Comments on: ¡Arriba Sevilla! http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:15:45 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: squeakywheel http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52875 squeakywheel Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:27:53 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52875 I was just in Barcelona, which introduced this system last year. Seems to have taken off like a rocket. The bikes are all over the place, though the system didn't seem very accessible to the casual visitor. In a small town on the Costa Brava, I also spotted something else very cool: underground self-service bike parking! Basically, you pay and then put your bike into a metal elevator, which whisks your bike underground. You enter a code to retrieve it. The one I saw was at the bus station, which was also the terminus for a 30-mile trail on an old railway bed leading up to (or perhaps more pleasantly, down from) Girona, up in the foothills of the Pyrenees. I was just in Barcelona, which introduced this system last year. Seems to have taken off like a rocket. The bikes are all over the place, though the system didn't seem very accessible to the casual visitor.

In a small town on the Costa Brava, I also spotted something else very cool: underground self-service bike parking! Basically, you pay and then put your bike into a metal elevator, which whisks your bike underground. You enter a code to retrieve it. The one I saw was at the bus station, which was also the terminus for a 30-mile trail on an old railway bed leading up to (or perhaps more pleasantly, down from) Girona, up in the foothills of the Pyrenees.

]]> By: Moocow http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52848 Moocow Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:04:29 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52848 I just returned from an Amsterdam, Dusseldorf and Copenhagen trip; the on the sidewalk Dusseldorf bike lanes seemed the least usable of the three cities. The slightly raised bike lanes in Denmark seemed to handle the volume and speed of bike commuters that which are similar to NYC. Sharing a sidewalk is no way to encourage, nor enable bike commuting (nor public support). Of course the true utopia for bikes was Amsterdam, but I don't think NYC will look like that for a long time. I also think the Northern Europeans have the crash liability thing right, once car drivers are more afraid of peds and bikes, then you will have a less frightened bike riding populace. I just returned from an Amsterdam, Dusseldorf and Copenhagen trip; the on the sidewalk Dusseldorf bike lanes seemed the least usable of the three cities. The slightly raised bike lanes in Denmark seemed to handle the volume and speed of bike commuters that which are similar to NYC. Sharing a sidewalk is no way to encourage, nor enable bike commuting (nor public support). Of course the true utopia for bikes was Amsterdam, but I don't think NYC will look like that for a long time. I also think the Northern Europeans have the crash liability thing right, once car drivers are more afraid of peds and bikes, then you will have a less frightened bike riding populace.

]]> By: DesignNewHaven http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52847 DesignNewHaven Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:34:12 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52847 Seville has made incredible strides recently to become a great cycling city! Some of the bike lanes are a bit too narrow, but hopefully that will change as more and more people ride. Great to see the bike share now up-and-running! When I was there last year, other Andalucian cities were beginning to implement programs as well. Seville has made incredible strides recently to become a great cycling city! Some of the bike lanes are a bit too narrow, but hopefully that will change as more and more people ride. Great to see the bike share now up-and-running! When I was there last year, other Andalucian cities were beginning to implement programs as well.

]]> By: ed http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52844 ed Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:46:01 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52844 I lived in Munster, cycling capital of Germany for a few months, and the bike/ped sidewalks there were sometimes tricky to deal with as a pedestrian, IMO. I got used to it, though. In general, the cycling infrastructure there was incredible. I lived in Munster, cycling capital of Germany for a few months, and the bike/ped sidewalks there were sometimes tricky to deal with as a pedestrian, IMO. I got used to it, though. In general, the cycling infrastructure there was incredible.

]]> By: jake http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52840 jake Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:13:46 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52840 I'm living in Tokyo right now, where bikers and pedestrians share the sidewalks without any lane markings or separation at all - only a handful of bikers ever use the street. A good number of people use bikes, so it's serviceable enough to them, but the sidewalks are always jammed with pedestrians and bikers have to move extremely slowly. I haven't tried it, but it must be a maddening experience. I'm living in Tokyo right now, where bikers and pedestrians share the sidewalks without any lane markings or separation at all - only a handful of bikers ever use the street. A good number of people use bikes, so it's serviceable enough to them, but the sidewalks are always jammed with pedestrians and bikers have to move extremely slowly. I haven't tried it, but it must be a maddening experience.

]]> By: mfs http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52839 mfs Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:08:15 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52839 I've seen these in a few places in Bogotá too, like along Cr. 11 & 30, but it only works well where the sidewalk is wide or pedestrian traffic is low. I've seen these in a few places in Bogotá too, like along Cr. 11 & 30, but it only works well where the sidewalk is wide or pedestrian traffic is low.

]]> By: katherine d f http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52828 katherine d f Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:46:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52828 and hopefully NYC and elsewhere! and hopefully NYC and elsewhere!

]]> By: katherine d f http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52827 katherine d f Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:45:58 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52827 I saw this in Barcelona too. They are currently installing the exact same system in Washington D.C. I saw this in Barcelona too. They are currently installing the exact same system in Washington D.C.

]]> By: Urbanis http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/comment-page-1/#comment-52821 Urbanis Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:39:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/06/30/%c2%a1arriba-sevilla/#comment-52821 Seville has the right idea by integrating bike lanes into sidewalks as in the photo. I have also seen this done in the Netherlands. It's an excellent way to provide physical separation for cyclists from automobile traffic. Seville has the right idea by integrating bike lanes into sidewalks as in the photo. I have also seen this done in the Netherlands. It's an excellent way to provide physical separation for cyclists from automobile traffic.

]]>