Electric Oldies

The number of e-cyclists in the Netherlands has reached one million in 2012. Ten percent of all cycling kilometres (which total 1.3 billion km per year) are done by pedelec. Of all people in The Netherlands of over 60, 10% now own a pedelec. One fourth of all cycling kilometres made by this age group are on a pedelec. This also applies to women of 46-60 years. Pedelec ownership is even somewhat higher for this group than for the seniors, namely 13%. The number of cycling kilometres ridden by those aged 60 and above has risen remarkably in recent years, and this is particularly the case for women. Women in this age group cycled 50% more kilometres in 2010 than they did in 2000. This was not only because there were more people aged 60 and above, but also because of the advent of the pedelec. Each pedelec was found to be used for an average of 31km per week. This is significantly more than the 18 kilometre average for regular bikes. While the number of kilometres cycled on a normal bike decreases with advancing age, the number of kilometres cycled on a pedelec remains unchanged as the cyclist gets older. The Cycling Council also investigated how fast people cycle on a pedelec. The average is 18.7 km/hr (a bit slower for those aged 60 and above). That is certainly not very fast. Read more here.

Crossrail for the bike in London

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will create a “Crossrail for the bike” as part of his plans for a nearly £1 billion investment in London cycling. The route will run for more than 15 miles, very substantially segregated, from the western suburbs through the heart of London to Canary Wharf and Barking. It will use new Dutch-style segregated cycle tracks along, among other places, the Victoria Embankment and the Westway flyover. It is believed to be the longest substantially-segregated cycle route of any city in Europe. The Mayor said: “The Westway, the ultimate symbol of how the urban motorway tore up our cities, will become the ultimate symbol of how we are claiming central London for the bike.” The Mayor today announced that the main cross-London physical legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games will be a proper network of cycle routes across the city. As in the public transport system, London’s "bike Crossrail" will lie at the heart of a new bike "Tube network." Over the next four years London will open a range of high-quality new cycle routes parallel to, and named after, Tube lines and bus routes, so everyone knows where they go. Read on in Greater London Authority.  And in 'Cycle London City Blog' of Bike Biz

New Kickstand Sessions

The Kickstand Sessions are an exciting and comprehensive master classes that were launched in North America in Spring 2012. The aim is to bring together groups with world class expertise in the areas of bicycle planning, policy, and culture. They create locally relevant solutions and actionable steps for building bicycle cultures and increasing sustainable urban mobility. Cities with established bicycle cultures enjoy increased traffic efficiencies, infrastructure savings and more liveable communities. Years of research in using bicycles as transportation has shown the importance of sound planning and policy methods but also the value of effectively communicate those ideas. Now, more than ever, bicycles are at the forefront of planning and we are keen to ensure this practical, simple, and economical mode of transport is here to stay. Participants of Kickstand leave with a stronger understanding of best practice bicycle-related implementations, how to market them, and an opportunity for a continued partnership with both Dutch and Danish experts. Velo Mondial highly recommends these master classes to those who prefer hands on working together with Dutch and Danish experts  rather than listening to lectures. Next sessions.

When a light turns red .....