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Melissa & Chris Bruntlett Profile picture
Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
@modacitylife
Authors of ‘Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality’ and ‘Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in our Lives’.
2 subscribers
Nov 7 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
The decision to invest €30-million in the world’s biggest bike parking (12,500 spaces) at Utrecht Central Station seems extravagant, but when you calculate the cost of the alternatives—in the context of tens of thousands of bike-train trips each day—it’s an absolute bargain...🧵 An external analysis put the cost of the bike parking facility (including construction and operation) at €1 per user per day, where the cost of bus or tram travel was €3 per user per day. So enabling cycling to the station saved millions in public transport subsidies each year.
Nov 5 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
The Netherlands’ systematic approach to road safety—especially on walking and cycling—is a textbook application of the Hierarchy of Controls: an industrial method which identifies a preferred order of actions to best reduce hazard exposure based on their general effectiveness…🧵 1️⃣ Elimination: The most effective measure involves physically removing the hazard at its source by restricting motor vehicles from accessing certain corridors and districts in the city, through the act of traffic filtering and circulation to establish car-free and low-car areas.
Oct 26 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Conventional wisdom thinks of car traffic as a liquid, where adding capacity (ie. width) keeps it flowing. But in reality it acts more like a gas, where it expands to fill the amount of space available. And the only proven way to relieve congestion is to evaporate some of it...🧵 Case in point: The Netherlands boasts a 150,000 km network of high-quality bike infrastructure in a 41,500 km² country, with 24 million bicycles for 18 million residents—who now make a quarter of their daily trips by pedal power. Sounds like a driver’s worst nightmare doesn’t it?
Oct 17 • 5 tweets • 5 min read
In 2020, 40% of motor traffic in Vilnius' city center was passing through with no intention of stopping—up to 70% on specific streets during the morning peak. In order to keep the social and economic heart of the city pumping, the city introduced a new traffic circulation plan.🧵 People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings.
People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings.
People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings.
People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings. Practically a copy-paste of the plan implemented in the Dutch city of Groningen in 1977, Vilnius' center is divided into four zones, each with one main entrance and one or two exits. Traffic in each loop is one-way only, regulated by signage, barriers, and a 20 km/hr speed limit. People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings.
People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings.
People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings.
People walk, cycle, sit, and ride buses along the low-traffic streets of the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania, which are lined with trees, terraces, and colourful buildings.
Oct 14 • 6 tweets • 6 min read
Despite representing just 13% of trips and being owned by 33% of households, cars take up more than half of the public space in Paris. Which is why Mayor Anne Hidalgo is removing 70,000 of its 140,000 on-street parking spaces, to make the city greener and more people-friendly. 🧵 People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes.
People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes.
People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes.
People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes. The municipality is consulting residents on what they would like to see replace the 10 square metre parking places. Options include more trees and plants, vegetable allotments, composting areas, children’s playgrounds, bicycle parking areas, and public toilets, among many others. People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes.
People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes.
People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes.
People walk and cycle through the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Rather than cars in the on-street parking spaces, they are filled with trees, terraces, benches, playgrounds, and parked bikes.
Oct 9 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Something we often hear when we're talking about cycling infrastructure is that it’s ableist... It only allows the physically fit to use their streets; to the exclusion of everyone else especially the elderly or disabled. It's worth pushing back on that idea on several levels. 🧵 People of all ages and abilities ride a variety of mobility devices—including tricycles, cargo bikes and scootmobiles—along protected bike lanes in Dutch cities. It's first worth pointing out a car-only transport system is perhaps the most ableist of all. A third of the population does not have the physical or financial means to drive: like children, the elderly, caregivers, people with lower incomes, and those with physical disabilities. People of all ages and abilities ride a variety of mobility devices—including tricycles, cargo bikes and scootmobiles—along protected bike lanes in Dutch cities.
Sep 10 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
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. 🧵 A woman in a black jacket rides a green shared e-bike along a continuous and fully protected bike lane built in beige asphalt on a street in Montreuil, France. 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. People in casual spring attire cycle on Argentinierstraße in Vienna—a red asphalt “bicycle street” lined with four-storey buildings, trees and plants, and wooden benches.
Aug 25 • 6 tweets • 6 min read
When Dutch Grand Prix organizers announced in 2019 the goal of going car-free, they were ridiculed: "That's impossible!” decried critics.

But they made the impossible possible in Zandvoort, shifting behaviour with a bold vision, targeted investment, and effective cooperation. 🧵


Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort.
Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort.
Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort.
Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort. While an F1 race is an unlikely place for a sustainable transport revolution, the event’s 110,000 daily attendees were prohibited from arriving by car.

Instead, organizers executed an integrated mobility plan; resulting in 98% of fans traveling by foot, bike or public transport.


Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort.
Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort.
Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort.
Crowds of people wearing rain gear walk, cycle, and ride the bus and train during the Dutch Grand Prix on a rainy day in Zandvoort.
Aug 10 • 6 tweets • 6 min read
Ten years ago, México City—the world’s fourth most populous metropolitan area with 22 million inhabitants—passed a landmark mobility law.

Intended to unlock economic opportunity and improve quality of life, it represented a shift towards integrated, people-oriented movement… 🧵


People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City.
People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City.
People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City.
People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City. 1️⃣ The “right to mobility”: The law recognized mobility as a fundamental right of residents. It prioritized including citizens in the network’s planning, regulation, and managing processes; incorporating principles of urban resilience, inclusive governance, and active transport.


People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City.
People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City.
People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City.
People in casual summer attire walk, cycle, and ride public transport on dedicated infrastructure on the streets of Mexico City.
Jul 19 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
The underwater bike parking at Amsterdam Centraal Station is the crown jewel in a bold plan to build 300,000 spaces nationwide since 1999.

Over that period, Dutch railways has evaluated each facility, refined their approach, and developed nine design principles in use today… 🧵


A brightly-lit underground bike parking facility at Amsterdam Centraal Station contains two-tiered metal racks, and wood panelling and back-lit art on the walls.
A brightly-lit underground bike parking facility at Amsterdam Centraal Station contains two-tiered metal racks, and wood panelling and back-lit art on the walls.
A brightly-lit underground bike parking facility at Amsterdam Centraal Station contains two-tiered metal racks, and wood panelling and back-lit art on the walls.
A brightly-lit underground bike parking facility at Amsterdam Centraal Station contains two-tiered metal racks, and wood panelling and back-lit art on the walls. 1️⃣ Proximity to Platform: The thing that cyclists making their way to the train want above all is a logical approach route and the ability to park their bikes as close to the platform as possible. Their walk from the parking space to the platform should be less than four minutes.
Jan 13 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
In ‘Dark PR’, @EnnisGrant outlines nine devious frames the automotive industry uses to obscure millions of injuries and deaths caused by its products; influencing how we process and discuss the issue and ultimately preventing meaningful political action.

They are as follows… 🧵 A hand holds a book in front of a busy road: “Dark PR: How Corporate Disinformation Undermines our Health and the Environment” by Grant Ennis. 1. Denialism: “The road lobby’s most pervasive denialist framing is speed does not kill, or high speeds can be made safe under the right conditions. Nothing could be further from the truth… a change in average speed on a road network is directly related to the fatal crash rate.”
Dec 18, 2022 • 14 tweets • 7 min read
All over the world, communities are reimagining themselves as places for people not cars. That process starts with stirring the hearts and minds of everyone involved.

Twelve books we read in the past 12 months that changed how we think about cities.

An #UrbanismBookClub Thread. A photo collage of twelve book covers, including 'Autonorama 1. 'Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving' by @PeterNorton12
Dec 9, 2022 • 17 tweets • 4 min read
Some suggest it’s impossible, but the imperative act of reducing car supremacy is already happening in cities that stopped making excuses, and started making progress.

Sixteen places we visited in the past 12 months that made recent and radical changes to their streets.

Thread. A collage of street scenes from 16 cities around the world t 1. Ghent, Belgium.
Dec 1, 2022 • 7 tweets • 7 min read
Here’s what Mayor @Anne_Hidalgo knew when she took office in 2014:

It wasn’t the hills, weather or culture that was preventing Parisians from cycling; it was a lack of safe infrastructure.

With that revelation—and some immense courage—she has unleashed a revolution in the city. A cyclist rides on a protected bike lane past a digital counThree cyclists ride on a protected bike lane past a floatingAn overhead view of a street in Paris that has a two-way proA row of parked bicycles sits between two car lanes and a bi Here’s why politicians around the world should be watching Paris:

When she first started challenging car dominance, Mayor @Anne_Hidalgo was ridiculed, threatened and sued.

But these measures are working, and proving incredibly popular, as she was comfortably re-elected in 2020. A cyclist rides along a protected bike lane lined with dockeA cyclist rides along a bidirectional protected bike lane liSeveral cyclists ride along a bidirectional protected bike lA cyclist rides along a bidirectional protected bike lane li
Oct 15, 2022 • 4 tweets • 4 min read
On January 1st, 2021, Brussels introduced a 30 km/h (18 mph) citywide speed limit.

Within one year, overall speeds decreased 9%, collisions 22%, fatalities 50%, and traffic noise up to 50% (depending on the surface).

Journey times by car were identical or even slightly shorter. A close-up of a red-and-white 30 km/h speed limit sign in BrA close-up of a red-and-white 30 km/h speed limit sign in BrA red-and-white 30 km/h speed limit sign in Brussels. A cyclA red-and-white 30 km/h speed limit road marking painted on In August 2022, Brussels introduced a circulation plan to filter the unnecessary through traffic that accounts for 42% of motor vehicles.

The city center was divided into eight “meshes” and driving between them restricted, making the streets more pleasant and safer for everyone. A cobbled street in the center of Brussels. Copper planter bA cobbled street in the center of Brussels. Copper planter bA cobbled street in the center of Brussels. Copper planter bAn asphalt street in the center of Brussels. Copper planter