Hello Steven,
I don't mean this to sound smug, but London of the past was one such city.
There were vast numbers of cyclists on the streets right through the '20s
and '30s, contending with streetcar rails, a lack of settled behavioral
rules (and laws) for traffic of all sorts, and high rates of collisions and
injuries.
The public response to the question of the proper place for cycling included
two high-level committees (the Alness select committee from the House of
Lords, and the Williams committee initiated by the MoT).
Their findings and recommendations were overshadowed by the outbreak of war.
The desirability or otherwise of separate segregated facilities for cycling
were a principle point of disagreement. The CTC, for their part, argued
strenuously against separate facilities, insisting that they would always
and necessarily be second rate.
David Patton
On 10/27/13 11:55 AM, "Steven Melia" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I am currently writing a book with the working title 'Why Transport Isn't
> Moving' (for UIT Cambridge www.uit.co.uk). A few of the chapters will deal
> with issues related to cycling.
>
> The more you look into the broader questions of 'what causes what?' you
> realise that the typical question: what difference did policy X make? is
> almost always impossible to answer. Over the longer term, politics,
> infrastructure, culture and behaviour are all related to each other. It may,
> however, be possible, to approach a question from a different angle. One way
> of looking at the old chestnut about segregation versus 'cycling on normal
> roads' is to ask:
>
>
> Are there any examples of cities in developed countries with high rates of
> cycling (e.g. over 20% modal share) which do NOT have an extensive network of
> segregated cycle routes?
>
>
> A 'cycle route' is not the same as a 'cycle path' of course. 'Segregation'
> may take many different forms, including filtered permeability i.e. roads
> closed to through traffic except bikes. In several years of studying European
> 'cycling cities', I have never found an example of such an exception. I have
> never been to Japan. Osaka is the only city which appears in the
> international top lists. I understand there are few cycle paths, but pavement
> cycling is normal (tolerated though not legal). Osaka also has narrow
> historic streets where segregation is not needed. I can't find any English
> language literature about cycling in Japan.
>
> Is anyone aware of any examples, or anything which has been written which
> might help to answer this question?
>
> Best Regards
>
>
> Steve Melia
> Senior Lecturer
> Transport and Planning
> University of the West of England
>
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