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Cities around the world that are reducing car access

MJohnston

I thought this would be an interesting thread to track the efforts of various cities to reduce the amount of car access, and thereby improve either the public realm, transport infrastructure, or just the local environment.

Today Paris won a court case which will allow them to proceed with banning cars from the banks of the Seine:

https://twitter.com/Anne_Hidalgo/status/1055442830892654594

https://phys.org/news/2016-09-paris-cars-river-seine.html

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AugustusMinimus

I haven’t seen it mentioned but I wonder if the Paris Car ban is also a grievance for the yellow vest movement in France?

[Deleted User]

Interesting little case study;

https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/videos/266689010625744/?hc_ref=ARQRNUM65uPyrLqg5d9WsNcRJj72Gr6Rb-2dXoSVqQ-wO_t9NMSDSA6aNgpwluQ0hLw&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBw-ajxA5Czz36dyvfTRIRlRcjQBOUd4jtmhha9Jc4_E_JbVqG-Fx5tksABUH9l0MCKH415eAbWGhHUeRTeyaT6ucZH0MJw8K-w04qPM-pyMrUt9mEBwUIObFuM-QvGgpGOjhRA5nAKelHJjwto2julg3m1O_rBFAhKN68nrTTLYHrE-Gue6HDfCyT-6pThZ7Gp_XHMKWJ6aQLZWPfYEI3pNWRT7QZKDTmfVtEJzRom5Rwx04BceHSH1x0Zgfc1rfeskxymoe_x9kjdgFSUgeL-AKlDvJimOlEhQyngPmZrqq3P65tR7HsjG-0dwBFgUc3bE7kQb7KU1YnQ8wecdv4gZawrXlDtywb2Ct1ksjYLAlqP1fNm&__tn__=FC-R

[Deleted User]

Carlingford Locked wrote: »

Does anyone know why there's so little space provided to pedestrians on Dame St and on Nassau st? It can get very cramped and pushes people out onto the roads and into danger.

Same for half the city - Baggot St, Merrion Row, Westland Row, Dame St

Carlingford Locked

I see. Car drivers will argue that there aren't alternative methods to travel though. I would agree with them to a certain extent.
Our city is so poorly designed, with semi-D land starting as soon as you step out of the very centre of town. I think we would need a massive infrastructure project that would require CPOing a LOT of properties, to have proper arteries in and out of the city for cars and public transport etc. That will never happen because politicians are not ballsy enough in this country and too many people would protest. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs etc.
So I can't see how it will ever change.

MJohnston

Carlingford Locked wrote: »

I just don't understand why they get priority in a city centre?

I mean, you're preaching to the choir here. They continue to get priority because the multi-storey car park owners and the AA wield too much influence over Dublin City Council.

Carlingford Locked

MJohnston wrote: »

For cars.

I just don't understand why they get priority in a city centre?

MJohnston

Carlingford Locked wrote: »

Does anyone know why there's so little space provided to pedestrians on Dame St and on Nassau st? It can get very cramped and pushes people out onto the roads and into danger.

For cars.

Carlingford Locked

Does anyone know why there's so little space provided to pedestrians on Dame St and on Nassau st? It can get very cramped and pushes people out onto the roads and into danger.

[Deleted User]

bk wrote: »

Bray Head wrote: »

I just don't think the air quality argument is particularly convincing for Ireland.

Ireland does not have big cities, and all cities are on the coast and are therefore reasonably windy. There aren't many tall buildings to trap poor air either.

Dublin regularly breaches WHO emission guidelines:
https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0914/993808-air-pollution/

The fact that last year 75% of new car sales were Diesel, one of the highest figures in Europe is just mad and is certainly making things much worse.

Including the new Garda Roads Policing fleet.

MJohnston

Well of course, ironically we're all mad for diesel cars because of the policies of the Green Party's time in government...

Bray Head wrote: »

I just don't think the air quality argument is particularly convincing for Ireland.

Ireland does not have big cities, and all cities are on the coast and are therefore reasonably windy. There aren't many tall buildings to trap poor air either.

Dublin regularly breaches WHO emission guidelines:
https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0914/993808-air-pollution/

Now admittedly heating is more the cause of this then cars. But cars certainly don't help and I believe the effect is much worse locally along busy city center streets.

The fact that last year 75% of new car sales were Diesel, one of the highest figures in Europe is just mad and is certainly making things much worse.

[Deleted User]

Bray Head wrote: »

I just don't think the air quality argument is particularly convincing for Ireland.

The EEPA reported that we had over 1,500 premature deaths due to air quality each year.

Bray Head

I just don't think the air quality argument is particularly convincing for Ireland.

Ireland does not have big cities, and all cities are on the coast and are therefore reasonably windy. There aren't many tall buildings to trap poor air either.

Build-ups of particulates don't really take place the way you would have in a big German city with lots of skyscrapers on a cold, still day in January.

For NO2, for example, you don't see breaches of threshold concentration of 40 µg/m3 in Ireland, and it's regularly breached all over Europe. See here.

I think there is a very good case for congestion pricing in Dublin city centre. But that would be to make the city a more attractive place to live and work. Air quality would be a bonus, but it wouldn't be the main factor.

redfacedbear

'It's the only way forward': Madrid Bans polluting vehicles from city centre

Pre-2000 Petrol vehicles and pre-2006 Diesels banned from the city centre in an effort to reduce NO2 pollution. Only zero emission vehicles will have their current access unchanged (or at least that's my reading of it).

LeinsterDub

Posted this before but here's some stats http://irishcycle.com/myths/myths-weather/

MJohnston

cgcsb wrote: »

Yes indeed, I'm just surprised it's that high. I guess it must rain a lot in the middle of the night, without me noticing.

I think it's just that it's fairly rare for Dublin to get a constantly rainy day, we're more likely to have convective showery rain. So because you're likely only cycling for about 1 hour or so a day, and only on weekdays, the probability is pretty low that it's going to coincide with rain.

RayCun

There was plenty of rain this morning, but most of it before or after my journey. Some rain while I cycled but I was dry when I got in.
There are a lot of days like that.

cgcsb

MJohnston wrote: »

I think that's to do with the second part of that post

Average of 130 days where there is more than 1.0mm of rain.

Yes indeed, I'm just surprised it's that high. I guess it must rain a lot in the middle of the night, without me noticing.

MJohnston

cgcsb wrote: »

200 days you say?? I wouldn't have thought that. I'd say I'm cycling in the rain on less than 10% of my commutes.

I think that's to do with the second part of that post

Average of 130 days where there is more than 1.0mm of rain.

cgcsb

spacetweek wrote: »

Also it rains far less often than is commonly assumed in Ireland, especially in the east. Although it rains 200 days a year in Dublin, if it rains only once for 10 minutes in a 24 hour period, that counts as a "rainy day." The chances of you being on your bike then are slim.

200 days you say?? I wouldn't have thought that. I'd say I'm cycling in the rain on less than 10% of my commutes.

spacetweek

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

For next time, I'm going to make sure that I have a newspaper in the office, so I can stuff the runners in the morning and draw out the moisture.

I used to dry my runners off by putting them on my computer in work to dry, but they've replaced it with a much smaller more energy-efficient one that doesn't vent warm air anymore so now I don't have that option!

spacetweek

CatInABox wrote: »

Yeah, it'd be cheaper to buy everyone in Dublin rain gear.

Also it rains far less often than is commonly assumed in Ireland, especially in the east. Although it rains 200 days a year in Dublin, if it rains only once for 10 minutes in a 24 hour period, that counts as a "rainy day." The chances of you being on your bike then are slim.

CatInABox

cgcsb wrote: »

Covering Dublin's few usable cycle lanes from the rain is like polishing sh1te. For the money it'd cost we could vastly increase the km length of usable cycle lanes.

Yeah, it'd be cheaper to buy everyone in Dublin rain gear.

cgcsb

snotboogie wrote: »

On the rain issue, are sheltered cycle lanes a possibility here? I was in Seville recently and enjoyed their fully segregated bike lanes. If you had some lanes with full segregation, wouldn’t covering them be a relatively inexpensive addition that would make them much more attractive. I’m thinking less like the high spec Berlin solution and more like how Singapore shelters it’s walkways: https://goo.gl/images/gKy4PC

Covering Dublin's few usable cycle lanes from the rain is like polishing sh1te. For the money it'd cost we could vastly increase the km length of usable cycle lanes.

RayCun

It would actually be a hugely expensive addition.

snotboogie

On the rain issue, are sheltered cycle lanes a possibility here? I was in Seville recently and enjoyed their fully segregated bike lanes. If you had some lanes with full segregation, wouldn’t covering them be a relatively inexpensive addition that would make them much more attractive. I’m thinking less like the high spec Berlin solution and more like how Singapore shelters it’s walkways: https://goo.gl/images/gKy4PC

[Deleted User]

cgcsb wrote: »

bringing spare socks is the key. Just let your stuff dry in the office and wait for all the numpties to arrive in their cars, if ever.

The socks were a help for sure, but dry socks into wet runners doesn't get you too far!

For next time, I'm going to make sure that I have a newspaper in the office, so I can stuff the runners in the morning and draw out the moisture.

cgcsb

bringing spare socks is the key. Just let your stuff dry in the office and wait for all the numpties to arrive in their cars, if ever.

[Deleted User]

blanch152 wrote: »

Where were all the cyclists today?

Usually I get obstructed by a few walking around the city centre but they all seem to have disappeared. What happened?

I was the one in the bike lane, passing the long line of cars going nowhere. With the leaves blocking the drains, there was lots of pooled water, so my runners were soaked, for the second time this year. All the gear is drying out now, and I brought spare socks, just in case.

Looks like it should be drier for the home journey.

ED E

blanch152 wrote: »

Where were all the cyclists today?

Have a read, plenty still on the bike today.

https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23NTcommuter&src=typd

DrZN-aeWsAAx635.jpg:medium