Don't forget there were many objections in the 70's when they wanted to implement the Dutch cycle plan. Took a left government to show it could be done. Answer in the end is, vote for the right people. From local to national government.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Yes, so true. And I like to point out that many critical decisions and votes were very tight. I believe the Groningen circulation place passed by just one vote if my memory serves me. Thank you so much for watching. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

@bryanhall1388

10 ай бұрын

Have you considered interviewing Dr Ian Walker on his research on car brain? He's a good speaker and his latest paper is entitled Motonormativity.

@jannetteberends8730

5 ай бұрын

It actually started in the sixties. The Provos with the white bicycle plan was more or less the start. It was an issue for the Kabouters and Oranja Vrijstaat. I protested for a car free city centre in the city of Amersfoort in 1969. The first woonerf (living street) was built in the sixties in Emmerhout, in Emmen. 2 sisters of my mother moved there, from the Randstad.

@henkoosterink8744

Ай бұрын

What left government? I only can remember early 70s. Otherwise i have never seen a left government in the Netherlands.

"Taking cars away from our minds." Yes, we have been brainwashed. From birth, we North Americans have been told that cars are the default, the best way, the only way. You mentioned it, John, car advertising shows "freedom", not the reality of traffic jams and noisy, crowded, polluted cities. We have to move from "car centric" to "people centric". What a wonderful chat! So inspiring. Thank you both! 😊

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

You are so very welcome, and thank you for your continued support. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

@richiesd1

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, but good luck. I am American and have talked to countless fellow Americans about this subject. People are totally brainwashed - they can only think of cars and suburbs. I give up.

Don't stop. I can hear you two all day!

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Ah, thanks so much. I really appreciate you giving it a watch and supporting the Channel. Cheers! John

Every cyclist on the cycle path is a a car less on the road. So it is actually in the interest of car lovers to invest in as many cycling infrastructure as possible. The more save room is created for cyclists the more room will remain for cars. As there will be fewer.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Yes, precisely! This is one of the reasons I prefer not to create an "us versus them" narrative; ultimately, it's all "us," everyone benefits when we have the freedom of legitimate, comfortable mobility choices. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@JustClaude13

10 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns I refer to it as "moving bikes so they don't interfere with cars." Other people refer to it as a protected bike lane.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

@@JustClaude13 😁

Awesome video! I always feel so spoiled as a Dutchie while watching these interviews 🙈

@ActiveTowns

Ай бұрын

The Dutch wisdom and willingness to share on these matters is helping to inspire safer, more inviting, and livable communities globally. Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

I work in commercial printing, and one thing I've learned is that packaging is everything. To sell a product it has to look friendly and helpful to the consumer. In this case, the main customers are the car dependent working class. They're frequently stuck in traffic; and on a regular basis they have to make a wide detour as another collision shuts down a vital intersection. If you open by talking about restricting cars or taking away parking they'll get scared and fight you. How will they get to work? What will happen to traffic if you take away lanes? It's vital to get the regular people on board, and you do that by talking about how they benefit. Bicycles in the traffic lane conflict with car traffic. Cars will travel more easily if bikes have their own place where they don't interfere with cars. Better bikeways will allow more people to choose (use of the word "choose" is vital) to run errands on bikes. The more people who want to ride, the more room is freed for those who like driving. Bikeways can be installed at little or no cost by restriping the roads when they're resurfaced. Lanes that are too wide are dangerous for cars, so making them the right size for the speeds reduces accidents and improves traffic flow, while making more room for those who want to ride. Mention the benefit to cars first here! At this stage, everything is for the benefit of cars. Your first push is to remove conflicts with bicyclists so cars can be driven more easily. Make everything cheap and easy. Avoid costs to the working class who need their cars. Make it all about making life better for driving. We have the "free-range child" movement. Good quality bike lanes help kids travel more freely. Work with the conservatives in that movement to push freedom for kids. Once the idea of bike travel penetrates the normal mindset, you can begin working on the bigger things. Once people have seen for themselves how they benefit from improved bike infrastructure you can start pushing for more improvements that make life better for cars. Protected bike lanes that keep bikes from straying into the car lane. Wider separations that keep bikes out of the way. Bring as many drivers on board as you can to get the first network built and to improve it. Then, when fewer people are driving and more parking spaces are empty, when more people have become bike dependent, then you can talk about converting the unused road space to bike and pedestrian space. By then the people will have seen for themselves what bike routes can do for them and will support changes they would have fought earlier. Get the masses on your side and the politicians will follow.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

😀🙌

Good thing to keep in mind that around 42:24 that area on the right of the street that sticks out is a choice made on purpose. In some cases they choose to remove the straight line of a road, to force drivers to slow down and prevent speeding. It's such a simple solution but very common in the Netherlands.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Good point. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@lolololol7573

10 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns I do! I am a big supporter and I enjoy following the developments. I'm looking forward to the effects overseas, it's already looking good.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

@@lolololol7573 Yay! Thanks so much. Yes many cities and regions around the globe are finally making progress... slowly in most cases, but progress nonetheless. 😀

Thank you for fostering this conversation! We loved how you described cycling as social and fun, and "nothing special" in a pedestrian-plus environment. When you see how this lifestyle can be so relaxed, feel safe and casual, and be so accommodating to a wide array of ages and abilities, it's a tremendous incentive for making the change.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

You are so welcome! And y’all are making great strides there in Charlotte - keep up the good and keep the momentum of positive change rolling. Cheers! John

Great conversation great message great content!!!

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for joining us. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

@saranbhatia8809

10 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Pleasure John!

I've been thinking about this "paradigm shift" idea quite a bit in light of a shift in a different paradigm. I work in software and for years before the pandemic it was known that remote work wasn't only possible, but desirable in many way. At companies I work at we would constantly ask management how we could shift to being more remote friendly, which was always met with an acknowledgement that "we all want to get there" but we "just aren't ready for that yet". Many reasons were given: we need more cameras and hardware first, we need to get better at communication first, etc. Sometimes small progress was made like getting to work a single day at home, but nothing transformative. But! Then came the pandemic and suddenly we were all doing remote overnight. Not only that, but the paradigm was shifted in the whole industry; before the pandemic my colleagues all worked on site and now ALL of them are remote (at various companies). I think that we're in a similar situation with the car paradigm; it's going to take something that disrupts the current paradigm before we see meaningful change. It could be something negative like a war or deep financial crisis. But I think it could also be something positive like building a new city from scratch that is car free and shows what is possible. My fear is that without that paradigm shifting event, we'll drag on like we did with remote work making small shuffles toward change but largely still doing the same car centric thing. Cities will build a bike lane here or there, but the paradigm of car dependency would remain. Thanks for the awesome content!

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

I love this! What's interesting, too, are some of the "desire-line" parallels that I see with the younger generations entering the workforce - Many have no real desire to be slaves to cars, especially not driving daily to work. With many companies saying y'all need to come back into the office... at least 3 days of the week... makes me wonder if we are in for a future face-off. Thank you so much for watching and for these great reflections. Cheers! John

@MYoung-mq2by

Ай бұрын

Very interesting perspective, indeed. I wonder if the worldwide oil discussion/problems in all it's forms will be the the catalyst. Another thought that came to mind is zoning. Correct me if I'm wrong but I picked up somewhere that in the US a "neighbourhood grocery store" or the corner café are not allowed. That may be a good starting point to promote a sense of community and making various amenities reachable by bike. It would be a no-brainer then.

This is important work.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for watching. Please don't be shy and share it with others. I hope you enjoy the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

Another amazing conversation. Thank you! 😊

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for tuning in. Cheers! John

Great advocacy and practical ideas for improving our cities and our lives. Well done on the Active Towns podcast John, you have a new subscriber. And Sara, you are such a passionate advocate for active mobility - it's a privilege to work with you at WSP.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Thank you kindly! So wonderful to welcome you to Channel. Cheers! John

@sarahbickford4312

10 ай бұрын

There are lots of great interviews on this channel Tim - enjoy getting stuck in. But this one was one of the best. Thanks Sara!

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

@@sarahbickford4312 Thank you so much! 😀

Good video and thought provoking ideas. Many changes need to be made.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Agreed! Glad you could make it. Cheers! John

Things will change when more people start riding bikes but more people won't start riding bikes until things change with our streets. I really think e-bikes are what are going to bring about the change. I was watching your video about Viva streets in Denver and was suprised how many e-bikes and especially cargo bikes there were out riding. And I'm going to try my best to be in Denver on 8/6 for the final Viva streets event.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Cool! Please let me know what you think of the event if you can make it. Cheers! John :-)

1. Yes, this is an inspiring story. When I lived in Sydney ten years ago, there was no cycling infrastructure; however there was a train network that served my needs to live car-free. The problem with Ms Stace's perspective is that she speaks from a place a privilege and lives in a posh neighbourhood; whereas there are tens of thousands of people living in the sprawling suburbs that aren't enjoying cycle pathways.

@ActiveTowns

9 ай бұрын

Definitely an argument for better land use and ensuring that all communities have safe and inviting facilities so that all ages and abilities can choose to walk, bike, or use a mobility device to meet their daily needs.

Ave you considered interviewing Dr Ian Walker on his research on car brain? He's also a good speaker too. His latest paper is entitled "Motonormativity", thank you for providing this platform John.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Hi Bryan, I have! I'd love to have him on. I reached out soon after the paper came out. I haven't heard back. If you know Ian, perhaps you could put in a good word. Cheers! John

@bryanhall1388

10 ай бұрын

Thanks John, I should have known that you had already been in touch with him, as ever seeking fascinating guests. Keep up the great work! Kind thoughts from the UK.

Hi form Leicester UK

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Hello there!

I live in the Britain cycling here is life threatening on a daily basis, if there is a canal path I take it.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Good move! And keep speaking up for safer places to ride. Active mobility should not be something special. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

Normalizing biking and walking would amazing for physical fitness in America - and also likely part of why we are resistant to it

@ActiveTowns

8 ай бұрын

Hehe 🤣 Yeah, sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Thanks for watching the episode. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

So relevant to Tel Aviv! People hate bikes there because they “steal the sidewalk “ but the only reason they do is that Tel Aviv is extremely car centric

@ActiveTowns

8 ай бұрын

Yeah, it's unfortunate when cars dominate the space putting people who walk or bike in competition with each other. We need to change our design paradigm, as Sara says. Cheers! John

I'm always shocked when I see aerial photos of cities in Germany, Europe or the USA and realize that practically every square millimeter of ground is concreted over. This was once a sign of progress, a growing economy and prosperity. Climate change and the fight against the consequences of climate change have changed the way we look at it. Key word: microclimate. There are images from thermal imaging cameras that clearly show that at night, after a warm summer day, the temperature in the city center is significantly higher than in the area around the city. The building materials we use heat up during the day and can hardly release the stored heat again in the hours when it is cool enough. (Key word: air conditioning and the energy you need for) This is an effect that promotes climate change in general and regional storms or actually contributes to the drying out of cities. When planning or redesigning cities, making sure that they are more accessible, greener, and therefore cleaner and more livable is also a contribution to the fight against climate change. What I would also like to say to skeptics is that environmental protection, in all its forms, creates jobs and ultimately ensures our survival. Thank you for your video and keep up the valuable work.👍❤

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

You are quite welcome, I sure will... and I appreciate you tuning in to watch. Cheers! John

The changes in China and a bit Paris actually too bring an interesting question to me: What's the role of public transit? When being asked, what would get people out of their cars, they very often answer "better transit", but the reality is a lot different. Once a city is even slightly (!) bikeable, transit becomes irrelevant for trips within - and it's not the elderly, who primarily still use it (those are being driven, walk or just don't move at all; especially men drive until they die), it's children in secondary school. This leads me to the question, if it wouldn't be better to _shift_ transit from the cities to the suburbs and even rural areas.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Good questions to ponder... for me, it's all about having a healthy balance of mobility options... attractive choices across modes... I'd typically choose first to ride my bike or walk and then second to use transit, and only occasionally do I drive when I absolutely have to. When I am traveling in a different city (as I am now), I frequently combine my modes by riding my bike to the transit station to take a long-distance trip (tomorrow will be 25 miles), and then I'll use my bike to get to my final destination in Denver. So I see it as not "either or", but "yes and".😀

@kailahmann1823

10 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns but why are you taking transit there? Because it's to far for cycling. And I think, transit should focus on these distances and not on carrying people around within the city center.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

@@kailahmann1823 I totally get where you are going with this. Just for fun, Austin is about 35 miles north to south... we need both, transit and a comprehensive cycle network and we're not alone of course as our cities were allowed to sprawl outward to obscene levels. We also need comprehensive "in town" transit for those who can't drive or ride a bike. Again, having overlapping and integrated mobility systems and networks is the "secret sauce" 😀

@kookamunga2458

10 ай бұрын

My city's transit busses and ferries have bicycle racks so that makes things flexible for commuters ,shopping and going places.

One thing I hear nobody talk about, but I think is rather important is road regulation, laws, fines etc. If you have and bike, and technically can ride it, that does not mean you are ready for participating in traffic. Also theze things apply to drivers. I think in the Us it is called the highway code, or something like that. Drivers must be aware of the rules and regulations regarding bikes in traffic. To prevent accidents, one road regulation in the US should be abolished immediately in my opinion, the right on red. Red must danger, stop. So as the light is red, don't turn right. In The Netherlands, we learn basic traffic rules at elementary school. We go a ride bikes with our parents or other adults, to many things that are a bit farther away, like the city center if living in another neighbourhood, etc. We know how to look, where to look, what road signs mean, that lights should work if oout after dark, not to use a cellphone, that drivers are always responsible in case of an accident, and the fines are well rather high. (If you have your phone in your hand, while riding a bike it as a 140 euro fine [152.44 USD/239AUD]) Sarah, I love the number and statistics on how many people can't drive. However, how many of those are in the age range that they are allowed to learn to drive ?? I mean kids can't, obviously. But how many people are too old, handicapped or ill in whatever way, shape or form that might be, etc etc etc. Is the number representative ?? Imho that can only be so, if only that part of the population is taken into account, who legally should and could be allowed to drive. Another point in this regard is, that when I look at American drivers, I would rank them as number 1 (Though they compete with Russia on the number 1 position) as people that should not ever have been legally allowed to learn how to drive. As most American drivers are dangerous and habitually bad drivers. That is not even mentioning the barrels that are seemingly allowed on the road. Using incentives to not use a car, as about 45% of all trips in the US made by car, are 3miles or less, are not appreciated. They pay next to nothing for fuel, and I do comparethis to The Netherlands, where fuel prices are 3 times that of the US. However, suggesting that a dime increase per gallon, is required would almost start WWIII is a ghastly thing to think about, yet is not beyond the scope of reality when it comes to the US at least. I would suggest, to watch Kerleem and his video abouot driving the US versus Europe. (Yes he is a car lover, thus in that regard not favoring bikes. However his views on car dependency and things that need to be changed there, do imho have a positive idea that can be used to improve roads and safety, thus also improving the situation for bike friendlier infrastructure.) Sarah, I love your diagram, including orgware. However I think things start with hardware and regulations. One thing again a US example, as I am not too familiar with Australia in this sense, are traffic lights. Two points, and I think Jason Slaughter from Not Just Bikes pointed those out as well. 1 Location of traffic lights has an influence on road safety and car depency dictates this. In the US, the traffic lights are on the opposite side of the crossing, which makes speeding and paying attention to other traffic a more dangerous thing. Compare this to Europe, where the traffic lights are on the side you come from. 2. Universal direction of traffic lights. With this I mean green/red are not smart, you get an all go on one side. Where for example in The Netherlands, they use multiple detection loops for traffic, so the lights work in regard to the flow of traffic on the road, instead of in cycles. Which promotes better traffic flow. 3 is the bonus traffic light, we have traffic lights for bicycles. (It can, and over here t does help with the flow of traffic.) John, loced the comment: "We don't want to hear yet again about Amsterdam." I guess it rings true, however most innovations worldwide, when it comes to cycling, in all forms and formats are derived from The Netherlands. Maybe not all but say 95+%. So, my guess is, it is unavoidable for the foreseeable future. (Srry, but not positive about major changes happening soon in the US. Though keeping up the fight for change is important and needs to be done.)

@ActiveTowns

9 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching and for this thoughtful and comprehensive contribution to the conversation. Cheers! John

20:11 Her tires need some air. 25:31 We need to make it more difficult to get around WITH a car.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Yes! On both points. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

A leader should strive to improve the lives of those (s)he is the leader of. Wearing a helmet while cycling portraits cycling as being a dangerous actibvity. It is not the cycling in itself that makes it dangerous, but the environement, the streets shared with cars, that makes it dangerous. Bicycles can use the road space together with cars, but each on their own part. Safety through seperation

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Correct. And safety through lower motor vehicle speeds when space is shared. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

I would also stop using terms like “cycling infrastructure”, just incorporate cycling into regular infrastructure.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Yeah, and I was just having this discussion today while riding a variety of infrastructure in Denver. We need better terminology because these facilities and networks serve so many different mobility modes in addition to bicycles and/or cars. Thanks for watching and the observation. Cheers! John

@Eind_hoven

8 ай бұрын

​@@ActiveTownsI'll promote to call a cyclist 'a feetser' from now on. And if anyone asks I'll also give you a definition ' a feetser: a person using a bicycle to transport themselve and their things they travel with over a short distance of under 5 miles'. PS Most incidental shopping, the things you forgot to get, the friend you need to see, the doctors appointment are all you can do without even starting a car. Provided it is safe to do do. And therein lies the mis-match. 😊

@ActiveTowns

8 ай бұрын

@@Eind_hoven Yes. So true. Thanks so much. Cheers! John

I kinda did got a little annoyed when she "corrected" road to "cycling lane next to the road". No. The cycling lane is still part of the road. Everything from wall or lawn to wall or lawn is part of the road. Not just the car lane. phrasing is important to change the mindset of the people.

@ActiveTowns

9 ай бұрын

Ah, good point. All considered the public right of way. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

We'll never accomplish people-centric cities and streets by being anti-car; we have to do it by being pro-people. I live in a car-dependent suburb of a mid-south US city. I own a car and a pickup. I'd happily leave both in the driveway and ride a bike, but getting from my home to anything else requires riding a very dangerous road: narrow, no shoulder, 45mph speed limit. It's a cyclist's deathtrap.

@ActiveTowns

9 ай бұрын

Exactly, it's not really about being anti-car; it's about creating legitimate, safe, and inviting choices in mobility so you and I have the true freedom of making a pragmatic decision to either drive, ride a bike, take transit, walk, whatever suits the desires for that journey on that day. Thanks so much for tuning in and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

In Australia cycling is only accepted as a sport. Everyday cycling is negligeable...

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Yep. That is precisely what is changing. There will always be place for cycling as a sport, AND increasingly people will be able to choose to ride a comfortable, utilitarian cycle or cargo bike to and from meaningful destinations, since around 40% of all trips currently taken by car and massive SUV are within easy biking distance and that’s not counting e-assist bikes. Thanks for watching! Cheers! John

@CARambolagen

10 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Thanks John, unfortunately in Australia compulsory helmets reduce the ridership of bikes by about 50% where cycling is most necessary: not as a sport, but as a means of transport in our cities. Compulsory helmets prevent everyday cycling to a large extent. No-one who's spent 200 Dollars+ for an expensive hair-do to go to the theatre/board meeting/etc/etc will ever get on a bike... We have to take the machismo out of cycling in Australia...

When I see the picture at 32.00 in Copenhagen with no room at all for cars how does somebody who lives there get a new fridge or a washing machine and how does a plummer or a contractor go there and park there for some days or weeks if somebody needs some repair or maintenance? And what do you do if you have a shop or a restaurant there and needs supplies? And if you move in as a new house owner and Ikea has to go there to bring all kinds of things and you're not the only one who lives there but every day things happening in this area. And a handicapped person who can't ride a bike but needs a small car to go somewhere, where does he drive and park his car? It looks nice but how is that in daily practice, they never talk about these things.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching! Just to clarify, this is not "anticar," all of the things you identify can and do still happen. The point is prioritizing people, not cars. People with disabilities do cycle and use mobility devices in the cycle networks, and again, they still have access via motor vehicle should they require it. Cheers! John

I think we should call cycling, walking on steroids 😊

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

I like it! Thanks for tuning in. Cheers! John

Part of the hockey girls relaxation, and all others, is being used to traffic. Growing up you are in traffic with your parents teaching you roadetiquets, like don't run a red licght, respect elder and less abled people, make eye contact with other roadusers and so on. Then you go on by yourself and make mistakes and learn more about trafficflows, do's don'ts and most importantly speed and breaking distances. And when you are 18+ you might learn to drive.. but you already know the behavour of road participants, sign usages and the rules, both written and unwritten. And as you start to drive solo you know where to accept bikes and know that they are vulnerable, but mostly predictable now.. And then you get kids and teach them.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Yes! Absolutely. Those are truly great points. It's not just "build it, and they will come" the safe and inviting infrastructure must be built AND the users from the youngest ages on up must be taught how to use it properly and why it's so important to look out for others. Thanks so much for watching and for this important contribution to the conversation. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

OK, I have to say it, The Australian gun ban analogy is "applicable" only as far as it is an example of a paradigm shift, albeit a bad one. In the US, unlike in Australia, we have a Constitution that codifies the right to keep and bear arms but does not codify any right to drive a car. The shark attack analogy is similar. There's no way closing a road due to a pedestrian death is going to gain any traction, and to suggest it makes Ms. Stace seem like a bit of a kook. For a person who talks a big "choice and freedom" game when it comes to transport in our cities, Ms. Stace seems very anti-freedom in other areas.

@ActiveTowns

9 ай бұрын

Perhaps. But we certainly have a double standard when it comes to transportation related deaths... if cars are involved, then there is a car-brain sense of this is just the cost of doing business, but if there is a crash with a train and or jet airliner, then all resources are rolled out, and if more than one event happens there are calls for congressional investigations and the Sec. of Transportation to be called in to address the challenge. This is a function of how much we have allowed the car industry to take over governments worldwide.

@rangersmith4652

9 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns You noted yourself that car-related deaths have become normalized, onesey-twosey events that are just part of life, and indeed, they have. But that changes when there's a 20-car pile-up on the Interstate, does it not? Such events, like train and plane crashes, can kill or injure dozens of people in one go, which makes them no more tragic to the people involved but a lot more dramatic and a lot more interesting (compared to a simple car crash) to the general public and thus to governments and to the evening news. Car-centricism, backed by the auto and oil industry lobbies, is a problem we need to push back against, but we must be very careful not to malign people who love their cars in doing so.

@ActiveTowns

9 ай бұрын

@@rangersmith4652 Yep. Exactly. Onesey-twosey events to the tune of 115 to 120 per day. Yep. It doesn't help the cause to, as you say, "malign people who love their cars" or the people, the vast majority really, who are simply caught up in the system as it is currently structured. In the case, of a 20 car pile up, it will certainly make the news, but there is typically no self-reflection by anyone in power as to going upstream to address the root cause, car dependency. In most cases the vast of victims had no other real choice but to be out there, doing the most dangerous thing we typically do on a daily basis. It's kind of bizarre when you pause to think of it, that killing 42,000+ people and causing over a million serious injuries each year in the US alone has become normalized. 😟

@rangersmith4652

9 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns But so has losing that many to heart disease, let alone the number lost to abortion.

Cycling is not fun when you have to cycle 10km in whatever weather just to get to school and back!

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Definitely makes for some lasting memories when you ride with friends, as Angela van der Kloof reflects on in this episode: kzread.info/dash/bejne/f46Fzbqlc5jTqLg.html

@LeafHuntress

10 ай бұрын

Watje! 'k dee een veelvoud van dat..

Now all we need to do is stop cyclists harassing and injuring pedestrians.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

That's not cool. Active Towns are, first and foremost, walkable communities. Where are people, like these girls in the thumbnail, harassing and injuring pedestrians? Everyone should be safe on our streets, pathways, and trails. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you found it interesting and helpful. Cheers! John

@lexburen5932

13 күн бұрын

thats a personal mis behavior. it could be a pedestrian harassing a pedestrian aswell. you see ? what about road ragers ?

The first words out of her mouth was activist virtue signalling, that makes it so much more difficult to take what she has to say seriously.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Hmmm... activist virtue signaling? How so? How could she have said it differently?

@crazykid2710

10 ай бұрын

I take it you're not Australian or aware of Australian customs. In Australia we formally open a talk or event by acknowledging the traditional people's whose land we stand on. Pretty much all events start this way, its out of respect not "activist virtue signalling".

@jaspermay5813

10 ай бұрын

@@crazykid2710 It surely seems to be activist virtue signalling (note also the flag of Sodom in the beginning). Because what is meant by 'traditional people'? Are they only the particular illiterate tribe that the British happened to find occupying the land, and it is imagined (for convenient lack of historical records) that this same group had existed peacefully in the same area since the arrival of human beings in Australia? Or is it acknowledged that all of these 'traditional peoples' were merely the last in a long succession of fractious and hostile tribes going back thousands of years, but it is imagined (again helped by the convenient lack of written records) that all of them formally 'ceded sovereignty' to the next conquerors---except to the British? Or are we dealing with the 'racism of low expectations', and the British are held to higher standards than the Aboriginals? I certainly disagree with some of the tactics of the protestant British authorities and the convict settler population. They cannot be denied, precisely because they were recorded for posterity. But it seems to me that the lack of written sources makes it easy to idealize the pagans, contrary to the observed high levels of violence in tribal societies. Moreover, by only requiring (socially if not legally) the 'acknowledgement and respect' for ill-defined 'traditional people', it seems that this is not required for those who arrived after an arbitrary point in time. I wonder if you will be very offended if I suggest that perhaps Aboriginals should (also) 'acknowledge and respect' at least the many advancements the 'newcomers' have brought with them, which I'm sure I don't need to enumerate. I will be glad to have a reasonable discussion with an Australian, and especially with anyone who identifies as Aboriginal/Indigenous/First peoples etc.