Notices by Brent Toderian (brenttoderian@mastodon.online), page 2

REMINDER: Paris has released a new 5-Year Pedestrian Plan!
- 300 million € to be invested by 2026
- 100 new hectares of pedestrian space
- 100 more “streets for kids”
- Focus on 0 pedestrian deaths #VisionZero
- Longer pedestrian cross times geared to seniors
HT @david_belliard

Never forget, a 13-year study found that protected bike-lanes led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all road users.

ALL ROAD USERS.

And painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all. For sharrows, it’s safer to NOT have them.

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/05/29/protect-yourself-separated-bike-lanes-means-safer-streets-study-says

"Adding highway lanes to deal with traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to cure obesity." - Lewis Mumford in 1955.

We’ve known this for a LONG time, but we’ve put massive energy, money, space, and time into pretending we don’t know it.
#InducedDemand #lawofcongestion

This part of the Strand in London used to be a congested road for cars. Now it’s a magnetic place for people.

Good trade.

It can feel hard to muster the vision and leadership needed for smart urban change. But it pays off with a better city. Gorgeous pic by @livinglondonhis

The bank of the Seine in Paris. This used to be surrendered space for cars. For several years now it’s been a special place for people. All it took was leadership. Including fighting and winning a court battle when that leadership was challenged. HT @EmmanuelSPV for the great pic.

LISTEN: Paris’ BOLD bike-centric new climate action plan, profiled by Australian national radio hosted by the exceptional @greenj in this NEW interview with me. Deep dive into the Paris bike transformation, new public places, 15-Minute Cities and hosting the Olympic Games!
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/blueprintforliving/blueprint-paris-bike-centric-new-climate-plan/103586688

READ: “Policies to help people walk & cycle such as low-traffic neighbourhoods can create public health benefits as much as 100 times greater than the cost of the schemes, a long-term study has concluded.” AND the benefits continue to grow even higher over time.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/08/health-gains-of-low-traffic-schemes-up-to-100-times-greater-than-costs-study-finds

“A single unmuffled scooter crossing Paris at night can wake as many as 10,000 people.”

We seriously underestimate the impact of vehicle noise on urban livability & health. Cities aren’t noisy, engines are.

How #Paris Is Waging a War on Noise Pollution.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-04-27/how-paris-is-waging-a-war-on-noise-pollution

NEW: Quebec City has released plans to build a massive new 150km all-season cycling network over the next 10 years. The 14 new active mobility routes are referred to as “Vélocité corridors.”
https://momentummag.com/quebec-city-10-year-bike-plan/

NEW: This year, Dublin will become the latest European capital to bar thru-traffic from its city centre. Private cars & commercial trucks will be allowed access only if their final destination is downtown. The goal is a 60% traffic reduction in the centre.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-17/dublin-takes-aim-at-traffic-congestion-with-a-car-ban-on-certain-trips

THE REAL SOLUTION ISN’T “BETTER” CARS, IT’S FEWER CARS!

Never forget that when Seoul, Korea removed the Cheonggyecheon expressway in 2003 and replaced it with a restored stream, 1000 acre park and better public transit, not only did it transform the city’s public life & economic success, but the traffic got better.

The traffic got BETTER.

BREAKING: Paris voters just won referendum 55% to TRIPLE parking charges for SUVs!

“We’re doing this to reduce pollution & to make our children safer because these cars are dangerous. Paris is transforming itself to allow people to breathe & live better.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/02/paris-residents-set-to-vote-on-plan-to-triple-parking-charges-for-suvs

A global study reveals that Dutch residents are the most physically active on earth, getting 12.8 hours of exercise each week. The key—designing activity into daily life. The average #Dutch person cycles about 1,098 kilometers per year. HT @Cycling_Embassy
https://www.ipsos.com/en/global-views-to-sports-2021

STUDY: Cars are rewiring our brains to ignore all the bad stuff about driving. “A new study reveals how unconscious bias leads us to neglect negative externalities of driving. You may call it ‘car brain,’ but this research team calls it motonormativity.” https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/31/23579510/car-brain-motornormativity-study-ian-walker

GOOD IDEA: This may look like a transit map, but it’s actually a map of typical walking times & distances in the walkable, car-free Spanish city of #Pontevedra. A simple, clever idea that every city working to be more walkable should steal.

#walkablecities #cities #urbanism #walking

A new 5 yr Belgian study shows the BIG impact of increasing vehicle weight on road deaths & injuries. When a person on a bike or walking is hit by a pick-up, the risk of serious injury increases by 90% compared to a car. The risk of death goes up by 200%.
https://www.vias.be/fr/newsroom/des-voitures-plus-lourdes-plus-hautes-et-plus-puissantes-pour-une-securite-routiere-a-deux-vitesses-/

“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.” https://t.co/EH3reri9lz

There are many versions of this image out there. The good ones illustrate why “better cars” will never be more than part of the answer, and actually help “lock in” the #CarDependency that’s the real problem. They also show why status-quo interests want to focus on the vehicles.

BIG NEWS: Paris is getting a whole new Metro network. It’s huge. And built fast.

“The venerable #Paris Métro is about to get its most significant upgrade in decades with the arrival of the Grand Paris Express, a new 200km system with 4 new lines & 68 new stations.”
https://www.cnn.com/travel/paris-new-metro-network/index.html