Thought for the Day

Here’s a thought for bus-lane haters. According to Enrique Amorosa, if everyone is equal in the face of the law, a bus carrying 80 passengers has a right to 80 times the road space of those 80 people in cars.

LSE Cities think tank on cars, bikes and walkability: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

There’s a great quote in a recent Financial Times article from Philipp Rode, the executive director of the LSE Cities think tank, about what’s needed to encourage high tech start-ups in the city, notably “a shift towards inner-city appreciation - what we’re seeing is a return to the city,” as, increasingly, people prize perks like good transport, bike lanes, walkability and sustainability over owning a car or buying a big house.

As the FT reports, Rode reckons the next wave of technological innovations will come from companies that understand how people live in Europe’s metropolitan areas - “the hyper-urban condition created by public transport and higher-density living.” How long before our local politicians wake up and realise that if their answer is “more cars and more car parks,” then they just don’t get it. Now that's what I call stupid.

Quote of the Week

“If just five minutes of the average 36 minutes a day people spend in cars was used for cycling the NHS would see a 5% fall in inactivity-related illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.”

Report by British Cycling, published today

Cars are a waste of space: here’s why

When someone tells you that the car is an efficient way to deliver people to urban destinations, or a great basis for transport in cities – just show them these images. And if you don’t have trams, a bus will do.
(Derek Thomson, 18 Nov 2013, www.TheAtlantic.com)

Quote Of The Week

"Anything you do to make a city more friendly to cars makes it less friendly to people."  Enrique Penalosa

Quote of The Week

"All cars are getaway cars."  Ross Best