Bicyle Freeways

Although not known as a particularly cycling-focussed city it seems that Los Angeles has a plan to make biking around the city a little better. The idea is based on the freeway system and would aim to provide a fast and easy way to cover big distances before switching onto smaller local cycle routes and roads to reach the final destination, and, although only at a pressure-group stage, it seems to be gaining support. It sounds to me a lot like the original plan for the Cycle Superhighways for London, which could mean it ends up as a bit of an afterthought trying to link existing routes and still fighting for space with cars. I’ve driven on the freeways of LA and quite frankly it’s scary enough in a car, let alone considering being in close proximity to the 8 lanes of traffic on a bike. Hopefully a sensibly organised system, keeping bikes safe from cars, will be developed, following smooth and coherent long distance routes into the city.

At the same time in London a couple of very different and interestingly laterally thinking ideas are both attempting to boost the number of people cycling.

A proposal to charge for car-parking in Richmond Park is designed to encourage more people to ride to the park, as well as reducing congestion in the area around the park. On a nice summer day I can see it being very pleasant to ride to any of the London parks if they become a bit more bike friendly and spend an afternoon without the fumes from cars queuing for the carparks. The only question might be how to get the football, cricket set, picnic, boules, kites, and all the rest of the things you need after 10 minutes sitting in the sun has got boring, onto a bike. Actually, on that note, can summer possibly hurry up? The winter’s getting a bit dull now.

One thing that we’ve mentioned before was the apparent resistance from girls to cycling as a way to get around, or for fun. A designer has made an effort to change that by creating, with the help of some actual girls, a hoodie that is both attractive to them, and fits well for cycling. As a more casual alternative to some of the more grown up fashions that places like Cyclechic offer, maybe it could help to get more girls onto bikes from a younger age.

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