Brussels: Narrow Lanes & Neon Vests 27
Grand Place – Brussels, Belgium – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country The distinct two-tone siren from a Belgium ambulance echoes fourteen floors below the perch where we have set up camp on day one of our two-week trip to Europe. It is 6:30AM and we have just arrived after a 19-hour journey ...
Dutch Cycling Promotion. Good For The Body, Legs & The Eyes. 4
Video of “Promoting Cycling in the Netherlands” in 1985 – by Markenlei on YouTube Mark over at Bicycle Dutch has posted some Dutch promotional cycling videos circa 1985. The videos exploit stereotypes, with an English, American and Italian tourist each talking about bicycles in the Netherlands. Mark points out that “Even in 1985 the Dutch ...
Bicycle Transportation Should Be Taken Seriously 26
“Beautyful Amsterdam” – Photo by Michael Stallmeister via RateMyVelo.com Bicycles are a serious mode of transportation. It is about time we treat them as such instead of treating bicycling as a hobby, a sport, or a mode of transport for the working poor and students. Bicycles are an often overlooked mode of transport that with ...
A Renewed Faith in Newspapers 8
“Places To Go, People To Meet, Things To Do” by Amsterdamize (via ratemyvelo.com) Over the years as a citizen bicycling advocate I have lost my faith in the media. I had found that news outlets have a bias toward car culture that has contributed to the animosity on our streets and the stifling of progress ...
Legislation For Bicycle Transportation 8
Amsterdam “Golden Dress” – Photo courtesy of Michael Stallmeister / ratemyvelo.com If our goal is to make our cities more liveable and bicycle friendly, there are several strategies that we can use to achieve this goal. I spend most of my efforts on this blog by trying to change people’s perceptions about bicycle transport in ...
Paris Cyclists Allowed To Run Red Lights 11
“Guess what? I’m French! – Photo by Rohand / ratemyvelo.com Paris city councillors recently voted to give the green light to cyclists to legally proceed through red lights in the French capital. The pilot program will be tested at 15 intersections in east end of Paris and if successful will roll out to 1,700 intersections ...
Awkward Moments In China’s Car Culture Frenzy 36
Cyclist in Shanghai – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country (2010) As a Canadian ex-pat currently residing in China, there are moments where my culture and values clash with Chinese culture. A recent situation at a dinner with my wife’s family and friends surfaced the importance placed on car ownership in Chinese culture. ...
Sunday Afternoon Ride in China 8
Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country It was hot and sunny – peaking at 27 degrees Celsius on Sunday afternoon here in the middle of the South China Sea – so we decided to take 7-month-old Sofia out for a bicycle ride. It was her first bike ride, and she clearly loved every ...
Our Streets Are Like A Giant Lollipop 4
Photo from Sotres, Asturias, ES courtesy of pablerax In North America there is a common perception that drivers “own the roads” and deserve as much surface area as can be paved. This perception exists despite the heavy subsidization that drivers receive through motorist socialism, which ironically, is prevalent in the United States where socialism is ...
81-Year-Old Gene Hackman Hit On His Bike 102
Gene Hackman in 1993 (AP Photo/File) On Friday at approximately 3PM, Oscar-award winning actor Gene Hackman was hit by a pickup truck on his bicycle in the Florida Keys. The incident was covered widely by the media which made sure to point out that the 81-year-old Hackman was not wearing a helmet. Though true, this ...