More positive news

[Drago]

The world is slowly turning our way. Whether it will turn very far very fast remains to be seen, but enough little pebbles and one day we'll have an avalanche...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52592421

 

[roley poley]

I think what holds people back is the distance of a commute has grown further than they can walk or cycle

 

[Deleted member 26715]

It's very quiet on the roads today, maybe due to it being the day after the BH, but I did 30 miles this morning, probably 12 miles on the road & I reckon I saw more bikes than cars, clearly very unscientific & maybe I had a biased view.

 

[Drago]

I think what holds people back is the distance of a commute has grown further than they can walk or cycle

Yeah, I hear that a lot from people who work 6 or 7 miles away.

 

[newfhouse]

I think what holds people back is the distance of a commute has grown further than they can walk or cycle

Perhaps in some cases further than they think they can walk or cycle, and that thought can sometimes be changed with the right incentives.

 

[tom73]

I really hope so some great stuff is going at the moment sadly not round my way.
I asked my local council about this and what safe cycle ways they had planned.
After a few emails later I got called a zealot all I did was try and explain that white paint or a few blue signs are not safe or good to anyone.
I also tried explaining that a bike is more than a thing for a Sunday afternoon potter down the park.
They say having spoken to cycle groups they got told they prefer to cycle off road. I asked what inc the 2 road clubs.
So from that they think it will get more people cycling if they fund off road routes. Instead of "making already congested roads "safe" "
I may try the metro mayor but he's more a blame game man than let's see what we can do man.

 

[rogerzilla]

Will people keep cycling in foul winter weather when the roads are full of careless and aggressive drivers again? It takes a particular kind of hard nut to cycle-commute all year round.

 

[HMS_Dave]

As always. i will believe it, when i see it...

 

[newfhouse]

Will people keep cycling in foul winter weather when the roads are full of careless and aggressive drivers again? It takes a particular kind of hard nut to cycle-commute all year round.

There’s bound to be a drop off, but once you establish it as a habit, and if workplaces see the benefits and become a bit friendlier towards it, I hope we will maintain at least some of the gains.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Yeah, I hear that a lot from people who work 6 or 7 miles away.

I think that's a simplistic view, to walk that's 2 hours each side of your day, assuming you are fit enough to walk 30-40 miles a week, do you? Riding 6-7 each way is still a commitment, it's going to be an hour each way with potential change of clothes, maybe having to shower/dry out. My Grandfather tried 8 miles each way in the early 1920's then doing a days work on his feet all day, he managed it for around 6 months & then moved house to be within walking distance of less than a mile, not everybody has that choice.

I'm hoping that all those that have worked from home have found it successful, that their employees have found it has worked, or has found what needs to happen to make it work, then hopefully introduce it as the norm & rotate the staff that needs to come into the office. Hopefully 40-60% of the staff can work at home for any one day & only have to go in 1-2 times a week.

 

[NorthernDave]

It's a positive sign, let's hope it's better implemented than the much vaunted but ultimately frustrating and underused Leeds-Bradford super cycle way which for all the good sections is frankly horrendous in far too many places.

I've not seen it mentioned much, but a more effective long term way of reducing the number of cars on the road might be to have people working from home for 2 or 3 days a week. It's already been proved it can be done and that big companies don't need all their staff in huge office buildings.
A bit of common sense could easily see traffic levels reduced by a third or more.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I think that's a simplistic view, to walk that's 2 hours each side of your day, assuming you are fit enough to walk 30-40 miles a week, do you? Riding 6-7 each way is still a commitment, it's going to be an hour each way with potential change of clothes, maybe having to shower/dry out. My Grandfather tried 8 miles each way in the early 1920's then doing a days work on his feet all day, he managed it for around 6 months & then moved house to be within walking distance of less than a mile, not everybody has that choice.

I'm hoping that all those that have worked from home have found it successful, that their employees have found it has worked, or has found what needs to happen to make it work, then hopefully introduce it as the norm & rotate the staff that needs to come into the office. Hopefully 40-60% of the staff can work at home for any one day & only have to go in 1-2 times a week.

What your Grandfather did was wholeheartedly sensible. I don't think it's entirely beyond the realms of possibility to still move today. But not only that Bicycles are by far more rider friendly as in they are lighter have lower gears and have less rolling resistance these days. In addition we also now have E-bikes which are perfect for such a job. There is the weather naturally, but that comes down to the person. In saying that mind, I don't think anybody who hates a drop of rain is ever going to be changed....

 

[Shut Up Legs]

The world is slowly turning our way. Whether it will turn very far very fast remains to be seen, but enough little pebbles and one day we'll have an avalanche...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52592421

What worries me the most is what was mentioned in the article: people will be afraid to use public transport, and so the roads will end up being choked with even more cars than before, making cycling less safe. Australia will be no different to the UK in this regard, as car use is just as entrenched here.

 

[snorri]

I think what holds people back is the distance of a commute has grown further than they can walk or cycle

Private car usage is the problem.
The distance of commutes has increased due to the relatively low cost of private motoring, the increased volume of motor traffic has made cycling a less attractive option even over shorter distances.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

What your Grandfather did was wholeheartedly sensible.

It was, but the world has moved on since then, he came out of school, did his apprenticeship, went off to war, came back, got a job with a firm, stayed for only a few months, moved to another & then spent the next 40+ years there. That rarely happens now, in fact Linkedin suggest people will have 10 different jobs before they are 40 & between 12 & 15 in their lifetime. are you expecting them to move each time? We bought our house 35 years ago, I've had multiple jobs since but never felt secure enough in any of them to uproot my family & move.

Private car usage is the problem.
The distance of commutes has increased due to the relatively low cost of private motoring, the increased volume of motor traffic has made cycling a less attractive option even over shorter distances.

Although I agree with your first point, I'm not sure it's the cost, it's more than that, it's the culture, both my kids could drive at 12, they were taught to drive on airfields, at 17 there was already a car sat on the drive with L-plates on, they both passed their tests within a month of turning 17, they are both good drivers although they both have issues with speed limits outside of 30 zones. But to them it's a way of life, yep caused by me & the wife, we are to blame, but that was the way is was 15+ years ago.