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Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

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Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#141

Post by zxspectrum1982 »

brailsafe wrote: post #123
pachico wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lots of opinions about Barcelona, I see. Somehow I feel I know the city quite well. I moved here more than 20 years ago and I can compare it to others cities I live in or visited. Barcelona is relatively safe, although, as it's been mentioned, it had several hot spots (I used to live in some of these, actually). Crime is in most of the cases about pickpocketing or, sadly but infrequently, with assault. Still, believe…

How bad is pickpocketing these days? Barcelona seemed to have developed an international reputation for it, but I presume that much like all things, it's overblown.

These days? Horrible. Some people call it "Warcelona" for a reason. Authorities do nothing.

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#142

Post by throwawaysea »

gadrev wrote: post #2

Yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28970792 (this is a different article)

I’ve noticed there are frequent reposts of the same story or very similar stories when it comes to pro-bike/anti-car/urbanist content. I’ve seen several such posts in the last 24 hours, all on the front page. Reposts are supposed to be buried per the HN FAQ but there isn’t a way to report things as dupes seemingly. @dang is flagging the right approach for handling this?

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#143

Post by grzm »

throwawaysea wrote: post #142
gadrev wrote: post #2

Yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28970792 (this is a different article)

I’ve noticed there are frequent reposts of the same story or very similar stories when it comes to pro-bike/anti-car/urbanist content. I’ve seen several such posts in the last 24 hours, all on the front page. Reposts are supposed to be buried per the HN FAQ but there isn’t a way to report things as dupes seemingly. @dang is flagging the right approach for handling this?

In my experience emailing is better (using the Contact link in the footer). This is also better for getting the mods' attention, as things like @dang don't trigger any automated notification mechanism.

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#144

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

xwdv wrote: post #106
peoplefromibiza wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Been in Paris two weeks ago as well to visit my girlfriend who's been living there for 11 years. Scooters are in the process of being banned in Paris because they are too dangerous and in Rome, where I come from, they are going yo be heavily regulated (mandatory helmet, reduced speed, designated pick up and drop locations, etc. ) because they caused a +35% increase of brain traumas to teenagers Not everything that lo…

It would be a shame if they are banned as it is one of the most efficient and enjoyable ways to get around the city.

In principle it's a great idea but from the picture it looks like they're monopolizing a shared resource. This isn't fundamentally different than adults parading around during Critical Mass.

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#145

Post by pachico »

brailsafe wrote: post #123
pachico wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lots of opinions about Barcelona, I see. Somehow I feel I know the city quite well. I moved here more than 20 years ago and I can compare it to others cities I live in or visited. Barcelona is relatively safe, although, as it's been mentioned, it had several hot spots (I used to live in some of these, actually). Crime is in most of the cases about pickpocketing or, sadly but infrequently, with assault. Still, believe…

How bad is pickpocketing these days? Barcelona seemed to have developed an international reputation for it, but I presume that much like all things, it's overblown.

During years not much has been done. The problem is that pickpocketing pays off for people that has nothing or very little to loose. Much of the problem is in the hands of clans of underages that arrived to Spain with nothing. The law can't do much to them.

After some years, local police started to do more pressure, mostly trying to dissuade or prevent, rather than to catch them after the fact. Eventually they moved somewhere else (our of the city now) and COVID killed tourism that always was the the main source of targets.

I'd say it's much better now.

Unfortunately, it is a topic that gets easily ignited by political parties counter accusations.

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#146

Post by maccam94 »

jseban wrote: post #99
sandermvanvliet wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Rotterdam and don’t drive my car in the city anymore, only to go out of the city. We’ve had quite a few changes with reduction in lanes (2 to 1) to allow less traffic in to reduce the air pollution and by doing that bike lanes got bigger which I think is a good thing. It makes driving a car in the city less attractive and while I have no idea if more people ride bikes now, from my limited perspective it doe…

Same where I live, and now we have 1 empty bike lane and traffic jam in the remaining with sirens all the time because emergency vehicles can't pass anymore. It seems completely useless, convert a fully functional lane of a road, to an empty lane that's not used, why? And that reasoning is also really strange, just remove roads to force people to drive less? Well you also just removed mobility? Remove busses, subways…

There will be as much traffic on a road as there are people willing to put up with it. Urban planners can reduce traffic by introducing alternative transportation methods and either raising costs for cars (congestion pricing, dynamic parking pricing, etc) or making them less convenient (reduce parking, fewer cars lanes, etc). Some transportation options, like buses and bikes, become more attractive when infrastructure prioritizes them over cars (dedicated rights-of-way to avoid getting stuck, separation from cars for safety, bicycle parking, etc).

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#147

Post by wott »

enriquto wrote: post #34
daneel_w wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Biking in this bus formation and biking normally are separate enough that it doesn’t seem to be a concern. IMO that’s like asking if kids don’t where seat belts on a normal bus, are they then at risk of not wearing seat belts in normal cars?" I don't think you put much thought into your reasoning. You're conveniently forgetting that people have a knack for developing bad habits, and children have a knack for picking…

But cycling in the middle of your lane is a good habit. It is explicitly recommended! The bicibus may thus help people to do it and reclaim the road.

It is forbidden in my country: we must stick to the right side of our lane. And I suspect it is the same in most countries.

We were granted a notable exception, which allows us to keep a distance with parked cards in areas where speed limit is 50km/h or less.

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#148

Post by tjr225 »

jseban wrote: post #43
tjr225 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uh. I doubt cycling infrastructure is even a minute fraction of the cost we put into automobile infrastructure. I have no proof but lol let’s call it a hunch. > Why should we cycle more? Only one reason is really valid: save the environment. It’s better for the environment, it’s cheaper, it’s more efficient(more bikes can occupy less space and move more people), it’s fun, it’s good for your body, it’s safer(if we don…

People also like to choose whatever they think is fun, if you want to play tennis instead of riding a bike, because you think that's more fun, you should be able to do so. Your fun is at the expense of other people's mobility, why can't you just use some of the other million ways of getting exercise and having fun, where you don't have to be in other people's way?

I had no fucking idea what you were talking about until I read your other comments about the bike lane in front of your home.

I can’t believe I have to explain this to you; just because your city did bike infrastructure wrong doesn’t mean it can’t be done the right way.

Honestly, such a weird set of comments, I can’t tell if your a troll or what but, best of luck to you!

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#149

Post by jseban »

agumonkey wrote: post #119
jseban wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, that's what I mean. They like the idea of being a good person, but when push comes to shove, in reality it's only used/usable when the weather is nice, and people don't use it when the weather is bad.

Ah well I was surprised to keep biking 24/7 after I started in July. I'd even do it 100% of the time if I was living in my own house and if it was safe and easy to park my bike (bike theft is so prevalent). Even soaked in rain, even when cold, even after falling hard.. I kept doing it. I'm even thinking making a bike club / bike repair shop to motivate other people. The benefits are huge.

You like to do something uncomfortable and impractical, so what, most people don't and it obviously has huge downsides. If you want to use scarce public space you can't really argue that a small minority think it's fun

Re: Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together

#150

Post by jseban »

jeromegv wrote: post #131
jseban wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh and I should add: outside of my house they have blocked one whole lane of the road from cars and designated it for cyclists. There was already a smaller bike lane. This new lane is now mostly empty and the remaining two lanes have traffic jams now with sirens all the time because emergency vehicles can't pass anymore. And I just think it's stupid and annoying. There was already a perfectly fine bike lane. There is…

"Barely used", citation needed. Even in not-very-friendly cities for bike like Toronto, most bike lanes have higher amount of bike riders than the cars on the street.

On days when the weather is nice, when the weather is bad in Toronto, the bike lanes are empty like everywhere else.
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