Contested Streets – Copenhagen

I’ve just finished watching this fantastic ten minute film about traffic in Copenhagen. You should watch it too:

Here are some notes I jotted down while watching it, to give you a flavor:

* Commuting traffic: 1/3 bike, 1/3 public transport, 1/3 private car
* Very few helmets
* Normal clothes, including skirts
* Baskets
* Some fantastic bikes!
* 4 lane road, with heavy traffic, reconfigured to take space from cars to give to bikes – same capacity as before, but slower and safer
* About five minutes in, pedestrianised shopping area – with bikes!
* Removed car parking, to create a “people street”
* Pedestrian-priority street – open to pedestrians, bikes and cars – two way for bikes and people, one way for cars – a mix of users, cars go really slow. Less rigid on pedestrians or car streets, now mixing them safely
* Bike investment is small money compared to cars investment
* Do it a bit at a time; never have a big plan to switch from cars to people, because you’ll lose the election – people will think it’s impossible, but it isn’t.

[Found on the cycleliciousness blog.]