Bikes, bikes, bikes and more...bikes

[kassy]

That is a bit of a simplistic take. I bet people would be more ok with if it was less messy. Paris also has little dedicated cycling lanes which is where they should put them.

We do have them so we have no problem with foot and cycling traffic interfering. The big problem with these programs is that you can leave the bike anywhere so people do that. And then someone has to service the batteries or return bikes to better locations.

[Sigmetnow]

I agree, dedicated cycling lanes make a big difference.  And the article points out the ageism involved in the Paris decision — the younger crowd benefits from scooters and loves them.

But beyond the the conflicts with pedestrians, and the difficulty of installing bike lanes… powered vehicles often do not respect them, particularly in cities.  I’m thinking of videos I’ve see from New York; and a recent one from London, where a truck pulling over to off-load almost hit a cyclist while it purposely ran over tall obstacles installed to keep vehicles out of that section of the bike lane.  Yikes.

[Bruce Steele]

Being kinda old myself I walked into an crosswalk where a Tesla almost hit me . I think part of the problem is e-bikes, bicycles or BEV are so quiet you just don’t know they are coming. Especially from behind. There should be some sort of noise they make to help pedestrians know when an otherwise soundless object is approaching. I know cities don’t need more noise so maybe at least BEV could initiate some sort of noise when pedestrians are nearby.
 The Tesla that almost got me was making a right turn as the signal turned green but the green pedestrian signal turned at the same time . I didn’t hear the Tesla and started to take a step into the intersection crosswalk. When I was younger I carried a skateboard so i could retaliate if needed.
 I think the pace of city life leaves pedestrians in worse risk than thirty or forty years ago and the same rudeness that fills the internet also permeates driving habits. I am happier living in the country where I can ignore it all.

[kassy]

For city management: the younger crowd benefits from scooters and loves them.

If you live locally you have your own scooters. The problem is that these are used by visitors.
Ideally you would want the bulk to end up in area´s where people pick them up again. So near stations but what do you do for the one way trips?

And of course you need space on areas where they congregate. Plus the ones with batteries need servicing. It´s hard to do efficiently.

I don´t really care about the ageism angle (it´s France). Dedicated and respected bike lanes help but the young ones will bring their own gadgets. Battery powered skateboards exist and they will overtake you uphill.

[Sigmetnow]

Being kinda old myself I walked into an crosswalk where a Tesla almost hit me . I think part of the problem is e-bikes, bicycles or BEV are so quiet you just don’t know they are coming. Especially from behind. There should be some sort of noise they make to help pedestrians know when an otherwise soundless object is approaching. I know cities don’t need more noise so maybe at least BEV could initiate some sort of noise when pedestrians are nearby.
 The Tesla that almost got me was making a right turn as the signal turned green but the green pedestrian signal turned at the same time . I didn’t hear the Tesla and started to take a step into the intersection crosswalk. When I was younger I carried a skateboard so i could retaliate if needed.
 I think the pace of city life leaves pedestrians in worse risk than thirty or forty years ago and the same rudeness that fills the internet also permeates driving habits. I am happier living in the country where I can ignore it all.

Some countries, including the US, have regulations that EVs must emit sounds at low speeds, for pedestrian (and cyclist or scooterist ) protection. I definitely hear mine when I’m standing outside the car using Summon.

The Pedestrian Warning System (if equipped) causes Model Y to emit sound when driving below 19 mph (32 km/h) or while driving in reverse. Electric vehicles operate quietly and this sound helps to alert pedestrians of your oncoming vehicle. The sound, which activates whenever Model Y is shifted out of Park, gets louder as speed increases.
NOTE: The Pedestrian Warning System is not available in vehicles manufactured prior to September 1, 2020.

[oren]

If you live locally you have your own scooters. The problem is that these are used by visitors.

From my experience that is not true. Owning a scooter is suitable for people who have a regular commute, and even then only for those who can afford the space in both office and home for the scooter. People who go from place to place in a semi-random pattern, mostly young people, or who commute to locations where storing a scooter safely is a hassle, are heavy users of rented scooters.

[kassy]

https://www.nu.nl/economie/6277395/fatbikes-worden-om-de-haverklap-gestolen-anwb-stopt-met-verzekeren.html

So fatbikes (the Ebikes with the big wheels so scooters trying to pose as bikes) are getting stolen so much the ANWB is cancelling insurance on them for all policy holders in NL. They are also easy to hot rod which then cancels the policy if you are in an accident but handling that costs money too.

In general we should diversify bikes by tire size because these are not bikes.

[Sigmetnow]

In China, hundreds of thousands of bicycles have been discarded in the fight for dominance over the bike-sharing market, generating huge graveyards sites across the country.
 
This is one seen from above.
 
➡️ pic.twitter.com/MBaTGTCFCA  17 sec drone view. 😳

Makes these previous images of bike piles look like nothing! ⬇️
 
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,2952.msg382443.html#msg382443
 
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,2952.msg382457.html#msg382457

[morganism]

The cycling revolution in Paris continues: Bicycle use now exceeds car use

A study indicates that 11.2% of trips in the French capital are made on two wheels, compared to 4.3% in four-wheel vehicles

https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-04-24/the-cycling-revolution-in-paris-continues-bicycle-use-now-exceeds-car-use.html

[Sigmetnow]

Humans are hard to program
 
Madrid to ban e-scooters for reckless driving and chaotic parking
September 5, 2024

MADRID, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Madrid will ban e-scooters rented through mobile apps after the city's three licensed operators failed to implement limits on their clients' circulation or control their parking, Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said in a statement.
 
Martinez-Almeida said the licenses of Lime, Dott and Tier Mobility would be cancelled from October and that the city has no plans to grant new licenses to any other operators.
 
"The market was found to be incapable of meeting the requirements set by the mayor's office to ensure the highest level of safety for citizens," he said in a statement on Thursday.
 
The so-called scooter sharing system has raised opposition in cities around the world due to reckless driving by users on streets and sidewalks and haphazard parking that often leaves public spaces cluttered.
 
Since May 2023, the Madrid city council had regulated the rental e-scooter market, only authorising Amsterdam-based Dott, Germany's Tier Mobility and U.S.-based Lime, whose scooters are available on Uber's (UBER.N) app. They were authorised to rent 2,000 scooters each.
 
The three operators were supposed to give the mayor's office access to its data and were ordered to implement technology forcing their customers to leave the scooters only in authorised areas and preventing them from hiring them in pedestrian-only streets or near historic parks.
 
They failed to meet those conditions, the statement said, adding that they have 20 days to appeal.
…
Madrid follows in the footsteps of Paris, which last year banned e-scooter rentals following a public consultation.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/madrid-ban-e-scooters-reckless-driving-chaotic-parking-2024-09-05/