Congestion in the city

[Morris Sod]

I know we ride guzzis for the twisties, but I was wondering wot the major world cities are doing to promote bikes and scooters to help freeup gridlock.

 

Here in Oz it seems all authorities are doing their utmost to tax and force MC's off our roads. eg Sydney does not allow footpath parking and is contemplating introducing lane splitting as illegal, Perth fines bikes for parking in car spaces even if they have paid the meter, Victoria charges an extra $50 per bike levy for safety advertising, but does allow them to park on footpaths at present. There is talk of reintroducing front number plates so bikes can be subject to e-tolls. Bikes also pay the same as cars on some toll roads.

 

Are there any sensible thinking community leaders out there who believe that encouraging 2 wheel travel in cities might actually assist reduce traffic gridlock.

 

Would really like to know.

[g.forrest]

well i'm pissed off enough without parking problems..three vehicles that i declare to be under my control only..but i have to pay liability insurance on all three which i declare i am the only operator of. and never having had a claim in 36 years on the road. shouldn't this liability be based on me..and not my vehicles. they do no harm when at home in the shed... yes iv'e heard it before.i have to pay for the irisponsibility of others..well its time for revolution then. now where did i bury it..

I know we ride guzzis for the twisties, but I was wondering wot the major world cities are doing to promote bikes and scooters to help freeup gridlock.

 

Here in Oz it seems all authorities are doing their utmost to tax and force MC's off our roads. eg Sydney does not allow footpath parking and is contemplating introducing lane splitting as illegal, Perth fines bikes for parking in car spaces even if they have paid the meter, Victoria charges an extra $50 per bike levy for safety advertising, but does allow them to park on footpaths at present. There is talk of reintroducing front number plates so bikes can be subject to e-tolls.  Bikes also pay the same as cars on some toll roads.

 

Are there any sensible thinking community leaders out there who believe that encouraging 2 wheel travel in cities might actually assist reduce traffic gridlock.

 

Would really like to know.

78551[/snapback]

[mdude]

Norway: free toll on all roads + liberal parking regulations for bikes in all cities. you park where you want, as long as you're no obstacle to general traffic.

 

easy to be a biker up her, if it wasnt for the -12C and 70 cm of snow that covers everything.

[Guest redguzziv10]

i regularly ride into London and got to admit that since Ren Ken and his Bastard congestion tax came into being, i've found it a lot less hair raising.

tax, sorry, congestion charge exempt. a lot less traffic. Free parking almost everywhere, and if you know you're way around there's always a handy tree to chain it to.

One big problem at the moment is bike thieves stealing to order...

so no problem for me there either

[mike wilson]

Plenty of free parking and delineated places at the front of all traffic stops for two-wheelers on major routes. Some exclusive lanes.

 

Against which: about a30% psycho/bimbo(both sexes) driver ratio, sodding miserable wet/cold winters, no dealer worth wasting breath on and far too much traffic for travelling enjoyment.

 

mike

[macguzzi]

All I can say to this is never attempt to drive anything in Edinburgh unless it's black and called a taxi or big and red and called a bus. Parking is free for motorcycles the problem is getting to the parking spaces!

[Frenchbob]

France: park where the hell you like [in Limoges, on a bike, anyway]; empty roads [in Haute Vienne, anyway], and the winter is almost over. V11 out yesterday.

 

Five fixed speed cameras in this departement, and I know where they are.

 

Happy!

 

Sorry.

[Guest aironepony]

I know we ride guzzis for the twisties, but I was wondering wot the major world cities are doing to promote bikes and scooters to help freeup gridlock.

 

Here in Oz it seems all authorities are doing their utmost to tax and force MC's off our roads. eg Sydney does not allow footpath parking and is contemplating introducing lane splitting as illegal, Perth fines bikes for parking in car spaces even if they have paid the meter, Victoria charges an extra $50 per bike levy for safety advertising, but does allow them to park on footpaths at present. There is talk of reintroducing front number plates so bikes can be subject to e-tolls.  Bikes also pay the same as cars on some toll roads.

 

Are there any sensible thinking community leaders out there who believe that encouraging 2 wheel travel in cities might actually assist reduce traffic gridlock.

 

Would really like to know.

78551[/snapback]

 

Australia seems to have been taken over. Where are the men that pioneered the place? They wouldn't take that crap. They used to be a plain talking pragmatic race that simply got on with life and ignored precious types.

 

...............

[Morris Sod]

Australia seems to have been taken over. Where are the men that pioneered the place? They wouldn't take that crap. They used to be a plain talking pragmatic race that simply got on with life and ignored precious types.

 

...............

78705[/snapback]

edit: removed this text because of racist remarks, which are not allowed on this board

Edited February 22, 2006 by Admin Jaap

[Frenchbob]

edit: removed this text because of racist remarks, which are not allowed on this board

79623[/snapback]

 

No, you're a racist.

Edited February 22, 2006 by Admin Jaap

[guzziownr]

Jaap, Maybe you could do "Banned from the list" as a fundraiser.

 

To return to the original topic, NYC seems to be coming to its senses regarding bikes. In the residential parts of the city parking is no problem, plenty of bike-sized spaces and you don't pay a dime. The NYPD has a pretty relaxed attitude with meter sharing (as long as someone pays) and all bridge and tunnel tolls are half price for bikes.

 

There has been a bit of a scooter revival here as well. I saw an example of the polka dot skirted scooter bird on the East side recently and I have a psychiatrist friend who rides his made-in-China scooter everywhere.

 

NYC traffic is legendary and cut-throat but I find that drivers are paying attention at least. Out in the suburbs bikes freak them out and they do crazy stuff like stop short or run out of their lane while they stare at you.

 

There are red light cameras here and there but bikes don't seem to be big enough to trigger the buried magnets. The only time I got a ticket it was in the car. The real problem here in New York is the police's shift in focus from crime prevention to revenue generation. They will paper a street with tickets figuring that most people are too busy to fight them and will pay up through the mail.

 

My Eldo got a ticket a day on a particular block for "No right hand mirror". After getting the tickets dismissed as a group I wrote a polite note to the officer that was writing the summonses and enclosed a xerox of the applicable State Statute (Left hand mirror only needed). The response was a carload of detectives crawling all over my bike looking for some way to screw me. The super of the building said they spend a half hour comparing paperwork to headstock and engine numbers. The judge told me to stop being a smartass and get another mirror pronto. I used EV mirrors and they work just fine.

 

DW

 

 

No, you're a racist.

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[g.forrest]

personaly i am offended when i have my right taken from me to decide what is offensive or not, censcorship may have its place when it involves young children otherwise i believe it becomes a form of dictatorship or big brothership. i was somewhat offended by the trivualising of the bashing to death of animals and the raising of the subject on this forum and by the statements of [don't they know where meat comes from] and i thought we were all adults on this forum. surely we should have the choice to read and ignore or reply to any subject raised. as we have varied views to the cures of certain ailments of guzzies. we allso have varied views to other subjects. ps..i have read the text and found no racism in the reply at all. it was but a statement of history. g.w.f