Comments on: Streetfilms: Sharing Street Space in Paris

By: Philip

Philip — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:19:48 +0000

Looking out for each other! Who would have thought?

By: Eric McClure

Eric McClure — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 02:54:59 +0000

I should add that the episode opens with a scene featuring one of the more creative uses of one of those “Your Speed” radar-gun digital displays that I’ve seen.

OK, no more TV talk. Great Streetfilm, by the way. Another reason to love Paris.

By: Eric McClure

Eric McClure — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 02:48:21 +0000

The "bicycle bell" mentioned at about 2:46 is something we'll need to push here as quieter electric and hybrid vehicles become more commonplace.

Yeah, but if Andy Bernard had had a "bicycle bell" on his Prius, he wouldn't have been able to silently sneak up on Dwight and pin him against the hedge in the most recent episode of "The Office."

By: Ben

Ben — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:05:54 +0000

People who don’t ride bikes in the city usually say it’s because they don’t feel safe on a bike because people drive like rabid analy-expulsive drunkards. C’mon government, How safe are you keeping the people when they’re afraid to ride bikes?

By: Chris in Sacramento

Chris in Sacramento — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:22:13 +0000

Ca c’est bon!

The “bicycle bell” mentioned at about 2:46 is something we’ll need to push here as quieter electric and hybrid vehicles become more commonplace.

By: Mike Lydon

Mike Lydon — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:00:25 +0000

DOT officials systematically ignore their own good data. Quite simply, once speeds exceed 20mph the chance of a pedestrian surviving any type of collision rise astronomically. 30mph seems to be the standard for “slow” streets in America, but the data, collected by the engineers, demonstrates just how much more dangerous that increment of speed is for other users of the street. good for the European cities…they seem to have brought speeds on most urban streets to 30km, which makes good sense. It still provides for efficient movement, and it saves lives.

By: Boris

Boris — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:01:11 +0000

I wonder if there is any philosophical reason against contraflow bike lanes in New York. I understand it’s illegal because bikes are grouped together with other vehicles, but many uninformed people do think that bikers are supposed to go against traffic- it just seems natural.

By: Rhywun

Rhywun — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Yeah, the American need for speed is definitely the root of most of the awful design our cities are inflicted with. Elevated expressways along the waterfront. “Plazas” that devote most of the space to tortured intersections designed for maximum speed. Sidewalks so narrow you have to walk single-file.

By: rex

rex — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:23:57 +0000

30 km/hr = 18 mph, sigh, that sounds lovely. We will never get there, but it sounds lovely nonetheless.

By: Mike Lydon

Mike Lydon — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:50:25 +0000

Excellent film. It seems Paris has done much in just the two years since I was last there. Moving people, not vehicles…now that is a mantra we can all get behind.