05-06-2018, 10:10 PM
(05-06-2018, 02:02 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Humans are never going to be perfect, which is why it's a bad idea to design a system which assumes we can be perfect.
Our transportation system should not be designed with humans being a single point of failure.
Well said.
The fact that we keep building new and rebuilding existing infrastructure in the same way as we have in generations past is insane.
The fact that our infrastructure design even allows for vehicles get up to 137kph in a 60kph zone, or even that we have 60kph zones within the city to begin with, illustrates how over built the roads within the city are and how ill-suited they are to mixing modes.
I too have been encouraged by the number of people cycling this year, but I think there is still a far greater untapped potential group of people who are going to need better infrastructure before they are going to get out of their vehicles. My neighbourhood at Queen and Highland is a great example. We are <2km from the market, central KPL, and school, but need to either risk our lives on the road or ride illegally on the sidewalk to do daily errands as a family by bike.
I for one will be asking hard questions of all my municipal candidates this fall about their cycling implementation strategy. Not some long term (20yr) plan or wishful thinking, but what are you actually going to change in the next year to make cycling a more viable option? Edmonton and other communities have proven that change can happen fast. This is my ballot box issue this year. I am tired of the status-quo. I think too many politicians and bureaucrats are afraid of failing, but I am more afraid of them not even trying. I wouldn't even actually mind if the city tried something and it didn't work out exactly as planned; as long as the learned from it and kept trying - at least it shows they are making a effort.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.