Category Archives: Valencia

Neighboring fights (2/2)

Continuing with the neighboring fights, there are some that do not center on specific actions such as changing an avenue or buddying a railroad track. They look for a complete improvement in broader areas like the whole city. Given the dimension of the target, multiple actions are needed. In this second post on this topic, I am going to talk about Valencia camina (Valencia walks) and the 8-80 platform in Pamplona.

Valencia camina (http://arquitecturia.org/valenciacamina , in Spanish) was born in February 2018 as a shout from pedestrians against what negatively interfere in the day-to-day movements. You know, lots of architectural barriers, crosses with poor visibility, nonsense routes (for example the need to go from point A to point B in a straight line instead of walking in a U because of the bad urban development), etc. They claim for more safety, universal accessibility, school paths, zero vision (zero accidents), walking paths quality, streets with vegetables, noise control, pollution control, secure road surface, bus stops according to the pedestrian paths, etc. They collaborate to the European FLOW project (Furthering Less Congestion by Creating Opportunities For More Walking and Cycling) with the aim of putting walking and biking on the fair base with the motor-based ways of transport as a solution to jam among others (http://h2020-flow.eu/about/overview/). In a few words, they look for a more human city.

Similarly as above, the 8/80 platform in Pamplona started as a group of people demanding improvements in their lives. They have criticized laws which discriminate the use of bicycle or worsen pedestrian walkings. Furthermore, they publish a piece of news every time a pedestrian is killed in a car accident, denounce dangerous crossings and support bike vindications. This movement was imported from Canada (https://www.880cities.org) with the goal of improving the quality of life for people by bringing citizens together to enhance mobility and public space so that together can be created more vibrant, healthy and equitable communities.

Neighboring fights (1/2)

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City developments at several levels affect the neighbors lives. Sometimes it produces clashes as people protest against them. Lost of quality life, social problems, price increment in common supplies, noise, pollution, all these elements can angry persons and as a result they tend to rebel. Well not in all cases. Fortunately, there are brave people who claim against what they hate and take actions in order to try to solve what upset them. Most of the negative elements of cities development is related to the misunderstander of urban development just for a few. In such cases, politicians and friends benefit from new infrastructures which harm neighbors lives.

In Spain there are a lot of such examples and the neighbors fights. Just to name a few, we have the association against the tunnel in the Pérez Galdós avenue in Valencia and the platform for the railroad track buddying in Murcia. Both share a common desire: Change the city infrastructures which bother them.

The association against the tunnel in the Pérez Galdós avenue (http://www.fueratunelperezgaldos.com, in Spanish) claims for adapting the road to the XXI century. At the time I am writing this post, it is a long avenue without trees or plants, with minute sidewalks, 4 car lines per direction and car accidents are common since the speed limits are not respected. Moreover, it has an uncovered tunnel from which noise and pollution contribute to make this avenue an undesired place. What the association claims is to broaden sidewalks, plant trees, put a bike line, close the tunnel, force to fulfill the speed limit and reduce the car use in that area. If they finally achieve them, surely Valencia will be better.

The platform for the railroad track buddying (http://www.soterramientomurcia.es, in Spanish) has been fighting for 30 years. They protest against the railroad which divide the city into two parts every month. By buddying the railroad track, Murcia would be again only one city. They organized a protest in this city and more than 50.000 people support them. They have the people backing but politicians again do not hear them. A national agreement was signed back in the 2000s before the crisis. In this official document between the Spanish government and the local one, the national government compromised to pay the railroad track buddying. But the reality has turn its back to Murcia. As time went by, the option to solve this problem remains remote. Nevertheless, thanks to the official signature the case is in court. You can see how idiot some politicians are. If justice exists, the Murcian platform for the railroad track buddying will not make sense as its claim will have been reached. Better later than never!

A damned curve

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Shared streets between bikes and pedestrians are usually problematic. Distractions or lack of awareness are common causes for accidents. I talked about why bike-lines should not be on sidewalks without a physical barrier to make it clear on what part pedestrians walk and on what zone bicycles should ride. The height of hypocrisy is highlighted in situations like this:

On the photo one can see a shared sidewalk (blue signal) which is itself a potential cause of accident and the awful route with the corner with no visibility whatsoever. If this was a street only for pedestrians or in other words bikes do not ride on it, it would be right. But the moment somebody decided bikes should invade this space, a potential chaos can be done. In addition, the avenue next to it has four car lines for each direction. The solution here would be creating a bike-line by transforming one car line. This way every actor in the scene (pedestrians, bikes and cars) would have its own space physically separated so that accidents would be virtually zero.

The European Mobility Week

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The European Mobility Week started improving the sustainable movement in cities transportation. The European Commission created this event to give citizens alternatives to the use of cars in cities. Today, more than 2,312 cities from 48 countries follow this annual event and carry on with at least 551 mobility actions with the aim of promoting clean mobility. In addition, the European Mobility Week awards cities which have been doing a great effort to the path of sustainable mobility.

It also offers advices on how to cheer up green mobility in cities through European cities and beyond experiences in its Best Practice Guide in the 2017 edition. On the other hand, if you are a local authority, it is a good idea checking this handbook (http://www.mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2017/2017_EMW_Handbook.pdf), whereas if you want to organize a campaign or just want to be enlighten, have a look at the Thematic guidelines. The circle is closed as local authorities are encouraged to use it to test new transport measures and give back opinions from citizens. Local stakeholders can then discuss the different aspects of mobility and air quality, discover synergies and innovate solutions to reduce car-use and emissions, hence improving citizens health. Thus, actions aim at giving opportunities to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

For now, let’s see a practical example. During the 2017 European Mobility Week in Valencia, the city experienced a positive impact on green mobility. A specific magazine was edited with news and pieces of information. Among the activities, there was the Mobility Fair in the city hall square in which everybody could check alternatives to the more pollutant car mobility. On the Tuesday, the Children city was an event in which children were shown the surrounding of their schools and they symbolically penalize unsupportive, antisocial actions regarding mobility. This way, children are taught to recognize the positive actions instead of the harmful ones. Next, a workshop was done in which neighbors valued the urban public space and detected changing opportunity in order to improve the neighborhoods mobility. Moreover, engineers organized a meeting to discuss issues which linked mobility to road safety. Furthermore, the new app for the public bus system was presented. Besides, a film series and concerts were played each with focus on mobility. Finally, the Bike day took place in which more than 10,000 rode together to claim for the green mobility.

The XV Iberian Congress: Activities

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As I recently talked about, the XV Iberian Congress about urban biking is one of the most important events which will take place in Valencia the next May. The city will vibrate with this international meeting and the organization guarantees 5 days of intense, high-instructive, deep-learning experience. If you want to register for the activities, you have to fill in the congress page (only in Spanish at the moment I write this post).

What about the activities? All the five days will be plenty of activities. On the 16^th May a riding on Valencia will happen and Morten Kabell, Copenhagenize General Manager, will open the congress with the speech Bicycle and city. From Thursday 17^th to Saturday 20^th May, an impressive amount of activities will take place in three different locations. Round tables, speeches, discussion boards and presentations will delight the attendees, and participants will shared ideas and connections. Mobilities and genre, politics, European funding regarding bike infrastructures, logistics, digital tools for sustainable mobility, how to evaluate the quality politics in the urban cycling design, social benefits, technical route in Valencia, the bike tourim development, bike and children, the Bike Equity net, mass media and bikes, the bike logistics evolution, health and mobility, intermodality, citizen sponsorship, working with bikes, air quality measuring, urban transformation and neighbor struggle, … are some themes which will be treated in these days. Routes and parties will also be enjoyed. The closing event will be carried out by Lake Sagaris.

IMPORTANT: Plan in advance after checking the congress program as most activities are determined in parallel. Thus, it is impossible to assist to all of it.

Moreover, the third Cyclist Women Meeting will be a reality on Saturday and Sunday. Women will enjoy several workshops from secure traffic to bike mechanics at all levels, and two ridings: BTT and road riding. All these events are exclusive for women, so men are forbidden here.

Finally, a riding in the vegetable garden, one of the treasures of Valencia, is planned on Sunday morning, whereas the Con bici (the supra Spanish association regarding urban biking) assembly will say good bye to these extremely, emotional, passionate, full of bikeholics and fun days, period.

Flowerpots to increase quality of life

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The use of flowerpots is a clear example of what is called “a soft pedestrianization”. Soft because its impact is low, does not require complex constructions and the cost is minimum. Moreover, it allows bikes to cross between them always having in mind that pedestrians should be respected in these pedestrian areas. By respecting them I mean biking at low speed and letting them be. Otherwise the cohabitation is difficult. Moreover, think about the pyramid I proposed some time ago.

We have seen its use in several cities like in the photos bellow.

The XV Iberian Congress

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Every year the Iberian Congress takes place in a different city. Vitoria-Gasteiz, Lisbon, Malaga, Vila-Nova de Gaia and Zaragoza organized it from 2012, and this years it is the turn to Valencia from the 16^th to 20^th May. This international congress encompasses projects and initiatives related to urban bicycle. The official slogan for this edition is Everybody counts towards the friendly city. The congress aims at supporting the cultural transformation towards the paradigm change which see the city in a new, healthy and sustainable way. It has four “friendly axis” as thematic blocks:

The city within everybody grasp: It considers bikes from a day-to-day perspective and several themes are treated such as:
- Bicycle and genre
- Disable people mobility
- Children autonomy and bikes
- Riding to work, school, university, market center, etc.
- Bicycles and intergenerational and intercultural relationships
Bike is cooler: It focuses on the subjects:
- Bicycle and health
- Bike-economy
- Social benefits and bicycle
- Environmental benefits
Bicycle challenges: With the specific purposes of:
- Education to improve bicycle use
- Communication, promotion and biking
- Laws and bicycle
- Other bike modality (road cycling and mountain biking)
- Intermodality (bike plus public transport)
Shared cities: With special attention to:
- Urban planning and participation into the public area
- Politics to the City for everybody
- Politics to the bike use improvement

Two more events will take place in parallel to the Iberian Congress: The III Cyclist Women Meeting and the II Bicifest. The Cyclist Women Meeting will take place on 19^th and 20^th May. Its main purpose is to visibilise their needs, rights and spaces in society as it has coincided with the bicycle evolution through history, as well as reducing the gender gap.

On the other hand, the Bicifest (a local bicycle big event from 18^th to 20^th May) will consist in a lot of activities opened to the general public in order to bring the world of cycling to each of the city corners and its metropolitan, ciclable area.

You will have more information in the coming future.

Visca el carrer (Long live street in Valencian)

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I went to an interesting exhibition about cities development in Valencia, Spain, last January. The first part dealt with the conflicts between personal interests among the different actors in the cities regarding mobility, and why dialogue is essential to overcome them. Common claims such as I want to walk on the streets without fear, Children need to play on streets, What about disabled people, I want to sleep at nights (referring to those people living at nightlife areas), etc. were treated.

In the second part specific changes in several cities to improve sustainability and prioritize the more human ways of transport from the bicycle to the public transport, and among all making cities for people were shown. From this, I discover urb-i on which you can find at least 3,300 real examples of this kind of actions. Then, the memory of Jane Jacobs was highlighted as a clear pioneer in the study of cities from the anthropological point of view. Derived from this, I watched an extremely interesting documentary which can be free accessed at www.lifebetweenbuildingsfilm.org. I strongly recommend it.

Finally, a series of pictures and short texts explained the evolution of Valencia in the last century. To sum it up, at the beginning of the 19^th century most of the city surface was used mainly by pedestrians. Moreover, there were some chariots to carry goods. In the 30’s, cars appeared as a distinction symbol, but in the 60’s and as more people had one, the concept of car = status symbol disappeared. As time went by, the car lobby invested (and still does) huge figures in marketing and most of citizens entrapped in the circle. The end of the time series was dedicated to the present actions to improve sustainable mobility and how perhaps the future will be. I am sure the history of urban mobility is similar to the Valencian.

Much more than a wheel chair

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Have you ever thought whether or not a disabled person can ride a bike? And if so, how would they do it? People in wheel chairs have it easy. The handbike or handcycle is a special vehicle in which a component is hooked to the wheel chair to form machine with three wheels in total. It moves by the force of the arms. Basically, it uses the same mechanism as a bicycle, but allows users to move further than just using a wheel chair. Nevertheless and for safety, streets and paths must be adapted similarly as it was a wheel chair. This new experience makes users enjoy all the bicycles benefits such as sport, environment, happiness and so on. Indeed, there are groups which cooperate to benefit themselves. One of them is the Club Tres Rodes Aspaym in Valencia (Three Wheels Group in English), the first in Spain. They enjoy their handbikes, promote social inclusion, prepare routes once a month, participate in activities and defend its reason. They are inspiring leaders.

Infamous laws

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Laws are written by politicians. Politicians do not need to know about everything to develop their job and advisors with specific knowledge help them. Sometimes malfunctions happen. This is the case when one tries to understand controversial laws. One of them is the Valencian mobility law. The implementing regulation has several nonsenses when comparing the treat on bikes and cars. Just one example. Driving a car at 70 km/h (43.5 mph) in a street with speed limit 50 km/h (31.07 mph) is fined with 100€. The same amount is fined to a cyclist riding a bike without bell. The preposterous sum is discredited if you think about the potential consequences of both actions. On the one hand, driving a car at 70 km/h can cause a fatal accident with deaths, injured people and material damages. On the other hand, lacking a bell is substituted by shouting in order to avoid a crash. Again, bad laws are present in every country and absurd laws should also be banished.