Barcelona’s Bicibús: hundreds of families biking to school together • Hacker News Board

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

#171

Post by jmrm » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 10:56 AM UTC

_nalply wrote: post #50

I have been in Paris two weeks ago and I am surprised how much Paris changed in the last years. Bike lanes and people who ride bikes and scooters everywhere. I hope that this is THE change in most European metropolises for the future. Not only in Barcelona.

In most of European cities the use of electric scooters have skyrocketed, both private bought and as a service (like Lime).

I don't know how is in France, but in Spain there are new regulation, and new ones halfway, to have a regulation where these vehicles are registered, users have to use helmet, and in a near future, even have civil liability/accident insurance to prevent some kind of problem.

At first, there wasn't nay kind of problem, but more and more people keep buying this scooters, they were driving at high speed in the pavement, there was some accidents with scooters involved, and even there was a couple of pedestrian deaths due to misuse, so the government got serious about that.

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

#172

Post by pvaldes » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 11:02 AM UTC

jseban wrote: post #151

Tarsul wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's pretty typical in Germany that kids of all (school) ages bike to and from school, basically every day of the year. I did.

Why, it's much better for the kids to just take the bus, it's more practical and easier, and they don't have the risk of sitting cold and wet in school, what's the point of stubbornly cycling in shitty weather

I'm more concerned by heatstrokes in this case.

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

#173

Post by agumonkey » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 11:19 AM UTC

jseban wrote: post #149

agumonkey wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Sounds judgemental and short sighted.

Also I don't get the scarce space argument.

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

#174

Post by soared » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 11:25 AM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #72

soared wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oddly enough I’m in Chattanooga and going to Knoxville tomorrow. I’ll find out :)

I highly recommend the UT Gardens, the Sunsphere, Remedy Coffee, and Yassin’s Falafel House if you’re looking for suggestions. Enjoy!

Excellent, thank you!

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

#175

Post by monopoledance » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 12:31 PM UTC

Kafkish wrote: post #5

> the ride from start to finish lasts about 25 minutes. That's about 50 minutes to and fro. That's all the exercise a child needs in a day. Wish they'll succeed in making it every day, instead of just on Fridays.

Biking is horribly efficient, I think.

I used to overstate my commuting, as well, but when I compare it to running, you need to at least double the duration for equivalency. Both in numbers and feelz. And you really need to push it (lol) to get your heart working. Not a complete replacement for exercise, otherwise. Luckily, I start hunting on a bike naturally, but lots of people seem to not even break a sweat, or really enjoy sitting on their saddle. Exhaust pollution wise, bike commuting seems to be still beneficial, but it’s definitely putting a counterweight in the bowl, too. Tho, that’s supposed to get better, with fewer (my city started converting whole car lanes into bike lanes Anyway, those children grow up riding bikes will likely continue as adults where getting any exercise is better than nothing. And if you’re used to taking your bike everywhere, you may easily make 20-50km/d, which is something. Biking can be more than a mode of transportation. I often get overwhelmingly happy flowing through the city with a breeze on my skin and people in the same room. I wish that bliss onto everyone.

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

#176

Post by ashtonkem » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 1:04 PM UTC

VBprogrammer wrote: post #165

ashtonkem wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every city I’ve ever been to in my entire life is more dangerous for tourists than residents. They’re easy targets, since they usually have expensive gear and don’t understand the area. I wouldn’t judge a city based on the experience of tourists in it.

I haven't been to Barcelona in something approaching 10 years and I only spent a week there when I did. I had an amazing time and it was one of the most exciting cities I've ever visited. That said, the amount of criminality on show to your average tourist was surprising. Offers of drugs and being accosted by prostitutes in the street was common place, not to mention lower level crime like graffiti and people selling…

Honestly, sounds a lot like Venice Beach, CA.

Well, except for the beers. Americans are very much not okay with public drinking.

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

#177

Post by Kafkish » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 1:57 PM UTC

lm28469 wrote: post #26

Kafkish wrote: post #5

> the ride from start to finish lasts about 25 minutes. That's about 50 minutes to and fro. That's all the exercise a child needs in a day. Wish they'll succeed in making it every day, instead of just on Fridays.

> That's all the exercise a child needs in a day. More like the minimum recommended amount, but it's a good start

That, actually, is way more than the minimum recommended. See [1]. It took me about 10 minutes of jogging at least 3-4 times a week over several months before I got to the point where I can now jog 60+ minutes non-stop.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/well/move/exercise-heart-...

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

#178

Post by maccam94 » Mon, Oct 25, 2021, 10:45 PM UTC

jseban wrote: post #156

maccam94 wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 infrastructur…

Infrastructure rightly prioritises the most useful and most efficient modes of transportation, and gives less priority to that which is less useful and efficient. That's rational and correct, no need to change that.

Road space is currently unmetered. Parking space is also often unmetered or underpriced. Should it be the same price for everyone to drive 18-wheelers and RVs and cars and mopeds into the center of a city? Bicycles are the most efficient mode of transportation in terms of energy, except for the densest urban subways.

Cars are a local maximum of utility that doesn't require much coordination or planning. They took advantage of pre-existing public roads and then crowded out all other road users, and subsequent roads were simpler to design and plan for cars than for mixed use with other road users.

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

#179

Post by tjr225 » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 1:17 AM UTC

jseban wrote: post #157

tjr225 wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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!

I'm simply talking about cycling in a big city from a practical point of view, based on facts and my own experience, and pointing out the limitations. As opposed to using cycling as some kind of protest, and people get triggered when I'm challenging the latest virtue signalling trend.

You are the one virtue signaling, my friend- and based on your own personal anecdotes- hardly what any reasonable person would refer to as “facts.”

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

#180

Post by pvaldes » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 10:02 AM UTC

vidarh wrote: post #96

ResearchCode wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For instance, the "sources" accessible through those keywords put in a google search query. (Entertaining the question as if my claim was more controversial than any other in this thread, that is, as if Barcelona was not infamous as a crime ridden s hole where visitors are asked to practice war zone vigilance.)

Putting "crime capitals of Europe" into Google gets me multiple lists, only one of which includes Barcelona. The one which includes it places it 26th in Europe, behind a whole lot of cities I've felt totally safe in.

Feeling safe in the street is one thing, but those ranks miss that the big fat crime will try its best to be invisible and unnoticed.

January 2021: "Police in Spain have reported the seizure of 827000 ecstasy pills, 76 Kg of amphetamine, 39.5 kg of crystal methamphetamine, 89 kg of cannabis, and 1.65 kg of cocaine in what they claim to be the biggest drug haul in Europe"

https://www.addictionjournal.org/posts/police-seize-largest-...

Barcelona still has a huge problem with drugs

In this sense, yes, has well earned sadly a place among European crime capitals. Indirect analysis as looking for sewage water biomarkers, place Barcelona among the European cities with a biggest abuse of cocaine, slightly bigger than London. This means that 5 millions of citizens in Barcelona consume more cocaine that 9 millions in London, so they almost double the average dose per capita. Antwerp (half a million) is a disaster doubling the London/Barcelona values in a weekend. They could go to Barcelona to detox. Those are recent values taken from here:

https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/html/pods/waste-wa...