What does an AI tool teach us about accelerating the urgent shift to cycling? We must stop engaging in bad faith arguments over bike lanes. We won’t—and don’t need to—convince everyone in the comment section. Our precious time and energy are better spent on the bigger picture. 🧵
Rather we should share our vision of a liveable future; sparking a values-based conversation on our aspirations, on which there’s a lot of consensus: on safety, health, greenery, equity, sustainability, prosperity. Once we agree on the destination, we can debate how to get there.
We must expand our movement to bring in those left behind by car dependence. There's a coalition waiting to be formed, especially the young and old, women, and people with disabilities or lower incomes. Many would hop on a bike if it didn’t require dodging cars from door-to-door.
We must rise above the culture war separating us into modes and leading to inaction. There is a latent demand waiting to be activated and numbers that will support politicians willing to change the status quo. Our mission is to ensure this silent majority is heard loud and clear.
The five images in this post weren’t created by AI. They’re photos of places where the @Cycling_Embassy has worked... Pioneers that reframed the conversation, and asked, “Not what your city can do for cycling, but what cycling can do for your city.” WATCH:
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
In the heart of Breda—in the south of the Netherlands—a dramatic metamorphosis is underway: the Nieuwe Mark, where a corridor once dedicated to cars is being transformed into a blue-green vein; part of the city's vision to make its centre more liveable, natural and sustainable.🧵
Breda has long been a car city, and in their infinite wisdom, its post-war planners filled in and rerouted the Mark River around the centre to make room for the car. But now, the waterway is being brought bank into the city, while introducing plants, trees and fauna on its banks.
This strongly aligns with their ambition of "The city of Breda, centrally located in a green park", while contributing to myriad broader objectives such as climate adaptation, biodiversity, nature inclusivity, innovation, recreation, tourism, social cohesion, and quality of life.
When newly-elected Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson started converting car lanes to bike lanes in 2009, pundits claimed it was political suicide. In 2018, he stepped down after three terms as the longest-serving mayor in history. So what can this tale teach us about "bikelash"?🧵
Robertson first proposed reallocating one travel lane from cars to bikes on the Burrard Bridge, and the blowback began. Media outlets published scathing editorials. Residents voiced their vehement opposition. Business leaders said he was choking the lifeblood out of the downtown.
Mayor Moonbeam—as he was dubbed—forged ahead: “A few loud critics can make anything look controversial. I recall the media doing full coverage of the opening, choppers overhead filming the impending chaos. It was much ado about nothing—it had zero impact on traffic from day one.”
Half of all trips in Delft are made by bike, a success replicated in cities across the country. But the Dutch blueprint for urban vitality was forged on these streets a few decades ago, when the strategic decision was made to build a network and build it as quickly as possible.🧵
After mixed results with demonstration projects in Tilburg and The Hague (see prior posts), the national government took their third attempt to Delft, a city with a reputation for innovation. Learning from their mistakes, rather than a single route, a complete grid was envisaged.
As part of the engagement process, they surveyed 4,700 households to identify the most important physical and mental barriers to cycling more in their daily lives. Through this, they identified myriad destinations outside the office commute, including shops, schools and stations.
Walk anywhere in Amsterdam and you’ll sense a calm coherence: bricks, curbs, fixtures, benches, bollards and drains that look related. This isn’t accidental. It’s a product of the Puccini Method, the city’s standards—part design language, part playbook—for shaping every street.🧵
Adopted as citywide policy in 2018, it defines how the public realm is designed: from pavers to lighting, furniture, trees; even details like gullies and edging. The aim is streets that are functional, durable, safe and visually consistent, without tipping into fussy over-design.
Puccini fixes two chronic problems: visual clutter and procurement patchwork. Previously, boroughs sourced their own elements, leaving a jumble of styles and standards. A single method delivers economies of scale, easier maintenance and—crucially—calmer more legible urban spaces.
Initiated by ETH Zurich’s Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, "E‑Bike City" explores how cities can repurpose existing road space to prioritise micromobility—(e-)bikes, cargo bikes and scooters—and public transport, while maintaining essential car access.🧵
Today, 80% of Zurich’s road space is dedicated to cars and parking, while 10% serves (e-)cyclists. This project proposes reallocating half of all road space into safe, seamless routes for pedal-power and pedestrians, elevating quality-of-life while cutting emissions & collisions.
Using visual simulations, four strategic steps in the city's evolution are laid out: 1️⃣ Prioritise existing tram/busways 2️⃣ Maintain minimal car access for local needs 3️⃣ Repurpose remaining width for cycle lanes, sidewalks, greenery 4️⃣ Gradually convert car parking to other uses
In 2023, Amsterdam introduced a 30 km/h limit. Many arterials were lowered from 50 km/h, 4,500 signs installed, 140 lights reconfigured, and 200 km of markings adjusted. Aiming to improve safety, liveability, and accessibility, 80% of the road network is now at this key speed.🧵
The quantitative effects were monitored before and after its implementation, focusing on six topics: 1️⃣ Road safety: On the 30 km/h roads, there were 11% fewer crashes involving a car, 15% fewer crashes involving a pedestrian/cyclist and 24% fewer crashes involving a tram or bus.
2️⃣ Liveability: Noise pollution dropped 1.5 decibels, or 5.5% on the logarithmic scale. Researchers observed more social interactions at street level. 3️⃣ Speeds: Overall speeds decreased 8%, with a 63% compliance rate. There was an 80% reduction in severe speeding (over 55 km/h).