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"Finland sets national goal to increase number of trips made by bicycle to 30%"

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  1. chdot
    Admin

  2. paddyirish
    Member

    But they can't because its dark and cold and not like Amsterdam and Copenhagen and ...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Actually they haven't. If you read the source document you find that;

    Public transport’s share of moving Finns is presently around 8% while walking and bicycling amount to approximately 30%. At best, the shares of walking, bicycling and public transport in certain urban travels could reach well above 50%, which means that there is plenty of space for improvement.

    Which is possibly even woollier than the Scottish Government's vision, aspiration, dream, prayer, earnest entreaty.....

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. paddyirish
    Member

    Thanks to the paddy-in-laws who looked after mini– and micro-paddy, I had the opportunity to go to Finland on a jolly last week as Mrs Paddy was presenting a paper at a conference there. I was lucky enough to get a few different cycling experiences there.

    The first was in Helsinki, using their City Bike Scheme very similar in concept to Boris Bikes. Pay an up-front fee (€5 for a day or €10 for a week) and then ride as much as you like for free, provided you re-dock your bike every ½ hr. These were a great way to explore and to see the central city highlights.

    Helsinki has 1200km of cycle trails to choose from. All are floodlit and I assume, used for cross country skiing if winter conditions allow. Most streets have clearly demarked cycle and pedestrian paths built in on the pavement and then there are a large number of corridors which go through parks, or effectively entirely off road active travel corridors with lane markings which mean that you can get across town quickly without having to wait at lights. They weren’t resting on their laurels- cycle paths had their own” roadworks” with excellent and clearly marked diversions as they were upgrading the existing network. I saw 2 new “active travel only” bridges being built. One, that was already open between two islands near central Helsinki is a thing of beauty. The network was really well used and I am hopeful that they will meet the 30% active travel target mentioned above.

    In addition to cyclists, runners and pedestrians, I saw a number of roller-bladers and roller-skiers too. There was a wide range of interesting bikes- from bakfiets (the front compartment was full and the rider was carrying a violin), recumbents and several of what I can only describe as the cycling equivalent of a Harley.

    The next day I went to a wonderful bike shop (Bicyclean Helsinki) where the owner couldn’t be more helpful. I wanted to do a longer ride and he gave me a fantastic map showing all the trails in greater Helsinki and beyond. I followed (with a few navigational diversions) a scenic route path which first went East, then North and finally West of the city. The paths were still great and the initial part was following the coastal inlets, past some lovely housing. After about 20km I got out to wilder country in the archipelago, birch forests, rocky shorelines and loads of outdoor gym equipment.

    The Northern leg headed inland and took in lakes, rivers, 2 arboreta and a nature reserve and ended up in farmland- Finns have an equivalent of Highland cattle! Returned via the central park which took me all the way from the countryside to the North into the centre of town – a network of trails criss-crossing for what I can only assume would be cross-country skiing.

    Finally I had a quick jaunt out to Finland’s second city Espoo about 10km to the West round a coastal lagoon and across a couple of Islands, before hugging the coast back to my starting point.

    I reckon in ~100km I was 10% on road, 20 % on tarmac cycle paths, 30% on dirt and 40% on gravel and I was pleased with my choice of hybrid. About ¾ of the route was following some form of water (sea, lake or river) and I encountered loads of Finns outdoors, - some in massive allotments – hidden in forests out of town they are very keen foragers and it was blueberry and chanterelle season, about a dozen primary school classes out for field trips. Definitely a feel -good trip.

    On return to Bicyclean, I had a further chat with the proprietor- he’d had a hard summer and was going to have to offer something different as the city bikes had hit his business hard- perhaps an unintended consequence. The service was second to none and I really hope that he comes up with something good.

    The final hire was in Jyvaskula, a University town in the Lake District about 3-4hrs North of Helsinki. A hotel bike hire on a grey day allowed me to go round the lake (a 12km fully lit cycle and pedestrian path) and to explore the town. Again the infrastructure was great and people were using it.

    All in all, a hugely positive experience and the infrastructure model I hope that we can aspire to in Edinburgh

    Posted 6 years ago #
  5. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @paddyirish

    Yeah, but that could never happen in Scotland.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  6. Stickman
    Member

    Can't happen because Edinburgh is colder than Helsinki.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  7. Frenchy
    Member

    That sounds amazing.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  8. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Can't happen because Edinburgh is colder than Helsinki.

    And further north. And deeper under the sea.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  9. crowriver
    Member

    Also we have hills so it's a non-starter.

    Edinburgh (and especially its hinterland) is full of people who can't imagine life without driving their cars on every possible occasion. That's the real problem.

    Oh and thanks paddyirish for describing our collective dream.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  10. unhurt
    Member

    I do wonder how people imagine humans moved around hilly, damp, cold cities before "everyone" had access to a horseless carriage. Cowered in their homes and starved because the market/ale-house/smithy was UP A HILL and it was RAINING?

    @paddyirish - thanks for the write-up! (Maybe we need a "what (cycling infrastructure) I did experienced on my holidays" thread to corral stuff like this in one place?)

    Posted 6 years ago #
  11. gembo
    Member

    @paddyirish sounds lovely. Do the Finns tax vehicle drivers directly to pay for the infra or is it just that taxation is high enough to pay for things?

    People in Edinburgh love driving their cars. Though a lot of the traffic at rush hour is from Fife, west Lothian, east and mid Lothian. Edinburgh must be at the top or close to the top of the list of world capital cities where a car is completely unnecessary. Great public transport which is very reasonably priced, very compact city, comparatively little rainfall.

    Different in rural Scotland but maybe electric bikes? I was bombing down hill into mauchline in darkest Ayrshire and gave a friendly wave to chap coming up the hill (quite rural) on his shop mobility vehicle. The widow of the former head of NTS
    Bombs around Balerno on her two shop mobility vehicles, her on road one and her off road one, she is very ancient. But has had her Irn Bru. So we can do this.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I do wonder how people imagine humans moved around hilly, damp, cold cities before "everyone" had access to a horseless carriage.

    Robert Louis Stevenson famously walked from Swanston to Old College every day.

    Still not sure if despair, hope or anger is the correct response to @paddyirish's fantastic post. Fully support and second 'Today's overseas infrastructure and outdoors culture....' thread.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  13. paddyirish
    Member

    Fully support and second 'Today's overseas infrastructure and outdoors culture....' thread.

    Now, started here

    Would be great to see others' thoughts on different destinations.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  14. PS
    Member

    Robert Louis Stevenson famously walked from Swanston to Old College every day.

    I'm sure my Scottish History professor told me that back in the day Edinburgh's washerwomen used to live in Musselburgh and would walk in and out every day.

    Of course, the more people got used to the concept of walking and cycling up these formidable gradients the easier they'd seem and the healthier everyone would become.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  15. Stickman
    Member

    Of course, the more people got used to the concept of walking and cycling up these formidable gradients the easier they'd seem and the healthier everyone would become.

    We recently had relatives visiting from Canada. They are reasonably fit but were struggling waking up the Mound and Royal Mile. They just weren't used to walking up hills.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  16. gembo
    Member

    @iwrats, think Heriot row was the family's home and swans ton was a summer cottage possibly from 1867 to 1880 but that is just like my opinion man

    I don't doubt he walked from swanston to old college, popping in to rutherford's for a half with JM Barrie ( now called Hispaniola boo)

    @stickman, my kiwi relly's who claim to be Australians hated the hills in Edinburgh, partic the mound and steps. Also described our sofa as over stuffed, how very dare they

    Posted 6 years ago #
  17. crowriver
    Member

    Folk are usually astounded to learn that No.1 son (12 years old) walks to school (nearly) every day*, from Abbeyhill to the Meadows. Most days he also walks back the way. I often remark that well, he is quite tall for his age and has long legs, just to make them feel better about their shock.

    It's a sad reflection of today's society when walking to a point 2.5 to 3 miles away (depending on exact route) is seen as "too far".

    * - except Fridays when he lugs a cello onto LB's finest.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  18. Stickman
    Member

    The Four Yorkshiremen sketch, but for walking...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  19. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @iwrats, think Heriot row was the family's home

    Then I'm going to double down on the fish wifies of Macduff walking to Turrif with a creel of herring every day.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  20. Min
    Member

    Walter Scott used to walk to the likes of Roslin or Prestonpans, have his breakfast and walk back. And he was lame. I would like to try the Roslin one some time but the route is carmageddon now.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  21. jdanielp
    Member

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Player

    Posted 6 years ago #
  22. Frenchy
    Member

    Fan an far's at photae fae, @IWRATS?

    Macduff tae Turra is aboot 10 mile (each wey). Twelve mile if ye were tae follae NCN 1 alang i Divrin.

    EDIT: "Far's it fae" as in, far did ye find it?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  23. paddyirish
    Member

    @jdanielp

    ever since we knew we were going, Mrs Paddy and I have been singing that. Had to be very careful when there, but I do admit to humming it while riding.

    Now micropaddy knows most of the words...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  24. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Eh, I dinna richt ken, Frenchy ma loon. I jist got in a richt fankle fan yon gembo cheel wis sayin that Louis nivir bade in Swanston an I thocht he did like, ken?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  25. Frenchy
    Member

    Nae bather.

    Posted 6 years ago #

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