Many of the daily trips we make around the city are quite short in distance. Going out for lunch, getting a newspaper, moving from meeting to meeting etc. The result is often several short trips every day. Many choose to use their car for this purpose, adding to the amount of unnecessary cruising while looking for a parking spot among other things. There are many ways to combat this behavior, both on a personal and on city level. And there are many ways for a city to stimulate its inhabitants to use bicycles for transportation on shorter distances.
Gothenburg City are currently doing a project to stimulate more and more people to choose to use their bicycles both for these shorter trips and for longer distances. This project include adding several air-pumps for tires, an online bicycle route planner, an app and maps on strategic locations. What is most interesting and important here is that they let people vote for where pumps and other infrastructure will be located. In other words; they engage the public in the planning of the project, draw attention to the fact that biking is going to get easier, and gather a crowd of future users from the beginning. Well planned and executed.
This is a golden opportunity for everyone that commuter greener to/from Lindholmen Science Park, as well as for all other friends we have around the city, you can make your voice heard and get more attractive surroundings. As of now, bicycle pump stations seems to be clustered near the center of the city, with few air-pumps in other areas. Traditionally Lindholmen was on the “wrong” side of the river that divides Gothenburg. But this has changed, or what do you think? In short, get out and vote! The fun thing about campaigns like this, those that engage the public, let the green commuter have a chance to affect the comfort of his/her commute. It will also make biking more attractive, and coupled with bike-loaning/sharing/renting it might reduce unnecessary cruising. After all, why drive three blocks to the meeting, then circulate while looking for a parking space when you can simply check out a bike and peddle away. Bicycles are perfect for this kind of transportation. With a route planner the active commuter may find better and safer roads for their journeys. If the systems are used, that in turn will lead to more development and thus better conditions for commute greener as well. To repeat: ” Fellow Gothenburgians vote for you favorite place for air-pumps, try the different information systems and be an active commuter! Rent/loan a bike for the short journey during lunch. ” If you like healthy modes of transportation, I encourage you to show it to the politicians and bureaucrats. They are the ones who makes the decisions, and they can’t know how you like to commute if you don’t show them.
This is a golden opportunity for our green commuters at Lindholmen science park, and green commuters all around the city, to make their area more attractive for bicycling. As of now, pump stations seems to be clustered near the center of the city, with few air-pumps in other areas. Lindholmen is on the “wrong” side of the river which divides Gothenburg. Why not have more stations in that area? get out and vote!
The fun thing about campaigns like this, those that engage the public, let the green commuter have a chance to affect the comfort of his/her commute. It will also make biking more attractive, and coupled with bike-loaning/sharing/renting it might reduce that cruising. After all, why drive three blocks to the meeting, then circulate while looking for a parking space when you can simply check out a bike and peddle away. Bicycles are perfect for this kind of transportation. With a route planner the active commuter may find better and safer roads for their journeys. If the systems are used, that in turn will lead to more development and thus better conditions for green commuting. In other words, Gothenburgians vote for you favorite place for air-pumps, try the different information systems and be an active commuter! Rent/loan a bike for the short journey during lunch. If you like active modes of transportation, be sure to show it to the politicians and bureaucrats. They are the ones who makes the decisions, and they can’t know how you like to commute if you don’t show them.
This is true for other countries and cities as well. If you want better bicycle conditions you will have to show it. As seen in the bike-movement in the USA, it can have a big impact. So be an active commuter, use the means provided, make sure the city know what you like/dislike with the current system and make sure to cut down on those short journeys which ends up with looking for parking spaces.
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Fredrik
