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Desire Paths @sh.itjust.works

Arthur Besse @lemmy.ml

4mo ago

municipal capitulation to desire

24 comments

With the rise of cargo bikes these speed breaks are not usable anymore. They are often too tight for cargo bikes, and the ones that aren't dont reduce the speed of normal bikes, which are still 80%+ of the bikes.
- they weren't even remotely acceptable in the first place, they're basically just a big sign telling people with mobility aids that they don't deserve to go places.
  it's a blitheringly stupid way to slow people down, worse even than how stop signs are used like magical wards to make roads "safe"
  
  What’s your preferred alternative?
- There's a couple of these on a trail near me, and although the bollards can just be pulled out of the ground, they used to be padlocked.
  Some people who use cargo bikes to shop couldn't get through, so the city removed the locks.
  The bollards are still there, but if you need to get through you can just lift it out, mosey on by, and then replace it. The middle one is made out of hollow aluminum I think, so it's a lot lighter than the other solid steel ones. You can still lift those out, just not one handed.
  Up until then, the cargo bikes were just hopping off the trail and cycling along next to the trail on the other side of the fence, which was only about 200-300ft long on either side of the bollards.

I know this one! (52.4962055, 13.4652582)
It’s on a slope leading towards a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. It serves to slow down cyclists coming downhill from the bridge.
- Well, that makes a bit more sense, but they should really just turn this whole thing into a proper kink instead of having two separate paths through the barriers.
- So basically it makes cycling energy management less efficient? Is there a point to that?
  
  Well, you know how cyclists complain about cars blocking or speeding on their parts of the street? Same goes for pedestrians and cyclists because people being assholes isn't dependent on their type of vehicle. That's why you have to slow down even bikes sometimes.
  
  Yes, so that they don’t run into the pedestrians and traffic on the next street with high speed.

Kinda looks like the curb is part of the path originally but is mostly overgrown except for this bit because of the foot/cycle traffic.

lol that is awesome. Are you sure it's from the municipality and not some diy job?

Become ungovernable

I don't think this counts. The side area seems to be paved or gravel, it's not going anywhere new. It's just over grown except for where more people are walking, but in general everyone is still on the pathway laid out, rather than going anywhere new they desire.
... they're just choosing to take the far right side of a pre established walking track. So the designers got their assumptions right.

24 comments