[sustran] Re: Reducing number of cars on the road

[Institute for Global Futures Research (IGFR)]

Milnor H. Senior, III responded (thankyou)

>     Light weight vehicles which can travel at high speeds already exist.
They
>are called bicycles and they are the most efficient form of transportation
>known.  What is holding back the transportation potential of bicycles is
the lack
>of bicycle specific infrastructure.

After pedestrian-based urban re-development, one might expect the cycling 
to be the next layer of transport infrastructure, (followed by public
transit, 
essential motor vehicle services and good delivery - with private motor 
vehicle now the least necessary).

I wonder if anyone has any solid statistics on injury and death from 
bicycle accidents (eg per million kms), both for those involving motor
vehicles 
and those where motor vehicles were not involved, as well as a comparison 
with motor vehicle accidents (per million kms).

As bicycle intensity rises, non-motor vehicle bicycle accidents would also 
presumably rise.  Bicycle-motor vehicle accidents would also rise 
depending on the degree of shared roadway, bicycle lanes or completely 
separate bicycle paths.

It seems to me that micro-motors to assist uphill cycling, bicycle trailers,  
and tricycles could be developed much more to make cycling attractive 
to a broader cross-section of the community.

Geoff Holland.