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Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

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Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#261

Post by dzhiurgis »

linkydinkandyou wrote: post #238
Patrick_Devine wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in a neighborhood in Palo Alto that doesn't have sidewalks, and people here walk (and bike) all the time. The reason why it works is because many of the streets are extremely narrow, and we've worked fairly hard at making certain they aren't striped down the center. For whatever reason this seems to get motorists to drive more slowly and makes it safer for everyone.

Bicyclists in Palo Alto kill pedestrians. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/04/22/pedestrian-str...

Pedestrians in New York kill Trucks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#263

Post by kalleboo »

nkassis wrote: post #41
stbtrax wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like it could be easily solved by you riding a more suitable bike for commuting. It seems people in the US fetishize road bikes with drop bars and skinny tires as the 'best and fastest' kind of bike and then complain about how uncomfortable biking is. Even in the tour de france they don't use 23mm tires anymore. Going to a wider tire won't affect your speed adversely and to an extent will actually speed y…

"It seems people in the US fetishize road bikes with drop bars and skinny tires as the 'best and fastest' kind of bike" I don't think that true. The general opinion I've seen where I live is that bikes are toys and paying above a few hundred for one is ridiculous. I do agree that you probably don't want a race oriented road bike if your goal is to commute to work a few miles but if you enjoy the sport and know what y…

My perspective as a European is there seem to be two types. Whenever I bring up bike commutes with Americans, either the reaction is negative (with all the typical excuses), or their eyes light up and they start going on about that fixie they've had their eye on for so long. The "middle-class" of "bikes are fine tools for travel" just doesn't seem to be there - either you're dismissive or you're a "bike nut2.

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#264

Post by joe_the_user »

rwhitman wrote: post #160

Retrofitting American suburban sprawl to be less car-centric is going to be one of the enduring puzzles of the 21st century. The suburban model of planning championed in the 50's onwards became so deeply embedded in development projects and just the entire culture of small city planning across the country that a huge chunk of Americans are completely unaware that a less car-centric lifestyle is even possible, let alo…

There's nothing mysterious about the situation in silicon valley really.

It's about space. Wikipedia tells me Copenhagen is 86.20 km [1] and San Jose is 466.109 km [2] but naturally silicon valley is several times larger than San Jose proper. If it was possible to just rent an apartment near where one worked, that wouldn't be an issue but we know how hard that is today.

When where one's work is twenty miles or more from one's living space, one just isn't going to easily bike to work. There could be bike path with wind-tunnel and it still wouldn't be possible [edit: for most, average office workers, certainly possible for some].

Silicon Valley's permanent, festering housing crisis, now spilling to San Francisco, is pretty much the culprit for the unliveability and unbikeability problem. How could it not be.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose,_California

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#265

Post by PhasmaFelis »

6t6t6 wrote: post #259
kaybe wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The local solution is to own two old run-down bikes and lock them at either station. You still run a risk of theft or damage, but the investment is not that big.

Some people don't understand that they don't need to spend 3000$ in the bike they use to commute. Mine costed me 10.000yen (100$). It works quite OK, and if one day it is stolen or broken, I will not be really sad. Ah, it also has a basket that is quite convenient when I go to the supermarket.

Indeed, $100 will get you a used/downmarket bike that will move you around just fine. And if you've got a bit more money and want something sturdier, you can get a brand-new model from a respected manufacturer for $500. I paid an extra $80 or so for a strong cargo rack and deep, low-slung, waterproof saddlebags that can carry more than a week of groceries for one person. So there really is a range of options for every income.

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#266

Post by JoeAltmaier »

joe_the_user wrote: post #264
rwhitman wrote: post #160

Retrofitting American suburban sprawl to be less car-centric is going to be one of the enduring puzzles of the 21st century. The suburban model of planning championed in the 50's onwards became so deeply embedded in development projects and just the entire culture of small city planning across the country that a huge chunk of Americans are completely unaware that a less car-centric lifestyle is even possible, let alo…

There's nothing mysterious about the situation in silicon valley really. It's about space. Wikipedia tells me Copenhagen is 86.20 km [1] and San Jose is 466.109 km [2] but naturally silicon valley is several times larger than San Jose proper. If it was possible to just rent an apartment near where one worked, that wouldn't be an issue but we know how hard that is today. When where one's work is twenty miles or more f…

Was with you until that "twenty miles ... still wouldn't be possible." I ride my bike 20 miles to work frequently; its nowhere near as flat as Silicon Valley (Iowa is hilly). And the weather is often worse here.

So maybe readjust 'not possible' up a notch or two?

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#267

Post by PhasmaFelis »

linkydinkandyou wrote: post #238
Patrick_Devine wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in a neighborhood in Palo Alto that doesn't have sidewalks, and people here walk (and bike) all the time. The reason why it works is because many of the streets are extremely narrow, and we've worked fairly hard at making certain they aren't striped down the center. For whatever reason this seems to get motorists to drive more slowly and makes it safer for everyone.

Bicyclists in Palo Alto kill pedestrians. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/04/22/pedestrian-str...

You mean a single bicyclist in Palo Alto killed a single pedestrian, who was crossing without a crosswalk on a blind curve.

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#268

Post by dzhiurgis »

roflchoppa wrote: post #212
TulliusCicero wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's what I do every day in London. Why wouldn't you? Well, I personally might be willing to if the infrastructure was good enough (I'd probably get an eBike to speed things up), and other confident riders might. I just mean most people wouldn't, it's too far.

dude those eBikes are sick, i was going like 22 mph down the street cruising. i would get one if i biked everywhere.

People are underestimating ebikes a lot. They solve problems like hills, distance. They are quiet and a pleasure to ride, just like regular bikes.

A lot of people are also purists saying you should stick to pedaling only, but then keep commuting using cars. To me, ebikes are the most obvious solution to commute problme.

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#269

Post by joe_the_user »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #266
joe_the_user wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's nothing mysterious about the situation in silicon valley really. It's about space. Wikipedia tells me Copenhagen is 86.20 km [1] and San Jose is 466.109 km [2] but naturally silicon valley is several times larger than San Jose proper. If it was possible to just rent an apartment near where one worked, that wouldn't be an issue but we know how hard that is today. When where one's work is twenty miles or more f…

Was with you until that "twenty miles ... still wouldn't be possible." I ride my bike 20 miles to work frequently; its nowhere near as flat as Silicon Valley (Iowa is hilly). And the weather is often worse here. So maybe readjust 'not possible' up a notch or two?

Really, I meant say "no easy", in fact I did:

When where one's work is twenty miles or more from one's living space, one just isn't going to easily bike to work.

I slipped and said "not possible" later so jeesh, sorry. I meant "It's possible for it to be easy enough for the average person". I've commuted further distances myself but the average worker isn't going to do it. Sad but there you are.

Re: Google Wants to Make Silicon Valley as Bike-Friendly as Copenhagen

#270

Post by tarasglek »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #71
mc32 wrote: post #64

To my mind, one of the main issues, in addition to protected bike lanes is the spread. Bike friendly cities are more compact. Commuting to work via bike is not a strenuous fifteen mile commute one way. They tend to be leisurely few mile rides. Now, not to say it's not possible, but a one to five mile bike ride is not the same as a ten to fifteen or more miles bike ride. Now, I do like Copenhagen's above ground bike r…

Sure, you're never going to get people who live 15 or 20 miles out biking the whole way to work, but there's lots of people who live You also have to keep in mind biking as a first-mile/last-mile complement to rail transit. If there's good bike paths to get to a transit station, that effectively extends the usable radius of the station. Already, lots of people bike to Caltrain and then bike from their stop to work (I…

It's actually pretty easy to bike 15miles to work to Mountain View where google is based. It's super-flat around here.

Been biking to MV for a year now, 15miles each way. Commute times are comparable to car commutes from Santa Clara during heavy traffic

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