With a major push now on in Ireland to improve cycling infrastructure and huge investment in cycling promised by the new Government, it's interesting to ponder what Ireland might look like in five years time when that new Government's term is over.
The clip below compares Paris eight years apart, with the same junction of Rue de la Coutellerie and Rue de Rivoli filmed back in 2012 and in 2020 and the difference is incredible.
While we tend to think of Continental Europe being much more cycling-friendly than Ireland, Paris can be very congested with traffic.
But a major plan under Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo since 2014 to shift transport in the centre of the city away from vehicles in favour of bikes really appears to have reaped dividends, as you can see in this clip below.
Advertisement
Related News
The Covid19 lock-down period in Ireland has seen cycling infrastructure, mainly segregated cycle lanes, pop up in many locations to cater for the sudden increase in the number of people on two wheels.
Hopefully the promised spending by the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael-Green Party coalition government will come good on its promises on cycling investment and we'll be sharing video comparisons like this about how our towns and cities have changed within the next five years.
2012 vs 2020 What a transformation. Highlighting the inefficiency of the automobile as means of transporting people. @Anne_Hidalgo 2014 vision of re-engineering the city's roads and Junctions to be less car centric has really paid off. Less pollution, congestion & more cycling https://t.co/yzUcy5cnml pic.twitter.com/NE8odxA7MB
— James Stafford (@Jamesdestafford) July 2, 2020
The above clip shows the same junction and street in Paris in 2012 and 2020, with a huge shift towards cycling and scooters
Topics
