➡️ Great news from Scotland: New traffic data, analysed by Cycling Scotland (Scotland’s national body for the promotion of cycling), highlight the ongoing success of high-quality cycle paths, with bicycle usage reaching record levels on key routes in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
➡️ Last month we talked about the situation in Toronto, where Doug Ford’s government passed legislation to eliminate existing safe bike lanes while making it harder for municipalities to build new safe infrastructure for cyclists. Bicycle advocacy organizations began a long legal battle, which initially had a positive outcome. However, the government appealed and, in the summer, the decision was overturned. Now, cycling organizations are seeking permission to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, but in the meantime work has begun to remove the bike lanes. Unsurprisingly, these decisions have sparked protests, demonstrations and ongoing backlash from the cycling community. For example, protesters occupied bike lanes and prevented construction vehicles from starting demolition work. We wish them the best of luck! 💪
➡️ Do you want an example of how social participation can lead to results? A few months ago in Turin, a 7-year-old boy was killed by a driver while cycling to school. The local community mobilized, demanding safer streets for all vulnerable road users, and took to the streets to create a “citizen-protected” bike lane. They then presented concrete proposals to the mayor, and as a result, Turin has now approved a pilot program for safer streets. 💪
➡️ A recent report from European Cycling Industries highlights an issue that directly affects the growth of cycling across Europe: a severe shortage of skilled bicycle mechanics. According to the report, Europe currently has approximately 175,000 bicycle mechanics, 45,000 fewer than the number required, and will need more than 105,000 additional mechanics by 2032 to meet ever-increasing demand. And, of course, this is a job that cannot be taken away from us by artificial intelligence…
Finally, two studies (in greek) from the National Technical University of Athens highlight the absurdity of car culture in our country. The first concerns traffic:
➡️ The average car speed on Kifisias Avenue is just 18 km/h
And the second concerns parking:
My only comment is to quote Tom Flood: “Bicycles deliver the freedom that auto ads promise.”
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