Cycle tracks that come to you as you go What is it that makes the Danes cycle so much? Part of it is a coherent network of cycle tracks that enable cyclists to move around in a swift and safe manner.
By Lars Gemzøe, Gehl Architects Cycling must be the easy choice A fundamental trait of the Danish cycle culture is that people who cycle experience a long list of advantages in their daily activities. It is, quite simply, easier to move around the cities by bike than by any other means of transport; in addition, with a bicycle almost anybody can be mobile of their own accord from childhood to old age. Cyclists can run errands on the way to their destinations, and can stop and talk to others without any problems. No one needs to drive their children to school or after-school activities, because they can get there on their own. In effect, the Danes cycle across their differences in age and income. The network is the key The background for all this delightful everyday cycling is that over many years a fine-meshed network of cycle tracks has been constructed along with other measures that prioritise bicycles. It is all easy to use, and cycle tracks aren’t something you need to look for: They come to you as you go. Perhaps the journey begins in a traffic-calmed residential area where bicycles and cars share the space and move at low speed. The trip continues through a high street, and a cycle track appears, giving comfort and safety as the journey continues. One takes a short cut through a one-way street where bicycles are allowed in both directions. At the next big intersection, cyclists get 5-6 seconds of green time before the motorists, so they can move swiftly and safely across the intersection.
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The raised and curbed cycle protected by teh parked cars has become known as the Danish model or Copenhagen-style cycle tracks. hoto: Super Cycle Highwas Secreatriat, Capital Region of Denmark.
The Danish model The advantage of the Danish model is that the cycle tracks are part of a simple and user-friendly system, where the municipality can easily add or extend cycle tracks according to need. The typical cycle track is designed to be the same in its position in the street profile from one street to the next. First comes the footpath with its own curb; on the outside of this is the cycle track also with its own curb; then, the parked cars, followed by the moving traffic. This is the formula of the ”Copenhagen style cycle tracks”, which in recent years have served as an inspiration to both New York and Melbourne, Australia. The cyclists feel safe and have the feel of an invitation-only audience on the cycle tracks because they are segregated from the traffic lanes by a curb. Surveys of the cycle tracks in Copenhagen from the 1970s to after
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the turn of the millennium show that every time the municipality has established a cycle track, the number of cyclists in that street increased by 18-20%, and the number of cars fell by 9-10%. Cycle lanes that were marked with a white stripe on the asphalt in the same placement as the cycle track had no effect on the number of cars,
but still resulted in a 5-7% increase in the number of cyclists. During the last ten years, the number of people who cycle in Copenhagen has almost doubled while the number of serious accidents has been cut in half. No wonder the citizens are happy about their cycle tracks—and that the outside world finds them inspiring!
The Danish model. Illustration: Gehl Architects
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無論你到那裡，自行車道就跟到那裡 是什麼原因造成了丹麥人對自行車有大量需求? 一部份原因是因為丹麥的自行車道是一 個循 環式和連貫性的系統，這讓騎士能夠安全、方便、簡單又快速的移動位置。
在車道和自行車道間停放車量，主要是對自行車騎士的保護，這個就是大家所知的丹麥模式和哥本 哈根式的自行車道。 照片: 高級自行車道辦公室 , 首都丹麥
根據 建築師 拉爾斯.吉姆松，蓋爾
騎自行車必須是簡單的 選擇 一個最基本的特點是，人們從騎 自行車的經驗裡，發現了騎自行車 活動，對日常生活中帶來極大的效 益。自行車是非常的輕便，且比其 他的交通工具更容易在城市裡穿梭 自如。此外，自行車可提供任何人 及所有年齡層使用，騎自行車除了 可以到達目的地外，也可以在沒有 困擾的情況下，半途停下來並與人 交談。 人們不需要接送他們的孩童 上下課，因為學童們可以騎他們自 己的自行車上學去。實際上，丹麥 人騎單車並沒有年齡上或是經濟收 入上的差別。
線路網是首要關鍵 對於能夠每天方便愉快的騎單 車，其最主要原因在於自行車道的 系統已經建立非常久遠，而它的措 施和結構都是以自行車為優先。它 的使用上是非常的簡單方便，不需 要去尋找自行車道，而是，在你找 到它們之前，它們已經在你身邊。 在一天的行程開始於一個自行車 和汽車低速交通並共享的平靜住宅 區， 當行逞繼續前進時，會穿越街 道和大馬路，也會遇到自行車的阻 塞，而另人安心舒適的自行車行程 還是依然持續著。 騎捷徑會穿越 汽車單行道，但自行車道通常是可 以雙向行駛的，而在下一個大馬路 口，綠燈時在汽車駕駛之前，騎單 車的人通常會有 5 – 6 秒的時間， 可以迅速並安全的越過大馬路的 交叉點。
丹麥模式 自行車道是一個既方便簡單又 好用的系統，市政府也可以在需求 下，簡單並快速的擴展增加其需 求, 這就是丹麥模式的優點。 典型 自行車道的設計，是從一個街道到 下一個街道的位置都是相同的，首 先是路邊的人行道，然後人行道外 cycling-embassy.org
是自行車道，再來是停車格，接著 是汽車行車道。這就是所謂 ”哥本 哈根式的自行車道”，這也是最近 這幾年紐約和澳大利亞墨爾本靈感 的來源。因為自行車道和車道是隔 離的，這也讓騎自行車的人在自行 車道上有安全感，同時也感覺是被 尊重的。 從20世紀70年代到世紀之交後， 在哥本哈根舉行的自行車車道的調 查，從騎自行車的數量來看，顯示 市政府已經建立了一個循環的自行 車道，而街道的自行車量也增加了 18 - 20%、汽車量減少了9 – 10%。 在同位置的自行車道上標示有白色 的條紋作為自行車道使用的地方， 對汽車的數量並沒有影響，但相對 造成騎單車人的數量增加了5-7%。
丹麥模式，插圖: 建築師 蓋爾
在過去十年裡，哥本哈根騎自行 車的人數增加了一倍，而嚴重交通 事故的數量也降底了一半。這也難 怪市民們非常滿意他們的自行車道 – 同時這也讓外界感到了新奇感。
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