About bike paths

Now the urbanists are throwing me with stones (or what comes to hand), but in Russia to highlight the already limited space of streets, which are in incredible demand, for bicycle paths is a waste.

Firstly, in the vast majority of the regions of our country, six months out of twelve are cold, it is snowing and those who want to freeze themselves ..., in general, use a two-wheeled vehicle as a transport can be counted on the fingers. Yes, on January 8, in Moscow there were about 1000 daredevils (so I would call them not to offend), which, under frost of -30, took part in the bicycle parade. But in the month that passed after this event, I met only one cyclist on the streets of the city (and I walk along the central streets with equipped bike paths every weekday). As a result, two meters (at best) of street space (width) of eighteen are practically not used, empty, and sometimes completely interfere with the normal functioning of the street.

Secondly, unlike Europeans, we did not have a cycling culture, for us a bicycle is more entertainment than a means of transportation, and in this case, bicycle paths are unlikely to change the situation. Agree, you will be surprised if, say, Maria Ivanovna, who works for you as an accountant, will come to work on a bicycle. Yes, and will you be glad if a sweaty cyclist, who was generously doused with a deodorant, generously doused himself in the office, since most likely there is no shower in your place of work.

Thirdly, our cities, unlike European ones, occupy vast territories. For example, in megacities, only those who live in the immediate vicinity of their own office can go to work on a bicycle. Most (say, in Moscow) have to get to work for 1 - 1.5 hours by public transport or car. Then how much time will it take for the road from home and to work by bicycle? And so every day.

Use a bicycle as a vehicle in everyday life, given the time for a trip and the necessary forces, we are possible only in small cities (up to 50,000 inhabitants), but the roads are not so loaded there, and there is not enough money for ordinary sidewalks, not to mention bike roads.

Fourth. If we are talking about the safety of pedestrians from cyclists, or the latter from motorists, then it is necessary to increase the driving culture of both those and others, and from idiots on the roads, neither bike paths nor the bikes ... Over the 20 years of driving a bicycle with a person on the sidewalk, I collided only once and then by my own stupidity. The result of such a collision was a stained trowel of a pedestrian and a shortly spoiled mood. I think it’s not such a serious result to spend millions of rubles and take part of the street from pedestrians and motorists ...

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