment-4715 Really strange: London must be one of the most polarized of opinions of bike cities out there: I have friends that have visited or have known people who have lived there and there is either: A) No cyclists anywhere, very dangerous to ride or B) Lots of good cycling, numbers up, cyclists everywhere. I guess like almost any city it all just depends upon when you go, where you visit, time of year, etc. I guess I will have to just go check it out myself. Really strange: London must be one of the most polarized of opinions of bike cities out there: I have friends that have visited or have known people who have lived there and there is either:

A) No cyclists anywhere, very dangerous to ride

or

B) Lots of good cycling, numbers up, cyclists everywhere.

I guess like almost any city it all just depends upon when you go, where you visit, time of year, etc. I guess I will have to just go check it out myself.

]]> By: Rob http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/13/over-the-pond/comment-page-1/#comment-4706 Rob Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:09:09 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1895#comment-4706 Nice post, Chris. As a daily cyclist and blogger here in London, I agree that there's been a rapid rise in the visibility of cyclists since 1999, and even 2007. A figure being knocked about is a '91% rise in cycling since 2000', and it certainly feels that way at the traffic lights and on London's bridges. As to what has caused the rise, I suspect it is *not* down to a single factor. The 7 July bombings and the recession are being touted by some as factors, but I think it's more subtle than that: the Critical Mass effect. As more people cycle, more people think it's OK to cycle - a self-sustaining, virtuous circle. Nice post, Chris. As a daily cyclist and blogger here in London, I agree that there’s been a rapid rise in the visibility of cyclists since 1999, and even 2007.

A figure being knocked about is a ’91% rise in cycling since 2000′, and it certainly feels that way at the traffic lights and on London’s bridges.

As to what has caused the rise, I suspect it is *not* down to a single factor. The 7 July bombings and the recession are being touted by some as factors, but I think it’s more subtle than that: the Critical Mass effect. As more people cycle, more people think it’s OK to cycle – a self-sustaining, virtuous circle.

]]> By: Andy http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/13/over-the-pond/comment-page-1/#comment-4704 Andy Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:19:28 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1895#comment-4704 I lived in London from 2005 - 2008, and cycled to and from work for most of the time. The key to survival on two wheels in London is to avoid traveling on main roads as much as possible. It's not as easy as it sounds, because unlike grid arranged cities it is nearly impossible to find you way without using main roads. Thankfully transport for london publishes fantastic bicycle maps that show roads with segregated cycle paths, roads marked for cyclists, and quiet roads that are preferred by cyclists. https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/cycling/cycleroutes/default.asp I lived in London from 2005 – 2008, and cycled to and from work for most of the time. The key to survival on two wheels in London is to avoid traveling on main roads as much as possible. It’s not as easy as it sounds, because unlike grid arranged cities it is nearly impossible to find you way without using main roads. Thankfully transport for london publishes fantastic bicycle maps that show roads with segregated cycle paths, roads marked for cyclists, and quiet roads that are preferred by cyclists.
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/cycling/cycleroutes/default.asp

]]> By: stroller46 http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/13/over-the-pond/comment-page-1/#comment-4696 stroller46 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:15:29 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1895#comment-4696 Thanks for the interesting post, Chris Carlsson. I lived in London in 1971-2, and cycled to work across half of North London every day. I hated the car traffic (especially in the rain), but I have to say the drivers are good. I don't remember ever having a brush with disaster that wasn't mostly my own fault. I'm glad to see cycling has picked up some; I don't believe I ever waited at a stoplight with more than a couple of other cyclists, and that was rare. Mostly I rolled alone. Cities should be home ground for bicycles; cars just clog things up. Thanks for the interesting post, Chris Carlsson. I lived in London in 1971-2, and cycled to work across half of North London every day. I hated the car traffic (especially in the rain), but I have to say the drivers are good. I don’t remember ever having a brush with disaster that wasn’t mostly my own fault. I’m glad to see cycling has picked up some; I don’t believe I ever waited at a stoplight with more than a couple of other cyclists, and that was rare. Mostly I rolled alone. Cities should be home ground for bicycles; cars just clog things up.

]]> By: Schtu http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/04/13/over-the-pond/comment-page-1/#comment-4695 Schtu Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:42:21 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1895#comment-4695 London's Oyster Card is hands down the best payment system I have ever used in any metro city. It puts our timid translink to shame. Road around on buses all day with my Oyster card on my last visit, topped off the card so I would have enough to finish out the day. By the time I hopped on my last bus for the evening, the system had determined that it would have been cheaper had I purchased a day pass instead of individual trips, so it credited my account for all the bus trips I had taken that day and then deducted the cost of a day pass. Stellar. I don't think I waited for more than 5 minutes for any bus. Most of my friends in London commute by bike, they are brave souls in my opinion.... London’s Oyster Card is hands down the best payment system I have ever used in any metro city. It puts our timid translink to shame. Road around on buses all day with my Oyster card on my last visit, topped off the card so I would have enough to finish out the day. By the time I hopped on my last bus for the evening, the system had determined that it would have been cheaper had I purchased a day pass instead of individual trips, so it credited my account for all the bus trips I had taken that day and then deducted the cost of a day pass. Stellar.

I don’t think I waited for more than 5 minutes for any bus. Most of my friends in London commute by bike, they are brave souls in my opinion….

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