Copenhagen and bicycles
Lauren just sent me this video under the heading “Copenhagen is ridiculous.” I thought it was going to be about global warming, but it is a video on some of the really creative and amazing things Copenhagen has done for bicycles. Like for example pavement-level flashing red lights that bicyclists cannot see (“we’d rather have them looking ahead, not at the street”) but that motorists do see whenever cyclists are coming up on their right in an intersection.
Or special cargo-bike parking.
Or the “green wave” lights that alert cyclists to the proper speed to ride so as to avoid red lights.
Or the lights that turn green for cyclists before they turn green for cars, allowing cyclists to get going after a red light before traffic comes up on them.
It’s an amazing example of the things a truly “platinum” bike-friendly city would be striving to implement. Give it a watch — it will make you smile.
The video is by Streetfilms.org, the source of a good many skillfully done short clips on making our streets people-friendly instead of car-friendly.
Update: here’s what bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com had to say about the video:
The film is worth watching if only because it depicts a city so insanely bike-friendly that it makes Portland look like a monster truck rally.
–Erik Ryberg
December 15th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
They have a store called “Islamic Wear?” Tucson doesn’t and we have *two* Mosques.
December 16th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I really like what he has to say about the subcluture of biking. Its just a frkin bike, which I use for transportation. I don’t swoon over tailpipes, and I am not swooning over gears. About as bad but not as deadly, as carheads obessing over their cars.
December 16th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I’ll keep this positive! I would love to see Tucson incorporate just 1 of the examples shown in this video. Copenhagen provides a great example of what is possible if people really want to see cycling flourish.