Sharing the road with a bicycle rider can
be scary and also frustrating in Australia, both for the driver and the rider.
I was always wondering, are there too many riders for the road or too few roads
for the riders.
When I was a kid in China, all roads in the
city have wide bike lane on each side, trees were planted to physically
separate the automobiles and bicycles and provide shade to the cyclists. Riding
used to be safe and relaxing as the commonest commuting method in China, and I
started to ride to school with friends since year four. As the city expanded
and grew, roads were rebuilt and widen, more cars were on the road, however,
the bike lane started to disappear.
Road in China (1980s and now)
This does not only happen in China, there used to be bike lanes in UK in
late 1800, however the riders were pulled out of their special lanes and were
forced to ride on the same roads with machines four times faster and twenty
times heavier.
Luckily, as wider roads can only lead to more cars on road and slower
traffics, the city planners have realised the rationalities behind the bike
infrastructures. Bike path has reappeared in Sydney and many other major cities
in the world.
Hopefully, drivers and cyclists can both be relieved with the latest
riding culture and infrastructure, and enjoy the road harmony and sustainable
life in the future.
Bike lane in late 1800 UK and the new bike path in Sydney CBD
No comments:
Post a Comment