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#1
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More Paris Cycling - Along Southern Rim
So I finally returned Behemoth to her dealer last Friday for her
contrôle technique. This was a major project involving a trip with her on the RER (suburban train) up to the Cité Universitaire stop (the first stop in Paris intramuros when arriving from the South) and then a 7 km cycling cruise westwards from there up to Auteuil. My only previous experience of cycling Paris had been when I bought Bethie in November. But that trip was the other way - eastward down rue de la Convention and rue Vaugirard up to Luxembourg station. A quick look at the map revealed that this route could not be used to return. The cycling map also revealed a mysterious dotted line along the streets - boulevards Brune, Lefebvre and Martial Valin, - that I wanted to take for Friday's voyage. The key said "réseau à l'étude", cycling path nework under study. So does that mean cycling yes or no? An item on the local news a few weeks ago then came to mind. Mayor Delanoe had ordered removal of a number of fine ancient trees in the 15th Arrondissement to accommodate a proposed cycling path. Inhabitants of the neighborhood were demonstrating against cyclists, with banners showing a barred-through bike. Motorists too were protesting that the road was already too narrow for them without the cycling lanes and that delivery trucks, etc. would no longer be able to stop in front of shops. Spokespeople for the Mayor were claiming that the neighborhood would be greener and fairer than ever when the proposed accommodations were finished. So I didn't really know what to expect. First pleasant surprise: at Cité Universitaire, the RATP actually puts its money where its mouth is about being access-friendly and provides an _elevator_ to raise bike to sidewalk level (elevator is technically for wheelchairs and prams, but no-one stopped me). Bethie, fully loaded, easily tops 30 kg so that was extremely welcome, as I hate asking passers-by for help. On arriving above ground, I was at first disappointed. Yes, there is a building site down the whole length of the avenues. It takes up about a third the width of the street. No, there is no cycling path as yet. So I desultorily wheeled Behemoth for a few blocks, then moved her out onto the road in the bus corridor, held my breathe and kicked off. Well, that bee-line through the 14th, 15th and 16th Arrondissements was my best cycling experience to date. It was all straight so there was no need to worry about signalling. There was a bus-corridor the whole way so not much need to worry about cars. I was able to let rip in 7th gear and max out the whole way. Behemoth comes into her own in those high gears. Voluptuousness of silken pedals... I was so comfortably upright that I didn't even get my usual sore wrists. Only an occasional traffic light, spaced with considerate rarity, brought me to a halt but restarting was easy on the level ground. I stopped twice just to check my bearings but even this was not necessary as there was really no opportunity for wrong turning. Just thunder along till you cross the water and come to a giddy stop on the avenue de Versailles. Now I'm wondering if those protesters weren't right? What need for a specialized cycling lane on a route which already functions so well? Granted, sharing a lane with buses is a Faustian bargain, but they make much better companions than baby carriages. I DO NOT WANT TO SHARE MY LANE WITH F*%^$**ING BABY-CARRIAGES!!! And having seen what happened with the much hyped Coulée Verte, I worry about a repeat. Yes, give the cyclists their lane; force them to share it with pedestrians, roller-bladers and dog-walkers, simultaneously ban them from the roads "because they have their own lane". Then let the lane rot and become overrun with tree roots. Up till now I have always been dumbfounded at cyclists opposing the construction of cycling lanes, but I see the light. To top it off, we also have the hostility of the natives who lost their trees, and the delivery trucks who lost their stopping place, so they will presumably be doing nothing to help us. Oh well, wait and see. EFR Ile de France |
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#2
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More Paris Cycling - Along Southern Rim
Told you cycling in Paris was a joy. Next time Le Tour has a Randonnee in Paris
- go in for it :-) Cheers, helen s --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove fame & fortune **$om $ --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off-- |
#3
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More Paris Cycling - Along Southern Rim
There's a problem in that they are constructing the tramway on those routes,
When that is finished, will they then remove the bus lanes since there will be no need for the PC (bus that goes on those roads)? BTW, there are some places where there already is a bike path next to the bus lane, Blvd Brune for example, when descending towards the Palais des Expos at Porte de Versailles. (unless it's been closed due to construction of the tramway.). You're supposed to use the path in those cases, but I stay in the bike lane, since as you've observed the bike path is filled with parked cars, pedestrians, strollers, etc. In those Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote: So I finally returned Behemoth to her dealer last Friday for her contrôle technique. This was a major project involving a trip with her on the RER (suburban train) up to the Cité Universitaire stop (the first stop in Paris intramuros when arriving from the South) and then a 7 km cycling cruise westwards from there up to Auteuil. My only previous experience of cycling Paris had been when I bought Bethie in November. But that trip was the other way - eastward down rue de la Convention and rue Vaugirard up to Luxembourg station. A quick look at the map revealed that this route could not be used to return. The cycling map also revealed a mysterious dotted line along the streets - boulevards Brune, Lefebvre and Martial Valin, - that I wanted to take for Friday's voyage. The key said "réseau à l'étude", cycling path nework under study. So does that mean cycling yes or no? An item on the local news a few weeks ago then came to mind. Mayor Delanoe had ordered removal of a number of fine ancient trees in the 15th Arrondissement to accommodate a proposed cycling path. Inhabitants of the neighborhood were demonstrating against cyclists, with banners showing a barred-through bike. Motorists too were protesting that the road was already too narrow for them without the cycling lanes and that delivery trucks, etc. would no longer be able to stop in front of shops. Spokespeople for the Mayor were claiming that the neighborhood would be greener and fairer than ever when the proposed accommodations were finished. So I didn't really know what to expect. First pleasant surprise: at Cité Universitaire, the RATP actually puts its money where its mouth is about being access-friendly and provides an _elevator_ to raise bike to sidewalk level (elevator is technically for wheelchairs and prams, but no-one stopped me). Bethie, fully loaded, easily tops 30 kg so that was extremely welcome, as I hate asking passers-by for help. On arriving above ground, I was at first disappointed. Yes, there is a building site down the whole length of the avenues. It takes up about a third the width of the street. No, there is no cycling path as yet. So I desultorily wheeled Behemoth for a few blocks, then moved her out onto the road in the bus corridor, held my breathe and kicked off. Well, that bee-line through the 14th, 15th and 16th Arrondissements was my best cycling experience to date. It was all straight so there was no need to worry about signalling. There was a bus-corridor the whole way so not much need to worry about cars. I was able to let rip in 7th gear and max out the whole way. Behemoth comes into her own in those high gears. Voluptuousness of silken pedals... I was so comfortably upright that I didn't even get my usual sore wrists. Only an occasional traffic light, spaced with considerate rarity, brought me to a halt but restarting was easy on the level ground. I stopped twice just to check my bearings but even this was not necessary as there was really no opportunity for wrong turning. Just thunder along till you cross the water and come to a giddy stop on the avenue de Versailles. Now I'm wondering if those protesters weren't right? What need for a specialized cycling lane on a route which already functions so well? Granted, sharing a lane with buses is a Faustian bargain, but they make much better companions than baby carriages. I DO NOT WANT TO SHARE MY LANE WITH F*%^$**ING BABY-CARRIAGES!!! And having seen what happened with the much hyped Coulée Verte, I worry about a repeat. Yes, give the cyclists their lane; force them to share it with pedestrians, roller-bladers and dog-walkers, simultaneously ban them from the roads "because they have their own lane". Then let the lane rot and become overrun with tree roots. Up till now I have always been dumbfounded at cyclists opposing the construction of cycling lanes, but I see the light. To top it off, we also have the hostility of the natives who lost their trees, and the delivery trucks who lost their stopping place, so they will presumably be doing nothing to help us. Oh well, wait and see. EFR Ile de France |
#4
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More Paris Cycling - Along Southern Rim
On Tue, 25 May 2004 10:35:37 +0200, Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:
Now I'm wondering if those protesters weren't right? What need for a specialized cycling lane on a route which already functions so well? Granted, sharing a lane with buses is a Faustian bargain, but they make much better companions than baby carriages. I DO NOT WANT TO SHARE MY LANE WITH F*%^$**ING BABY-CARRIAGES!!! And having seen what happened with the much hyped Coulée Verte, I worry about a repeat. Yes, give the cyclists their lane; force them to share it with pedestrians, roller-bladers and dog-walkers, simultaneously ban them from the roads "because they have their own lane". Then let the lane rot and become overrun with tree roots. Why don't you also post this to fr.misc.transport.velo ? That NG could do with a few good posts like yours to trigger some activity and good debate ! Jacques |
#5
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More Paris Cycling - Along Southern Rim
Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote: So I didn't really know what to expect. Life's like that, no? On arriving above ground, I was at first disappointed. Yes, there is a building site down the whole length of the avenues. It takes up about a third the width of the street. No, there is no cycling path as yet. So I desultorily wheeled Behemoth for a few blocks, then moved her out onto the road in the bus corridor, held my breathe and kicked off. Well, that bee-line through the 14th, 15th and 16th Arrondissements was my best cycling experience to date. It was all straight so there was no need to worry about signalling. There was a bus-corridor the whole way so not much need to worry about cars. I was able to let rip in 7th gear and max out the whole way. Behemoth comes into her own in those high gears. Voluptuousness of silken pedals... I was so comfortably upright that I didn't even get my usual sore wrists. Only an occasional traffic light, spaced with considerate rarity, brought me to a halt but restarting was easy on the level ground. I stopped twice just to check my bearings but even this was not necessary as there was really no opportunity for wrong turning. Just thunder along till you cross the water and come to a giddy stop on the avenue de Versailles. Now I'm wondering if those protesters weren't right? What need for a specialized cycling lane on a route which already functions so well? Granted, sharing a lane with buses is a Faustian bargain, but they make much better companions than baby carriages. I DO NOT WANT TO SHARE MY LANE WITH F*%^$**ING BABY-CARRIAGES!!! And having seen what happened with the much hyped Coulée Verte, I worry about a repeat. Yes, give the cyclists their lane; force them to share it with pedestrians, roller-bladers and dog-walkers, simultaneously ban them from the roads "because they have their own lane". Then let the lane rot and become overrun with tree roots. Up till now I have always been dumbfounded at cyclists opposing the construction of cycling lanes, but I see the light. To top it off, we also have the hostility of the natives who lost their trees, and the delivery trucks who lost their stopping place, so they will presumably be doing nothing to help us. Oh well, wait and see. EFR Ile de France A beautiful post! " "Voluptuousness of silken pedals..." Your statement says a great deal. I hope you keep finding good places to ride. Cycling can be such a gentle adventure. You can smile while you flow along now . Stay well and stay alert. Bernie |
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