Comments on: Why Belgium does it better (part 2) http://cyclinginottawa.ca/2008/10/05/why-belgium-does-it-better-part-2/ Watching bike and transportation issues in the National Capital Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:50:27 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: jac http://cyclinginottawa.ca/2008/10/05/why-belgium-does-it-better-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1006 jac Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:27:20 +0000 http://cyclinginottawa.ca/?p=98#comment-1006 "It’s this culture that explains why Belgium does it so much better." Agree! I've never been, but I hear about it. Heck, even a so called 3rd world country (Costa Rica) does it better. I just take a look at the mess we made of Canada over the past 400 years and our rush rush mentality without much thought about anything but prosperity... No wonder why the automobile won the glorification that it has. It's very very well protected and subsidized. What people don't realize is the environmental, social and economic long term costs. Until we see that in the pocket book. people will not change. The bike is seen as a "toy" in the Americas. Not seen as a viable means of transportation. billions upon billions are handed out to find new forms of alternative energy for our "lazy" like ways of pushing our flesh around from A to B. Yet, there is very very little funding to cycling. A true form of alternative transportation. Shhhhhh... don't tell the politicians that... “It’s this culture that explains why Belgium does it so much better.”

Agree! I’ve never been, but I hear about it.
Heck, even a so called 3rd world country (Costa Rica) does it better.

I just take a look at the mess we made of Canada over the past 400 years and our rush rush mentality without much thought about anything but prosperity…
No wonder why the automobile won the glorification that it has.
It’s very very well protected and subsidized.

What people don’t realize is the environmental, social and economic long term costs.
Until we see that in the pocket book. people will not change.

The bike is seen as a “toy” in the Americas.
Not seen as a viable means of transportation.
billions upon billions are handed out to find new forms of alternative energy for our “lazy” like ways of pushing our flesh around from A to B.
Yet, there is very very little funding to cycling. A true form of alternative transportation.
Shhhhhh… don’t tell the politicians that…

]]> By: Bikerick http://cyclinginottawa.ca/2008/10/05/why-belgium-does-it-better-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-954 Bikerick Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:01:45 +0000 http://cyclinginottawa.ca/?p=98#comment-954 One of the things I noticed and admired (and envied!) when I biked in Holland a few years ago was the pervasive bike mentality and the extensive network of trails there. I think the biggest reasons for that is a) they (Europe) have less over all space, and consequently look to smaller solutions (i.e. pedal and motor bikes over cars, and small cars over larger); b) as you note, the cities/towns/villages are closer together over a more extensive area, leading to economies of scale in creating that network; and c) most importantly,they have a milder climate than we have here in most of Canada, including earlier springs and later falls. So I don't see that happening here soon... but it sure would be nice! One of the things I noticed and admired (and envied!) when I biked in Holland a few years ago was the pervasive bike mentality and the extensive network of trails there. I think the biggest reasons for that is a) they (Europe) have less over all space, and consequently look to smaller solutions (i.e. pedal and motor bikes over cars, and small cars over larger); b) as you note, the cities/towns/villages are closer together over a more extensive area, leading to economies of scale in creating that network; and c) most importantly,they have a milder climate than we have here in most of Canada, including earlier springs and later falls. So I don’t see that happening here soon… but it sure would be nice!

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