Taylor Griggs with Bike Portland reports in

Рет қаралды 7,101

Күн бұрын

In this episode, we get a firsthand account and reflections from BikePortland.org staff writer Taylor Griggs, who just returned from a month in Europe.
We cover protected and separated cycle lanes, advisory bike lanes, also known as edge lane roads, and fietsstraten, also known as priority bike streets. We also discuss adding pop-up parks and bringing a bit of fun into our public spaces as well as the bike bus trend, with her visit to Barcelona to profile the Bici-bus, which happens every day. We also give a shout-out to Megan Ramey, who leads a bike train in Hood River, OR, and Sam Balto, who leads a bike bus in Portland, OR.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Taylor's BikePortland.org articles: bikeportland.org/author/taylo...
- BikePortland.org: bikeportland.org/
- My Edge Lane Road episode: • These are common in Du...
- My episode with Sam Balto on the Bike Bus: • A solution to the chao...
- My episode with Megan Ramey: • This mom is leading th...
- My episode with Cathy Tuttle: • How can a car manageme...
Video timeline/chapters:
0:00:00 Cold Open
0:01:06 Start of interview
0:05:52 Advisory Bike Lane article
0:09:58 Trip Reflections article
0:14:32 Little things matter
0:16:06 What it feels like back in PDX
0:19:33 Shared streets
0:20:28 Comfort in closeness
0:21:46 Bumpy start in Paris
0:23:45 Paris reflections
0:26:20 Open streets
0:27:20 Bike Bus in Barcelona
0:30:16 All Ages & Abilities
0:31:54 Teen girls riding
0:34:20 Pop-up public space
0:39:35 Accessibility of urbanism
0:42:32 Bridging barriers
0:46:28 Shift: Portland bike scene
0:49:11 Normalizing riding
0:53:15 Surprises
0:56:55 Closing
Thank you so much for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please give a thumbs-up, leave a comment below, and share it with a friend. And if you'd like more content like this, please Subscribe to the Active Towns Channel, and be sure to "Ring" that notification bell to select your notification preferences.
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month: / activetowns
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this video, you can also "leave a tip" by clicking on the Super Thanks button right here on KZfaq or thru "Buy Me a Coffee" www.buymeacoffee.com/activetowns
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store: bit.ly/ActiveTownsStore
Credits: Video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music via Epidemic Sound: bit.ly/3rFLErD
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live: bit.ly/3rwsUup
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite: bit.ly/35DBDDU
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
Website: www.activetowns.org/
Twitter: / activetowns
Newsletter: bit.ly/SubscribeActiveTownsNe...
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023

Пікірлер: 67

@maaiker2977 Жыл бұрын

Exactly as a dutch woman myself. A bike gives you independence from an early age. That and self reliance. You are on the street by yourself or with your friends. If someone falls or you get lost....you pick yourself up again or find the way back. That mindset stays with you into adulthood. Dutch teens aren't relying on their parents for a ride. They just jump on their bikes and visite a friend, go shopping, go to school or work or clubs. And as a grown up, when sh!t happens you pick yourself up again or find a solution. Self reliance and a chill nature gets developed in the population that way.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yes! Precisely. The safe and inviting All Ages & Abilities (Active Towns) environment creates such a cascade of positive benefits... it's almost impossible to account for them all. Thanks so much for watching and for your contribution to the conversation. Always much appreciated. Cheers! John 😀

@maaiker2977 Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTownsThank you. Exactly. Even our lesser-abled people and the elderly are still mobile because of the cycle infrastructure. Good cycling infrastructure is so much more then just a place for people to cycle on. It effects so many parts of life.

@RobRoordink Жыл бұрын

Active towns puts of course emphasis on biking and walking, but it is interesting to know for North Americans, that good traffic management does not only makes walking and cycling saver and nicer but also makes driving car ‘way better’ in for instance the Netherlands.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

@AnD-1999 Жыл бұрын

You're absolutely right. I didn't realize how lucky we are until these channels... I did know I always felt off when I was in the US. I felt really uneasy when not being able to walk / cycle to a restaurant/ bar / store. Now I know... so thank you!

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

You are quite welcome! And I am just so grateful that y'all are tuning in to watch this content. Many thanks 🙏 Cheers! John

@travisbassett1084 26 күн бұрын

Hit on such a point that feeling of comfort. I cycled all over Europe when I was younger and I was like, when I get home to Australia, I'll keep on cycling or walking to the shops. But it feels odd or unnatural as I'm the only one doing it here, so I got back into driving only. Recently with young kids I got back into cycling for daily tasks and worked out it's literally 5 minutes by bike to the grocery store (& so easy with a cargo bike). Faster than driving and parking out the back. It's made such a difference fitting in exercise as part of my daily chores and doing the kids drop-offs. Don't have to carve out additional time to go to gym, even if people look at you oddly I'll keep it up now because I feel way happier getting more exercise. Funny that cycling can be such a revolutionary act in a car dependent society.

@ActiveTowns 26 күн бұрын

Love this! Thank you so much sharing. I hope you will inspire others to join you and help nudge the city to making the environment more comfortable. Cheers! John

@collectioneur Жыл бұрын

Comparing countries and their bicycle facilities is sometimes difficult. Recently there was an article on CNN with the 10 most bicycle-friendly cities in the world and Utrecht, NL was the only city in the Netherlands to come in 10th place. Now I may be biased, but as an experienced Dutchman I am pretty sure that ALL 10 of the best cycling cities are in the Netherlands. Only most people think that Amsterdam and Utrecht are the only cities in the Netherlands...

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I saw that one as well... and dismissed it immediately. Best-of lists are a tricky thing at best, and I have resisted doing an Active Towns Best-of List myself because the methodology can be challenging. The "study" behind the list that CNN referenced probably used momentum (sometimes called the acceleration of progress) as a weighted metric which would mean cities that are far below others in net-bicycle friendliness would be ranked higher because of their rate of improvement. To your point, the comparisons are just too difficult, and I think quite silly. It's not a contest. We need to stay focused on making our communities safe and inviting for All Ages & Abilities to walk, bike, and scoot to meet their daily needs and live a vibrant, healthy, active lifestyle. Thanks so much for watching and for this contribution to the conversation. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@lexburen5932 Жыл бұрын

CNN is a very biased news organisation. And should be looked at by someone really independent

@Eind_hoven 9 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTownsWell, maybe they can change the metric a bit. Just include one city in the Netherlands at what ever place in the top ten. And keep doing that over the next 50 years?

@lexburen5932 2 ай бұрын

CNN 😂. yes a lot of foreign people actually think that amsterdam is a country 😂 because thats the only place they go to. but we dutch people know better

@joslauwers7960 Жыл бұрын

Most Dutch drivers are also Dutch cyclists and vice versa. They are more aware of the dangers of the road.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yes. Precisely. And they are much more likely to appreciate that it could be a loved one riding the bike as well. Thanks so much for watching. It is much appreciated. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@ronaldderooij1774 Жыл бұрын

Not Just Bikes channel nailed the fundamental problem that needs to be solved first when you want to make American cities more bike friendly and I missed that in this video. Apply mixed zoning! When what you daily do is all within 2 miles away, you will start biking much more frequently. First mixed zoning, then the bike lanes.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yes! Excellent point. Although we didn't focus on that topic in this video, I talk about it continuously here on the channel, including with Jason from NJB and many others. btw I do have a growing NJB playlist that you can access here: bit.ly/NotJustBikesPlaylist Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

@markcramer14 Жыл бұрын

Sorry to hear about Taylor Griggs mishap on a bike lane in the City of Booby Traps. They don't even have a word for "city block" in gridless Paris. When bicycle infrastructure began improving in the early 2000s, car drivers came in like a lion, and they are now going out like a lamb. Changing streets is not as hard as changing mentalities. Next time an Active Towns follower needs Paris hospital treatment I'll be happy to translate.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Mark. That is very gracious. I hope you enjoyed the conversation... Your ride video is inching closer. Cheers! John

@pimjet9355 Жыл бұрын

the biggest change you ve got to start with is a rule change In the event of a accident between car with bike or pedestrian the car is always the guilty party. This rule alone was more important then all infrastructure in the netherlands

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yes, clearly, having appropriate liability clearly outlined for collisions is a critical factor. It is also a fact that, without safe infrastructure, nobody would ride even if the liability laws were in place - So, in other words, it's not one or the other or even what comes first. We need to do both (and more - as there are many other factors besides just infrastructure and liability laws) simultaneously. Thanks so much for watching and for your comment. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@willekevanderham5326 Жыл бұрын

I have heard that one before but I have also heard that it does not make any difference who pays the bill after someone got hurt. It is the better infrastructure that makes the difference in the Netherlands.

@farkstein1213 Жыл бұрын

Thanks as always!

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

You are quite welcome, Fark! Glad you could make the Premiere. Always enjoy your participation. Cheers! John

@e-BikeLife Жыл бұрын

I came across one of the foot rest installations on one of my rides just north of Seattle, and it blew me away. I was on the Centennial Trail that runs from the small town of Snohomish north through the country, not through the city. All of a sudden there it was at the intersection of the trail and a busy county road. It was.... so weird.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Cool! It's the little things... Hey, I hope all is well, and you enjoyed the chat. Cheers! John

@JonFairhurst Жыл бұрын

Great video! I would note that we have many slow, residential streets without paint, which function like edge lane roads - especially where there is no street parking allowed. It seems that adding edge lane paint in these areas would cause little confusion. A good location could be a residential street east of the SW Sellwood Bridge, linking cyclists from SW Portland to the bike path further east. It has low speeds and low traffic volume. It would help create an intentional network, rather than just dumping cyclists into a gap.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Jon! Yeah, the two magic features are "low speeds and low traffic volumes"... if you have those, the possibilities are endless, and yes, adding in some very intentional elements goes a long way... My video that I'll be releasing on Monday will feature some great "on the ground" examples from Utrecht. Thanks so much for watching. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@theooppie9615 Жыл бұрын

Nice video, greetings from The Netherlands 🙂

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! I really appreciate you "tuning in," and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John 😀

@arnodobler1096 Жыл бұрын

My Mom is 93 years old, and near every day on her bike 3-7km

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

YES! That's fantastic. Thanks so much for watching and for sharing this wonderful news. I hope you are enjoying the Channel Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

@arnodobler1096 Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns 🍻🚴‍♂

@tubularap Жыл бұрын

Referring to the All Ages & Abilities segment: As a boy who grew up with bicycles with back-racks I can attest that you learn as you go. We played on our bikes, jumped with it, skidding, etc. Yes, it is normal to sit on the backpack of your friend, or have a friend jump on yours. Or on the crossbar as well, and one more on the handlebars. We got bruises from falling down when we did crazy stunts, but that was part of learning (besides the teachings of parents, and the official exams). Having relaxed surroundings helps, of course. But still, we learned along cars and trucks as well. I grew up 15 years before the anti-car demonstrations started to happen, and the polices and infrastructure changed. But because even urban areas were much more quiet (low-traffic) compared to now, it was still great times for kids, at the edge of cities and in the countryside.

@tubularap Жыл бұрын

A difference that strikes me is: Growing up on a bicycle with a back-rack gives kids the change to offer another person a ride. Growing up in a car-centred society makes kids reliant on adult for transport and any ride-offers. Having someone on the back of your bike gives you responsibility for another person. Sitting on the back also requires staying in balance and leaning with the bike. Just like on a motorbike the two have to become one unit that moves and weaves with the bends in the road. Also, the back-sitter is expected to be ready to jump off when stopping at traffic lights, and give a push when starting again. That playful interaction with your peers is very important when growing up. Having agency yourself over these interactions. And think about the fact that when sitting on a bike together you are private, compared to sitting on the back-seat of your parent's car.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Love it! Thanks so much for this historical context. 😀

@DougWedel-wj2jl 2 ай бұрын

I can’t recall if it was Portland or Seattle, one of them did a big push for encouraging local grass roots group bike rides and at one point had as many as 500 group bike rides on a wide range of themes. The amount of bike infrastructure was relatively low but these bike rides boosted the number of people who biked daily by a lot. Can anyone help me find more info on this? My reasons for asking are many. Is there any formal training for safety and protocols for letting a group through all at once when a light turns red or if the group breaks up and then the lead group waits for those waiting to catch up? How do they deal with legal liability? How do they involve teaching leadership? And how do they keep new ideas coming for new group ride themes? Also, it looks like there are growing pains as a group becomes larger. Not all groups survive the transition to a more formally organized event. In Vancouver, BC, the Cherry Blossom Ride hosted every spring got to over 5000 participants. So the police and local city officials started to encourage the leaders to formalize the event. That didn’t happen so the next year the ride never happened at all. It could have become a major cultural draw and a great way to promote bicycling. So this info has a significant role in cycling and promotion of cycling. Thanks in advance!

@ActiveTowns 2 ай бұрын

I'll forward this question to a few folks that might have an answer for you, Doug.

@DougWedel-wj2jl 2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much. This is an entire topic in itself and is central to raising the number of people cycling from... 10 to 20% to as high as 80% or more daily cyclists.

@michaelmills3927 Жыл бұрын

Here in Boulder we have brand new bike lanes on North Broadway with grade separation. Unfortunately, the northbound lane is wedged in the door zone between street parking and Broadway, which is a state highway. The grade actually makes this new lane feel much less safe than the lanes that were there before, since a surprise door could launch a cyclist down the "mountable curb" and into traffic. I would love to hear you talk about the dangers of door zone bike lanes.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

My take? It should have been a parking-protected / separated facility. Having parked cars to the right of a bike lane is typically not the best practice. Thanks for tuning in for the Premiere. Cheers! John

@chubbymoth5810 Жыл бұрын

If you have a population used to looking out for bikes, it is not a big issue. It's always the drivers fault as well, so easily settled.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

@@chubbymoth5810 True. The driver, by law, as I understand it, is liable, legally speaking at a bare minimum of 50%. But then again, I am not a lawyer. Hehe 😅 Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@willekevanderham5326 Жыл бұрын

@@chubbymoth5810 It may be the driver that pays the bill, it is still the cyclist that is hurt (or worse) and it is annoying to have cars pass your cycle path to park, even worse, they double park on the path and assume that because of the special curb cyclist have no difficulties getting off and back up. (In the path I had to use for a while it was very hard to get back up, as it was designed for cars, not the right angle for bikes.)

@DanielBrotherston Жыл бұрын

FWIW...there's an important piece of context missing. Leaving aside a bigger discussion of whether the Netherlands is more crowded than the US (I'd argue it isn't...) there is a big difference between having an 10 foot tall lifted F-650 diesel pickup driving at 45 mph laying on the horn 12 inches from your head and having a 4.5 foot tall compact sedan driving past you at 25 mph. In Europe the cars are less problematic than in the US, in addition to all the other differences.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yes. Absolutely agreed. Fortunately, I rarely have negative interactions such as this in Austin, but I am fortunate to have access to a growing network of Dutch-inspired infrastructure bit.ly/AustinDutchBikePlaylist On a disturbing side note, I noticed several massive American-made trucks and other overly large SUVs in The Netherlands on this last trip this past Nov. And yes, they did look out of place. Thanks so much for watching and for contributing the discussion. Cheers! John

@DanielBrotherston Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Yes, I've noticed a few as well...most seem to be work vehicles, but there are a least a couple vanity trucks around. FWIW...I probably shouldn't have included driver behaviour in my example, my point was more about the experience of riding around such vehicles and volumes of traffic regardless of driver behaviour. I actually think @NotJustBikes has a great point in his latest video on large trucks that Europe has a lot to lose here. Shared spaces in the Netherlands are mostly okay but are a tenuous situation. If most vehicles became large trucks like in the US, I think shared spaces would stop feeling safe.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

@@DanielBrotherston I think you are spot on here. As it is, I'm surprised by the number of relatively large internal combustion engine (ICE) commercial delivery vehicles in the shared space areas I'm most familiar with of Delft, Utrecht, and Amsterdam. I suppose I am envisioning a day when most of these "remaining" ICE trucks are replaced with electric micro-vehicles and e-cargo bikes. The real challenge is what you identified... the large vanity trucks, and I'd add large vanity SUVs. Cheers! John 🙂

@collectioneur Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Interestingly, the American pickups you saw in the Netherlands are popular among window cleaners because they can use their equipment from the back of the truck...

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

@@collectioneur Huh, that's fascinating. Thanks for watching and the intel. Cheers! John

@patrickscholten222 Жыл бұрын

bikelane,s save a lot off people

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yes they do. Thanks for watching

@mushroom4rain Ай бұрын

Even china is better than the US in terms of public transit, walking, and biking. I was riding my bike and taking buses by myself even in early elementary school and never felt unsafe. After I came to the US I started to fear riding bikes on public roads and taking public transits. I think it’s the fact that almost no one else does it that it ends up feeling unsafe and out of place. Even walking on the side walk feels weird sometimes because it’s so empty. I lived most of my life in Orange County CA and it’s awful that we have to have a car to go anywhere. You walk out of your house and there’s nothing, nothing but cars and more houses…

@ActiveTowns Ай бұрын

Yeah, although we are, in general, making some progress, we have a long way to go. Thank you so much for watching and for commenting. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@simdal3088 8 ай бұрын

I feel the 15 minute city has been tarnished largely due to the world economic forum, it gets lumped in with some of their other policy objectives wich are quite dystopian. Their lack of democratic input and bondvillainesque leader make for great ammunition and terrible soundbites. The best method to get these things done is with a apolitical bigtent aproach. In north america the bipartisan divide wil be the biggest speedbump and must be avoided wherever possible. Have been binging these podcasts and think you are a skilled interviewer 👍

@ActiveTowns 8 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching and making your way through the archive. I really appreciated it. Cheers! John

@bakasheru Жыл бұрын

I'm always stunned that the land of free has no freedom when it comes to mobility.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Yeah, it's kind of ironic on so many levels. The good news is that it is recognized in many places now, and meaningful steps are now being taken to reverse this state of affairs. It will be a fight, just as it was in much of Europe in the 1970s, and it will take time to reverse the status quo of providing only for driving everywhere for everything. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the channel. Cheers! John

@nlx78 Жыл бұрын

You envy the Netherlands in certain aspects, but going to Oregon isn't a bad thing either. I love the PNW (also the other side with states like Maine, but also Canada), the biosphere is great and a couple of years ago one of my favo tv shows was filmed in Oregon, first episodes mainly in and directly around Portland. You can see the filming locations in this montage: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bdh3nrZ008XFfpc.html Looks stunning. It's why I love the Alps myself, 'only' a 9/10 hour drive and be in the mountains instead of boring flatlands. The episodes of that game show with proper English subtitles, can be found here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nKd3pa6I2tWaiqc.html For when you find some time to skim through or see what it's about. The pixalation at the start is part of the opening, not because the uploader tried to circumvent copyright. it aired on a Dutch public channel and this woman was allowed to upload on YT for what she did for English speaking people like the show and following the Dutch, Belgian and in the past, the AMerican version of WIe is de Mol. Cheers!

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Oh cool! Thanks for the links. Yeah, I love the Alps too. Never driven there, though. In 2015 I had a month-long Eurorail pass and traveled to several locations by train. Thanks so much for watching this video. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@arnodobler1096 Жыл бұрын

Maybe an interesting channel for you: @TheBlackForestFamily An American family living in the Black Forest. She is in urban planning, he is an engineer at a bike manufacturer, and both are bike enthusiasts. They make videos. www.youtube.com/@TheBlackForestFamily

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Oh very cool! I will definitely check it out. Thanks so much 🙏

@RAWDernison1 Жыл бұрын

Dutch comment: These Danish footsteps are a terrible idea and will not do in the Netherlands. A lot of expensive street-furniture for only two bikes (!!) at a time, while waiting times at traffic lights are generally customized to cyclists. The elderly, probably the targeted users, will have to be lucky for a place (at the bar) and learn new circus tricks, landing on and departing from a tubular platform, with one hand on the steering. When you've got a paddle-break, it's essential to brake right-footed to be able to push off with your left paddle up. And imagine when it's raining or freezing in Holland (God forbid), nobody will touch these metal pipes. Only sport/race cyclists will want to use them, holding on to the top rail, not using the step, so they don't have to unlock their toe-clips (these "wielrenners" usually avoid inner-cities though). second comment: I had to google "15-minute city". Internet doesn't even bother to provide a Dutch translation on the subject, I wonder why. Thanks John, good luck Taylor.

@ActiveTowns Жыл бұрын

Good point! Yes, I much prefer the Dutch approach of eliminating as much as possible the long wait at the light.

@RAWDernison1 Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Knowing now, it's an American invention, it looks a lot like a rail to park a horse ... the lower bar can be used to get on top of the bloody animal.