[sustran] Re: transit in Mexico city

[Ramon]

Dear Sujit Patwardhan,

Thank you for asking but I must tell you that I am not an expert in
transport as others in this list are. However, I think I can speak with some
authority on using bicycles for transportation since I have been doing it
for at least fifteen years -- generally accident free and without the need
for cycle tracks. The web is full of sites on cycling safety so you can just
point your favorite search again to that topic (I won't recommend sites as
people would think I was biased since this is somewhat a heated subject
between cycling advocates and cyclists. But, if you mean by cycle tracks
those that are totally separate from the regular roadway, then the general
consensus is that they are not at all safe for transportation cycling
(although they might be useful for slow, leisurely recreational cycling).
Lanes on the road that are reserved for bikes also have their problems
particularly when they come to intersections, something that even the most
expert of bike and transport planners have not managed to solve (that I know
of). If you're thinking about China. well there was cycling before there
were tracks and the tracks were put in to keep the bikes out of the way of
the MVs. Even the Western European countries are having problems with their
cycle tracks. The thing is, people will generally take the transportation
option that is most convenient for them. If we want to keep them from using
private automobiles, then we will have to make it as inconvenient for them
to drive them as  possible (as in Amsterdam; "traffic calming" measures are
designed to have the same effect; but the real deterrent would be to
dramatically increase the cost of owning and driving a car, but how
practical and realizable is that?). As for public transport versus
bicycles -- if public transport is good and relatively inexpensive, then
most people will take that option. To get people to ride bicycles for the
real distances that they have to travel to get to work, then we have to make
cycling as convenient (meaning just as time saving, and then compensate for
the sweat and effort with good parking and showers and changing facilities)
as good public transport. I prefer to ride my bike most of the time because
I can
travel faster than taking public transport (public transport is probably
just as bad over there as here), although not faster (and
certainly less convenient) than taking a car. But I also enjoy
cycling for itself and so I am willing to make the little sacrifice.
Experience has taught me how to ride safely in traffic -- and riding on the
road is the only way I will do my commuting cycling. (I also ride back
country, offroad trails but that is for my recreation.) If we want to
encourage cycling, then we have to invest in teaching people how to do it
safely. I agree with you that flyovers are terrible for cyclists, public
transport riders and pedestrians. That money could be better spent by
widening the lane that cyclists commonly use -- the outside, curbside lane
on the roadway, fixing potholes and other obstructions on the streets, and
building houses for the poor.

Ramon