r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	eenbiertje
Comment	To be fair, cycling more than 1km would have been an absolute nightmare in Glasgow 10 years ago. I don't blame you for giving up. With the improvements over the pandemic (soft segregation along new routes) we're closer to an actual network than ever before. Still massive gaps, and a lot of work to be done, but it's sort of possible to get from the East End to the West End, or from the Southside to Maryhill or somewhere in the north of Glasgow by bike, almost totally on segregated routes. You can see the impact as I've never seen so many people on their bikes each day as I do now. Build it and they will come, basically. That's what happened in the Netherlands in the 70s. Before that, it was as car-centric as here or the USA. But once the networks were in place, people changed behaviour. It might not be for you, or everyone, but once you make it a safe, practical option, more people will cycle as their primary (or perhaps even secondary) mode of transport. That will then make life easier for people who need to drive, as there will be fewer drivers and single occupancy cars on the road. You need well connected cycle routes in all neighbourhoods, and importantly along main roads, to reach this tipping point though. The whole "cycling is middle class" thing baffles me. Around 50% of Glaswegians don't have a car, and they're not the well off folk. In the Netherlands, everyone cycles more or less. Are they all middle class?
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/syp4x1/sustainable_transport_future_mapped_out_for/hy32h11/
Created	Wed 23rd Feb 2022 10:32am
Status	normal ()

To be fair, cycling more than 1km would have been an absolute nightmare in Glasgow 10 years ago. I don't blame you for giving up.

With the improvements over the pandemic (soft segregation along new routes) we're closer to an actual network than ever before. Still massive gaps, and a lot of work to be done, but it's sort of possible to get from the East End to the West End, or from the Southside to Maryhill or somewhere in the north of Glasgow by bike, almost totally on segregated routes.

You can see the impact as I've never seen so many people on their bikes each day as I do now.

Build it and they will come, basically. That's what happened in the Netherlands in the 70s. Before that, it was as car-centric as here or the USA. But once the networks were in place, people changed behaviour.

It might not be for you, or everyone, but once you make it a safe, practical option, more people will cycle as their primary (or perhaps even secondary) mode of transport. That will then make life easier for people who *need* to drive, as there will be fewer drivers and single occupancy cars on the road.

You need well connected cycle routes in all neighbourhoods, and importantly along main roads, to reach this tipping point though.

The whole "cycling is middle class" thing baffles me. Around 50% of Glaswegians don't have a car, and they're not the well off folk. In the Netherlands, everyone cycles more or less. Are they all middle class?