China: The (lost) Kingdom Of Bicycles?

photo: Wang Wenlan

According to Wang Fuchang, the Chinese director of the Department of Equipment Industry under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, "it is estimated that automobile ownership in China will exceed 200 million in 2020, causing serious energy security and environmental issues." Currently, there is a year on year increase of approximately 30% in private car numbers.

Populist Proof: Commuting is bad for you

Americans with longer commutes suffer higher levels of back pain, higher cholesterol, and higher levels of obesity.

After surveying 173,581 employed Americans over the past year, a recent Gallup-Healthway's survey has concluded that American workers with lengthy commutes are more likely to report a range of adverse physical and emotional conditions, leading to lower overall scores on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Subway slide

Here’s a cool video of a Berlin subway staircase that was transformed into a slide. Watch it above.

IBM conducts Commuter Pain Survey

“If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.”
- Doug Larson

The index is comprised of 10 issues: 1) commuting time, 2) time stuck in traffic, agreement that: 3) price of gas is already too high, 4) traffic has gotten worse, 5) start-stop traffic is a problem, 6) driving causes stress, 7) driving causes anger, 8) traffic affects work, 9) traffic so bad driving stopped, and 10) decided not to make trip due to traffic.

IBM conducted a survey of adult drivers in twenty major cities around the world – repeating similar surveys done in the U.S. alone in May 2008 and August 2009. This survey, intended to gather drivers’ opinions about local traffic and related issues, was conducted in native languages in Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Houston, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, Moscow, Montreal, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Stockholm and Toronto.There were 8,192 responses in the final data set – at least 400 from each city.

Cycling in Dublin

On RTÉ last night was an excellent programme featuring the lives of Dublin's cyclists and also recent developments in Dublin's cycling culture and infrastructure. The show features Dublin's Bike Couriers, Commuters, and introduces the Bike to Work Scheme, Dublin's Cycle Routes and also the Dublin Bikes scheme.

Watch the show online here.

Kolelinia / Martin Angelov

Martin Angelov shared his funky concept for a new urban way of transportation dubbed “Kolelinia” with us . Kolelinia proposes that we ride our bicycles on a steel wire as a new type of bicycle lane. The idea was awarded first for the international “Line of Site” competition.