Pedestrian Space on NYC’s 34th St
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Tricycle
Since the bicycle ancestors were created, bikes have evolved to make people life easier and funnier. Its adaptation capacity to the a priori problems most people have faced for ages has converted it into an extremely adaptable machine. Today I will talk about the tricycle.
A tricycle is a bicycle with three wheels. It has evolved in parallel with bicycles. It seems two French inventors developed a three-wheels vehicle powered by pedals and named it a tricycle back in 1789.
The third wheel is usually put in parallel to the rear wheel, although it also appears next to the front wheel in some tricycles . Why was it made up? To overcome the mobility problem some disabled people have had. Thanks to the extra wheel, one does not need to walk perfectly or have an absent vertigo. This fact makes even broader the importance of bike as a vehicle for everybody, the democratization of bikes. Moreover, the increment in stability in comparison to bicycles is favored by children and senior citizens. Furthermore, a tricycle is useful to carry weighted goods. The third point allows to better distribute the weight so that heavier merchandise can be carried. In addition, if a basket is incorporated to the bike, its power is multiplied.
On the other hand, tricycles are divided between cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight tricycles (for goods issues). Riders should pay special attention when cornering to avoid tipping the tricycle over as its lateral stability is not as good as it can look like.
The Case for Car-Free Central Park
Car-free Central Park
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.
L Train Shutdown means more biking
Bike Lanes by Casey Neistat
Neighboring fights (1/2)
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!