Thursday, August 27, 2009

Dumb Helsinki cycle paths #7

The BBC has good report looking at how Copenhagen has become the best city in the world for cyclists. There a third of people use a bike for getting to work, school or university. A third!? That's amazing isn't it? Less pollution, less noise, less traffic for those folk who do need to drive, less congestion on public transport, more exercise meaning less weight for the medical system to carry. Everyone's a winner.

So in Copenhagen they are extending the cycle path network and widening the actual lanes. Here in Helsinki some people seem also to be excited about the cycle paths/pavement that forms part of my route to work. They have decided it can be used as over-flow car parking for the fat, lazy, selfish and anti-social, and as it happens daily as the same place and has done summer, it appears the relevant authorities don't give a shit either.


So it's nice that us cyclists and pedestrians of Helsinki now know our place. That would be dodging traffic in the road.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hiya Toby,

I'm afraid that you'll have to come to the terms with the fact that drivers in the Helsinki area (or for the most of Finland, for that matter) are not much unlike their counterparts in say, Alabama, or any other obscure area where the majority of people regard their gas pedal as their main means of transportation. Be it another ghastly half a mile to the grocers', or anything else that you just cannot get to without your v-8.

Pedal on!

-n.

Tony said...

You should make you some leaflets that you can put under their windscreen wipers saying exactly what you think of them!

Jenn said...

If that was the worst problem cycling in London... well.. I wouldn't be typing this.