http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Cars 'still dominate commute to work' en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:16:26 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135267 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 14:43:54 +0000 crowriver 135267@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Very good history of LA's public transit system here which argues the willingness of property developers to contribute to infrastructure was the predominant factor, something that resonates today.</p> <p><a href="http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/pedemise.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/pedemise.htm</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135263 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 14:24:16 +0000 steveo 135263@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That should be comnon knowledge for anyone who's ever watched Roger Rabbit. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135261 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 14:23:32 +0000 crowriver 135261@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"8.2 For short journeys most people chose to walk or take the car. For journeys under 1km, 97% use these modes (68% walk and 29% use the car) note that some of these short journeys, particulary those made by car will be as part of another journey eg dropping a child of at school on the way to work. For journeys of 1 to 2kms, 31% walk and 57% use the car. 8% use the bus. "</p> <p>There's a <strike>damning indictment of people's laziness</strike> demonstration of the convenience and safety of the motoring lifestyle.</p> <p><a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j285661-08.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j285661-08.htm</a></p> <p>Here's the modal share breakdown by distance travelled in more detail:</p> <p><a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j285661-13.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j285661-13.htm</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135259 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 14:13:24 +0000 crowriver 135259@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The irony is that Los Angeles was not designed around the motor vehicle originally. It used to boast one of the best tram (streetcar) systems in the world. While people disagree on whether any single reason led to the demise of this network, the economic interests of motor vehicle manufacturers were certainly a factor.</p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135246 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 13:42:54 +0000 neddie 135246@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Cities designed around the car tend to be pretty awful places, example: LA.</p> <p>LA is simply a collection of generic strip malls spread over the size of Wales. You can only tell that you've left one suburb and entered the next when the burger chains, gas stations and 7 elevens start repeating themselves... Awful place </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135245 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 13:31:58 +0000 Instography 135245@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>No change. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135242 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 13:10:18 +0000 Instography 135242@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Irritating that they haven't published journey purpose by mode. That would have shown if there was any change from the 70% of journeys to or from work where the respondent was the driver or a passenger in a car. I'll see if I can track it down.</p> <p>Also, treat the SHS 'distance' measures with a bit of caution. They are crow-flies, straight-line measures between two grid references rather than road distances. Makes a big difference to journeys from say, Dalgety Bay to Edinburgh. SHS has people flying over the Forth rather than trekking round and over the bridge. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135238 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:46:11 +0000 slowcoach 135238@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j285661-00.htm">Scottish Household Survey: Travel Diary 2012</a> was published last week.<br /> Commuting is given as about one-quarter of travel with three-quarters being for other purposes. For all trips by car the median was less than 3km, with a mean distance of about 6.5km. <a href="http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/SHS-Transport-local-Area-Analysis-2012-Webtables-November-2013.pdf">Local data</a> is also available. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135229 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:52:37 +0000 wingpig 135229@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@amir +n.</p> <p><blockquote><em>"- use of limited resources, including fossil fuels"</em></blockquote></p> <p>The physical space available on the street could also be considered a limited resource. Fewer cars being squeezed through the same narrow channels at the same time would hopefully result in less pandering to them at road-planning time, hopefully resulting in less insistence on multi-lane traffic-flow-worshipping systems. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135228 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:48:51 +0000 Morningsider 135228@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>twq - if I remember rightly, an HGV is roughly 50,000 times more damaging to a road surface than the average car.</p> <p>The most interesting point of the report for me is that the average car commute is 10 miles each way. A fairly long cycle commute, but many people would be able to manage this - along with those who commute much shorter distances by car. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135227 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:33:51 +0000 twq 135227@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not to mention damaging MY cycle tracks (roads).<br /> I'm not sure of the relative damage from cars vs. buses and trucks, the heavier vehicles are probably more to blame. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135222 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:19:12 +0000 PS 135222@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>We need to think of pollution beyond the normal "fumes/air quality" angle. Motor vehicles pollute the urban environment in many ways: noise, visual, space... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135221 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:18:06 +0000 fimm 135221@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@amir +3</p> <p>The minute I saw the words "report by the RAC Foundation" I knew what was coming... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135218 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:09:19 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 135218@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@amir</p> <p>+2</p> <p>The local pollution is the biggy for me. Basically fewer cars = nicer city, in terms of nicer air, less noise, easier to walk about. Simple as. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135217 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:05:14 +0000 chdot 135217@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@ Amir</p> <p>+ 1</p> <p>(Longer lists are available! But that's a pretty good summary.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135215 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:01:44 +0000 amir 135215@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"So long as they are not trying to kill me they can get to work however they like. "</p> <p>I'd prefer it if the numbers were reduced. Reasons:</p> <p>- global pollution<br /> - local pollution &amp; related health problems<br /> - costs of dealing with inactive populations<br /> - motoring is a major cause of injuries and deaths<br /> - use of limited resources, including fossil fuels </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135212 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 10:58:34 +0000 MeepMeep 135212@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>So the message from all this then? </p> <p>Despite all the talk of HS2 high-speed trains and bikes and working from home, most people drive to work. And that's not going to change any time soon.</em></p> <p>What a thoroughly depressing way to end an article. I'm not entirely sure what the writer was trying achieve with it? A rallying (no pun intended) call-to-arms to the much-put-upon motorist commuter? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135210 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 10:49:19 +0000 Baldcyclist 135210@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Doesn't really matter to me how many people are driving to work, let them. So long as they are not trying to kill me they can get to work however they like. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135197 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 09:35:53 +0000 chdot 135197@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>From "related link" on that page -</p> <p>"</p> <p>One in five cyclists in London say they have stopped cycling to work following the recent deaths on the capital's roads, a poll for BBC London has found. </p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25176031" rel="nofollow">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25176031</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135196 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 09:27:54 +0000 Min 135196@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Cycling sits below that, with 762,334 people biking to the office. </em><br /> 100% cyclists work in an office? Even me? Wow, that is a pretty amazing statistic. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11767#post-135195 Mon, 02 Dec 2013 09:19:36 +0000 amir 135195@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25175752">The vast majority of people in England and Wales still commute to work by car, according to a new report.</a></p> <p>Doh!</p> <p>Depressing conclusions though - that we might as well support that in policy by helping out those poor motorists and that nothing is going to change soon. Lacking in foresight? </p>