11042 replies to this topic

[GetLisaSomeHelps]

Is Mr. McFarlen's story meant to be taken seriously? Surely this level of superiority and ignorance of other lifestyles must be some sort of satire.

First time reading the Beaverton?

[gstc84]

Is Mr. McFarlen's story meant to be taken seriously? Surely this level of superiority and ignorance of other lifestyles must be some sort of satire.

 

It's The Beaverton. Definitely satire.

[Nparker]

I didn't check out the link. Mea culpa. Knowing it is from the Beaverton it all makes sense now. Still, haven't we seen attitudes not unlike like this by a few bike boosters in this thread?

[Jackerbie]

^ It's the opposite extreme of those people who chose to live in the suburbs and demand that all areas of town be easily accessible by car, from congestion-free roads to free parking at the destination. Both have a feeling that their method is best and all others should get with the program. 

 

And that's the point of good satire: not just to make people go "haha funny," but to create that opportunity for pause and critical reflection.

Edited by Jackerbie, 11 September 2020 - 11:12 AM.

[Nparker]

I grew up in the suburbs and never once thought that those who "chose" to live in the urban core were somehow inferior and lived an evil lifestyle. When I was old enough to live on my own I moved to the city to be close to where I worked. My desire to leave the city now has very little to do with transportation and a whole lot to do with terrible civic governance.
 

[Victoria Watcher]

Despite the failure of the U-Bicycle program, top executives of the two biggest electric scooter companies have both said Victoria would be an ideal place to implement a program.

 

Lime and Bird, two of the top competing e-scooter companies in Canada, agree the city would be an ideal place to launch an e-scooter (similar to a push scooter, but with a motor) rental program.

____________

 

Another factor is the number of scooters that would need to be available in the city to make the program worthwhile.

 

“That’s part of the reason why the U-bike is essentially gone, is that they didn’t have enough bikes on the road to make it actually useful,” said Burger.

 

Skateboarders have been using bike lanes in Victoria for a few years now, and Burger said there have been no problems with that, adding that scooters are “just one more small micromobility device that can use that space.”

 

“And if there aren’t enough bike lanes, well let’s go and add some more – that’s not a big deal,” he said.

 

 

 

 

https://www.vicnews....any-executives/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 12 September 2020 - 09:28 AM.

[Rob Randall]

I talked earlier about the scooter program in Paris I saw last year. Yes, they do have enough scooters there to make it practical, unlike our bike program where the only green bikes you saw were being chopped in Harris Green park.

 

But the scooters there were sprawled everywhere. They don't stand up well against a post so people just laid them down on the sidewalk near street corners and you had to step over them. And they zip around at breakneck speeds. Popular, yes, but the whole thing's just crazy.

[Nparker]

Did Burger say he was going to pay for these "not a big deal" additional bike lanes?

[rmpeers]

Is Mr. McFarlen's story meant to be taken seriously? Surely this level of superiority and ignorance of other lifestyles must be some sort of satire.

Or it's an actual policy idea to be proposed by the mayor any day now.

[rjag]

 

 

“That’s part of the reason why the U-bike is essentially gone, is that they didn’t have enough bikes on the road to make it actually useful,” said Burger.

 

Jeez, just about spat my coffee over the keyboard reading that. Thanks for the laugh. Maybe dredge the inner harbour, I'm sure theres quite a few of these bikes still in there!

 

 

 

“And if there aren’t enough bike lanes, well let’s go and add some more – that’s not a big deal,” he said.

 

Anyone see a money tree in their 'hood?

 

Not a big deal indeed...ok bud

[Brantastic]

Transportation is a part of municipal, provincial, and federal spending responsibilities and bike lanes are a part of that. They are far cheaper to build than car infrastructure, and significantly less expensive to maintain over the long term. Remind me again how much the McKenzie interchange cost the province? A single intersection upgrade so that cars can go a bit faster cost several times more than the cost of a protected bike network that will link every neighbourhood in Victoria. Bike infrastructure is mere pennies compared to the total proportion of the taxes we pay that goes to expanding car infrastructure (Malahat widening, Highway 14 rerouting, Keating X Rd overpass, etc.).

[Victoria Watcher]

we already have a bike infrastructure all across the city. they are called roads.

[Cats4Hire]

we already have a bike infrastructure all across the city. they are called roads.

You may be fine travelling on long stretches of road at bike speed being able to pass but the majority aren't though.

[rjag]

Transportation is a part of municipal, provincial, and federal spending responsibilities and bike lanes are a part of that. They are far cheaper to build than car infrastructure, and significantly less expensive to maintain over the long term. Remind me again how much the McKenzie interchange cost the province? A single intersection upgrade so that cars can go a bit faster cost several times more than the cost of a protected bike network that will link every neighbourhood in Victoria. Bike infrastructure is mere pennies compared to the total proportion of the taxes we pay that goes to expanding car infrastructure (Malahat widening, Highway 14 rerouting, Keating X Rd overpass, etc.).

 

Remind me again how you get food to the grocery stores? The South Island is woefully underserved when it comes to road infrastructure, thanks to the numerous nimby councils of the last 30 years. We should have at least a proper 4 lane highway bypassing Goldstream as well as other parts to connect Sooke to Sidney. Nobody is going to ride their bike from Bear Mountain/Langford/Sooke to work in the core...As it is the current new bike infra has created more idling traffic not less. Not everyone has a simple life that they go from A to B and back to A

[rmpeers]

Jeez, just about spat my coffee over the keyboard reading that. Thanks for the laugh. Maybe dredge the inner harbour, I'm sure theres quite a few of these bikes still in there!


Anyone see a money tree in their 'hood?

Not a big deal indeed...ok bud

Those bikes were everywhere when the program started, y'know, to justify one of Air Lisa's China Junkets. But they did disappear, certainly rescued by the totally legit "bike recycling" that have thrived in the past 6 years.

[Nparker]

When someone has a medical emergency I wonder how fast a bikeambulance can get them to a hospital? Does the gurney attach to the back like one of those carts I see some cyclists use? I suppose the patient has to hold their own IV drip. It's good they already come with wheels.

[mbjj]

I have to go out to Vic General in October for my long-awaited surgery. Don't think I can make it there by bike.

[Brantastic]

mbjj, you're than welcome to drive/be driven to the hospital for your appointment next month. Your point doesn't refute anything that I said. I never said no one should be allowed to drive anywhere ever, that bicycles make sense for every kind of trip (although they do work for most kinds of trips), or that we shouldn't fund car infrastructure at all. I'm merely pointing out that when people whine about how much bike infrastructure costs, it's a drop in the bucket compared to what we pay for car infrastructure. People who ride a bike should have the freedom to get around the city without having to fear for their lives. 

And NParker, emergency vehicles seem to be able to get around cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen just fine.

[Nparker]

More money is spent on vehicle infrastructure since more people benefit from it.

[marks_28]

More money is spent on vehicle infrastructure since more people benefit from it.

Right, and that’s fine. But let’s at least get close to the same % spent on bike infrastructure as the % of mode share that uses bikes. Right now, it’s not close.