Portland Bikeway Network Evolution 1980 - ...

"(The map) shows the evolution of Portland's bikeways from 1980 to the present, and is a good visual reminder that great biking cities are made deliberately; they don't start out already formed, people have to put in the effort of making them bike friendly."

Via Treehugger.

Seoul Got Soul - Save the Bike Lane

[SEOUL GOT SOUL] SAVE THE BIKE LANE (Full Ver.) from David Jongkwon Kim aka DKshop on Vimeo.

"Seoul is not covered up with enough bike lanes compare to the size of the city, so the main purpose of this project is to create bike lanes on the road as a propaganda against Seoul city. 

Seoul has been investing huge budget in its bike lane project since 1990s. The initial intention of the project itself was seemed promising. However, the city mistakenly did not consider diverse traffic conditions in each region. The bike lanes eventually caused traffic congestions, and turned out a massive parking space.

The already existing bike lanes along the sidewalks has been dominated by pedestrians and even trees for a long time. You will realize that there won't be any big change even if filing civil complaints. The yellow line on the left side of the logo means protection, so you can see it as we are here to save the bike lanes. No cars are allowed. One more Bike, One less Car"

From DK Shop

"How the Dutch Got Their Cycle Paths"

 "How did the Dutch get their cycling infrastructure?

This question keeps coming back because it is of course relevant to people who want what the Dutch have. Road building traditions go back a long way and they are influenced by many factors. But the way Dutch streets and roads are built today is largely the result of deliberate political decisions in the 1970s to turn away from the car centric policies of the prosperous post war era. Changed ideas about mobility, safer and more livable cities and about the environment led to a new type of streets in the Netherlands." 

Via Hembrow

Bicycle Superhighways - Only in Denmark

From Copenhagenzine.com:

"The City of Copenhagen is currently planning to expand the existing, extensive network of bike lanes to extend farther out into the suburbs. A network of 13 high-class routes - 'bicycle superhighways' if you will - dedicated to bicycle commuters and aimed at encouraging more to cycle to work.

Currently 55% of the citizens in central Copenhagen ride a bicycle daily and the number is 37% for Greater Copenhagen. While in many other countries anybody who cycles to work is often considered a 'bicycle commuter', most of the 500,000 people who cycle to work or education in Copenhagen don't fit into the Danish version of this statistical category.

A 'commuter' is loosely categorised as someone who travels more than 10 km to work. The City of Copenhagen and the surrounding towns are aiming to increase the trips by bike on the new routes. There is an efficient network of public transport throughout the region but just as any train passenger or motorist knows, it feels much quicker and is much quicker if you don't have to stop all the time. The same principle applies to cycling to work and it is the key to the development of this new net of superhighways.

Just like anywhere, there are many people who cycle longer distances but the focus for the new plan is the 'middle ground' - the zone between 7 and 15 km from the city centre.

There are roughly 100,000 people who currently commute into or out of Copenhagen County [as opposed to within], travelling between 4-15 km. 15,000 of them ride their bicycle.

The remaining 85,000 who take the bus, train or car are the target group for this project.

The routes will be developed on the existing bike lanes but they will have a number of improved features, according to the City's vision:

- Smooth, even surfaces free of leaves, ice and snow.
- As direct as possible with no detours.
- Homogenous visual expression, for example, with signage and the trademark blue bike lanes through larger intersections.
- 'Service stations' with air and tools along the routes.
- Possibility to maintain a high speed and with sufficient width to overtake other cyclists.
- Safe and quick crossing priority for cyclists when they approach cross streets.
- Green Wave for cyclists through sections with frequent stop lights. [The Green Wave is in place on three main routes into Copenhagen already. Cycle 20 km/h and you hit green lights all the way.]

The new commuter routes are expected to cost roughly 250 million kroner [$47 million]. A net of routes of similar length, isolated and away from the streets would cost between 1 and 1.5 billion kroner. [$200-280 million].

The City of Aarhus is working on a similar project."