After a car trying to kill me on a cycle lane, I am all for turning cycle lanes into cycle paths.
I don’t know why it has to take what happened in Holland over the decades to inspire policy change here, but many of the issues are the same and I would love to see Brisbane show leadership in this area.
Car free Sundays? Wow. I just can’t fathom it. What a sense of community it would bring to Brisbane to have everyone getting around on foot and on bike once a week. How fabulous for individual health, family spirit and community wellbeing.
Wow, that was super interesting, even though some of it I should’ve known! Mostly because my dad’s baby brother, so my uncle (who was 16 and died just before I was born) would probably be classed as one of the kids who died because he was on a road with no cycle path, testing a moped he had just fixed up and was hit by a car. They removed trees from that section of the road immediately thereafter (view was obscured by them), built a separated by a grass verge cycle path and they have never been replanted those trees in 30+ years – that wouldn’t happen here either I don’t think.
So I love cycling in Holland, but the biggest difference would also be the lack of hills. Distinct lack of hills… Also, cyclists have right of way in all (most?) instances in Holland – so cars have to give way to cyclists at crossings, lights, etc but because they are so often not in the way, its not a major issue.
Thanks for sharing, I’m going to share it with my parents too.
In the beautiful city of Graz, Austria, cars have to give way to cyclists and pedestrians. It’s just the coolest thing ever. It makes it more efficient to get around on foot and on 2 wheels. Who knew?
Can’t imagine that ever happening in Australia, but I just wish Brisbane City had the courage to show leadership, implement some amazing new initiatives and then say ‘if Brisbane, Queensland, Australia can do it anyone can!’
Or even Ipswich. Or Rockhampton. Or Townsville. What a change it would bring to a community if everyone was encouraged to hop on a bike.