Cycling in Melbourne Australia
What Andrew Montague, Dublin councillor is saying about Melb Bike Share.
Clay Lucas, Transport writer for the Age, has reported on the opinions of Andrew Montague.
Andrew is the Dublin city councilor who helped set up Dublin bikes. I went after him for a video interview when I realized that the Dublin scheme was the same size as Melbourne Bike Share. In the interview on the blog, Andrew reveals he's been keeping an eye on MBS and is worried.
The Lucas report generated a lot of comment some from names I recognized as contributors to Melb. Cyclist such as Bec. Many like Bec, had questions neither the Lucas piece not my film answer and so I thought I'd try and carry on the comparison between Dublin and Melbourne here.
Firstly , on the question of how safe the Dublin scheme has been, esp. since helmets are a choice there During the year Dublin Bikes has been going, there have been only two accidents involving the bikes, neither were head injuries according to Andrew.
This is on over 1.25 million trips, Andrew calculates the dist. ridden to be about 3.75 million kms .
One commenter wondered if had good infrastructure in Dublin might explain the safety.. There is no bike infrastructure in Dublin, apparently, no bike ways separating bikes and heavier transport. This means that they are launching riders, 40% of whom are new to city riding , into city traffic with no comp. helmet protection and no separated paths.
Its thus doubly amazing to see the safety record they have, Is it a freak situation or is it, as I believe, also due to the fact that sit-up bikes are inherently safer, being slower with the rider seeing better and being seen better..
Bike share bikes, all sit ups, are usually exceptional safe . Montreal Bixis, in their first 2009 season did 3.5 million kms. with one 5 minor
accidents. How does this compare with our accident rate here? What's our accident rate per million kms. ridden?
Andrew comes up with another surprising reason for the good safety record. You can find it at the end of the film Message to to Melbourne from Dublin Bikes, and if you have any other questions, I may already have the answers or can get them from Andrew.
You find the film at http://situp-cycle.com
Mike Rubbo
Andrew is the Dublin city councilor who helped set up Dublin bikes. I went after him for a video interview when I realized that the Dublin scheme was the same size as Melbourne Bike Share. In the interview on the blog, Andrew reveals he's been keeping an eye on MBS and is worried.
The Lucas report generated a lot of comment some from names I recognized as contributors to Melb. Cyclist such as Bec. Many like Bec, had questions neither the Lucas piece not my film answer and so I thought I'd try and carry on the comparison between Dublin and Melbourne here.
Firstly , on the question of how safe the Dublin scheme has been, esp. since helmets are a choice there During the year Dublin Bikes has been going, there have been only two accidents involving the bikes, neither were head injuries according to Andrew.
This is on over 1.25 million trips, Andrew calculates the dist. ridden to be about 3.75 million kms .
One commenter wondered if had good infrastructure in Dublin might explain the safety.. There is no bike infrastructure in Dublin, apparently, no bike ways separating bikes and heavier transport. This means that they are launching riders, 40% of whom are new to city riding , into city traffic with no comp. helmet protection and no separated paths.
Its thus doubly amazing to see the safety record they have, Is it a freak situation or is it, as I believe, also due to the fact that sit-up bikes are inherently safer, being slower with the rider seeing better and being seen better..
Bike share bikes, all sit ups, are usually exceptional safe . Montreal Bixis, in their first 2009 season did 3.5 million kms. with one 5 minor
accidents. How does this compare with our accident rate here? What's our accident rate per million kms. ridden?
Andrew comes up with another surprising reason for the good safety record. You can find it at the end of the film Message to to Melbourne from Dublin Bikes, and if you have any other questions, I may already have the answers or can get them from Andrew.
You find the film at http://situp-cycle.com
Mike Rubbo
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by greg on -
Ireland is broke. Maybe the patronage for their bike scheme is a consequence of their woeful economy. Make the CBD a car free zone and helmets will be a non issue. I also see so many cyclists go through red lights I'm surprised the collision rate is'nt higher. Lots of variables unfortunately including stupidity. So comparing the Melbourne cycling culture with Dublin or anywhere else is probably a misleading comparison.
-
Permalink Reply by Steve Jay on -
For every cyclist I see running a red, Greg, I see three cars doing it on non-camera intersections. Irrelevant comparison. (Yes, I report the cars sometimes, with photos. They fall on deaf ears.)
Back on topic - Mike, I would guess it still comes down to Australian motoring attitudes (and particularly Police attitudes to cycling/motoring conflict) and the fact that Australians, both road users and the authorities, get motoring and cycling legal statuses reversed. Cycling is a right because it is unlicenced, like walking. Motoring is a privilege, a grant of licence under "the crown" to participate in an activity according to certain conditions (road worthy, behaviour, etc.)
Until we improve driving culture in this country, and until cyclists stop taking the blame for that driving culture, we'll never get anywhere. Militancy is needed. Chain me to the bloody traffic lights militancy.
© 2013 Created by DamianM.
