Oh, check this one out. It’s somewhat near to where I work, and used to be on the fastest way to where I used to live :)
Of course, the photo flattens the climb. But, go along the road and look at the height of that rock, comparing it to the height of a car. They made sure to route the bicycle path over the highest point of the hill. A bit more to the left or right, and there would have been much less hill.
Also, along the road, there is a spot where the railings are a bit higher, because there’s a outdoor excercise way passing undeneath the road by a tunnel. Of course, the bicycle path comes back down from the top of that rock to the bottom of that ditch to reach the intersection for the tunnel. And then you climb up again! Hooray!
Yeah, that’s exactly ass-backwards to how bike paths should be designed, which is as flat and direct as possible to maximize their utility for transportation.
If I ever had the opportunity to meet the moron who came up with that policy, I’d slap him across the face and yell “what the fuck is wrong with you?!”
His answer would have been (and this is a fact):
“Bicycling is extremely good for one’s health. When there are more hills, the health benefits get even bigger. Do you not care of public health? Why are bicyclers not important to you?”
Most of the time I’ve been arguing with people on moronic SCAFT-based solutions, the reaction has been: “But this was done for safety! You bikers are an impossible and reckless bunch. It’s about your safety, and the safety of all the light traffic”
(“light traffic” is the phrase used to mean the combined pedestrian and bicycle traffic. As opposed to “traffic”. Which is people going to their work and doing other important things.
Oh, check this one out. It’s somewhat near to where I work, and used to be on the fastest way to where I used to live :)
Of course, the photo flattens the climb. But, go along the road and look at the height of that rock, comparing it to the height of a car. They made sure to route the bicycle path over the highest point of the hill. A bit more to the left or right, and there would have been much less hill. Also, along the road, there is a spot where the railings are a bit higher, because there’s a outdoor excercise way passing undeneath the road by a tunnel. Of course, the bicycle path comes back down from the top of that rock to the bottom of that ditch to reach the intersection for the tunnel. And then you climb up again! Hooray!
Yeah, that’s exactly ass-backwards to how bike paths should be designed, which is as flat and direct as possible to maximize their utility for transportation.
If I ever had the opportunity to meet the moron who came up with that policy, I’d slap him across the face and yell “what the fuck is wrong with you?!”
His answer would have been (and this is a fact):
“Bicycling is extremely good for one’s health. When there are more hills, the health benefits get even bigger. Do you not care of public health? Why are bicyclers not important to you?”
Most of the time I’ve been arguing with people on moronic SCAFT-based solutions, the reaction has been: “But this was done for safety! You bikers are an impossible and reckless bunch. It’s about your safety, and the safety of all the light traffic”
(“light traffic” is the phrase used to mean the combined pedestrian and bicycle traffic. As opposed to “traffic”. Which is people going to their work and doing other important things.