More bikes than cars in Copenhagen

[jefmcg]

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/...enmark?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Bicycle sensors in Copenhagen clocked a new record this month: there are now more bikes than cars in the heart of the city. In the last year, 35,080 more bikes have joined the daily roll, bringing the total number to 265,700, compared with 252,600 cars.

 

[Dayvo]

Your headline is the wrong way round.

 

[jefmcg]

Your headline is the wrong way round.

 

[srw]

It's got a bit of a way to go before it catches up with London....
London commuting.







(Yes, yes, I know. Different things. But we shouldn't forget the progress we've made in this country. I've often said, and no-one ever believes me, that when I started bike commuting 20 years ago I was one of only a tiny handful of people riding a bike other than as a courier.

And if you take your thread title literally I suspect that there are more bikes than cars in London. A typical household will have at most one car - many households will have none. On average, a household will have more than one bike.)

 

[Lozz360]

And if you take your thread title literally I suspect that there are more bikes than cars in London. A typical household will have at most one car - many households will have none. On average, a household will have more than one bike.)

Yes, but you will get cars driving into the city from outside London. That won't happen so much with bikes.

 

[srw]

Yes, but you will get cars driving into the city from outside London. That won't happen so much with bikes.

An out-of-towner visits London.

No-one in their right mind drives into London. The train connections are too good. A reasonably large proportion of commuters use folding bikes or keep a back at their terminus.

That's Marylebone, the smallest terminus on the network.

 

[al78]

View attachment 153491
No-one in their right mind drives into London.

Unless you know the purpose of anyones journey, I don't see how you can justify that claim. For example, the man who is employed as a driver at my workplace regularly has to drive to UCL to either deliver or collect something, he is not doing this because he is not in his right mind, but because it is his job.

View attachment 153491
The train connections are too good.

You don't use Southern Rail then.

 

[Twizit]

No-one in their right mind drives into London. The train connections are too good.

I'm with @al78 on this. You can't make such a sweeping statement on driving. I mostly cycle commute in, but also use a motorbike on rest days. I will also drive the car in on occasion, and on those days it's the most sensible form of transport - i.e. when I have stuff to move and am working a long day anyway so can avoid traffic and the congestion charge. Granted I have a parking space I can use, but when a return train journey costs me £20 for the day, I can do it stress free in the car for £5 in petrol....

... and train connections.... yes they are good when they work.... the key word being "when"....

 

[Lozz360]

No-one in their right mind drives into London. The train connections are too good. A reasonably large proportion of commuters use folding bikes or keep a back at their terminus.

I thought we were talking about the split between cars and bikes in London. People who commute by train are a different statistic. Although to be fair, they are probably more likely to cycle than drive once their train journey is complete. The point I was making was that even if it is true that there are more cycles owned within London than cars it doesn't necessarily mean that there are more bikes on London's roads than cars.

Personally, I find driving in London to not be a problem. It's parking in London that's the problem. So I will drive in if I I have somewhere to park but go by train (mostly) if there isn't. I would never cycle as it would be too far.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I'm with @al78but when a return train journey costs me £20 for the day, I can do it stress free in the car for £5 in petrol....

Have you worked out the per mile cost of using the car? With insurance, and maintenance included?

 

[Markymark]

No stats to back this up but 20 years of commuting and being in central London and knowing the roads very well.

There's more motorised vehicles in central London than cyclists. However they're predominantly lorries, buses, vans and taxis (inc phv). Without doubt there's more cyclists than non-liveried private cars in the congestion charge zone. Outside this zone has a greater proportion of residential buildings so the ratios will change.

Central London is heavily congested. Anyone who chooses to drive a private car deserves to be stuck in traffic. They should be banned within congestion zone. Is should be liveried vehicles, buses and aroubd 1/3 of current taxi numbers plus blue badge holders only. Cycling provision should be tripled to cone close to usage

 

[jefmcg]

London is not so shabby either

https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases-5649

25 June 2013
.
In the morning peak (7-10am), up to 64 per cent of vehicles on some main roads are now bicycles. Cycles make up almost half of all northbound traffic crossing Waterloo, Blackfriars and London Bridges, and 62 per cent of all northbound traffic crossing Southwark bridge in the morning peak are cyclists. They are the largest single type of vehicle on each of these bridges, outnumbering cars in each case.

 

[Markymark]

London is not so shabby either

https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases-5649

25 June 2013
.
In the morning peak (7-10am), up to 64 per cent of vehicles on some main roads are now bicycles. Cycles make up almost half of all northbound traffic crossing Waterloo, Blackfriars and London Bridges, and 62 per cent of all northbound traffic crossing Southwark bridge in the morning peak are cyclists. They are the largest single type of vehicle on each of these bridges, outnumbering cars in each case.

My understanding is cycling is c10% of road traffic in central London and typically 25% on key cycling routes. Again, this is against all traffic, most of which is commercial and isn't commuting as very few will use the car to commute.

 

[srw]

Unless you know the purpose of anyones journey, I don't see how you can justify that claim. For example, the man who is employed as a driver at my workplace regularly has to drive to UCL to either deliver or collect something, he is not doing this because he is not in his right mind, but because it is his job.

For all universal statements on the internet (including this one) it's worth mentally adding the words "this is a universalisation of a general statistical truth." Which is a convoluted way of saying that, yes, I know that a handful of people drive in London because they have no choice. But they're not terribly interesting in the context of a discussion of vehicle use in the city.

I thought we were talking about the split between cars and bikes in London.

This thread has fractured, as they tend to. The post you were responding to was from someone called (let me see) @Lozz360 talking about people driving in London originating from the outside and claiming that people riding in London and originating from the outside were few in number. In that context a post pointing out that thousands of people ride in London and originate from the outside seemed somewhat pertinent.

I would never cycle as it would be too far.

You see that bike rack in the photo I posted? Large parts of Oxfordshire come into that station. And hundreds of people get the train from Oxfordshire every day and either unfold a bike or retrieve a bike from that rack.

London is not so shabby either

https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases-5649

25 June 2013
.
In the morning peak (7-10am), up to 64 per cent of vehicles on some main roads are now bicycles. Cycles make up almost half of all northbound traffic crossing Waterloo, Blackfriars and London Bridges, and 62 per cent of all northbound traffic crossing Southwark bridge in the morning peak are cyclists. They are the largest single type of vehicle on each of these bridges, outnumbering cars in each case.

TMN, please!

And there's more good news....
From next spring, Bank Junction is to be closed to most motorised traffic. This will only very slightly reduce its capacity - most people come through on buses, on foot or on bikes. It will massively increase its attractiveness as a bike route.

And Sadiq Khan is to spend over 5% of his TfL budget on bikes.

 

[jefmcg]

TMN, please!

Not for a link to another CC article. Life is too short. At least put the key phrase in the link text.