"be safe, be seen" as a national strategy for road safety is an absolute joke

Finding out I was considered "radical" for wanting kids to be able to get school safely and independently was shocking and what motivated me to try and help change that perspective. Culture Shift developed with @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social

“A newly released manifesto from the @ecf.com European Cyclists Federation & its partners lays out a 10-point plan to dramatically scale up cycling across the continent—positioning it not as a niche lifestyle choice but as critical infrastructure in a time of crisis.” momentummag.com/the-energy-c...

Pollution levels in Paris after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.

Amazing job by www.urbantruthcollective.com 🙌 👍🏼 The real “urban conspiracy” isn’t proximity, it’s distance. The “One-Hour City” traps millions in long commutes, car dependence and lost time. We need cities of proximity, time, and quality of life 🙏🏻 @brenttoderian.bsky.social @urbantruth.bsky.social

Every year, billions of vehicles worldwide shed an estimated 6 million tonnes of tire fragments. These tiny flakes of plastic, generated by normal driving, account for 28% of microplastics entering the environment globally. Heavy vehicles eg SUVs/EVs especially. Via @us.theconversation.com

"Waymo has told advocates that expecting it to respect bike lanes is 'too high a bar' because customers expect to be dropped off in them." To be crystal clear, it's illegal for a car to be in a bike lane. It doesn't matter what Waymo's customers expect; the company shouldn't be doing it.

"What robot cars are promising is the next generation of car dependency." Excellent read here! www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Seeing as we're back to discussing the ringroad, I wrote a blog about my own thoughts on this, and other planned projects in the city a few months back. I remain of the opinion that the road will not make a significant impact on congestion. open.substack.com/pub/cllralan...

My thoughts about how the Galway Ring Road will affect Galway's future, and how we might grow as a city. With John Morley at GalwayTalks. Playing from 1:32:09 open.spotify.com/episode/6Qw1...

“The majority of Americans are open to living car-free even after decades of car-centric planning, a new survey finds…A stunning 18% of car-owning U.S. residents indicated that they were ‘strongly interested’ in living car-free, and another 40% said that they were ‘open’ to it.” @usa.streetsblog.org

“The term ‘third place’ was coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his book The Great Good Place, which explored the role of places like cafes, parks, & libraries in societies. He argued such places were not only important for mental health, but were essential to democracy & a sense of community.”

“Even as the cost of infrastructure for active transportation is being used as a reason for inaction, evidence is accumulating that when the full economic cost is considered, driving costs society more, while cycling and other forms of active transportation save society money.”— @sflkirk.bsky.social

My thoughts about how the Galway Ring Road will affect Galway's future, and how we might grow as a city. With John Morley at GalwayTalks. Playing from 1:32:09 open.spotify.com/episode/6Qw1...

Never forget, a 13-year study found that protected bike-lanes led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all road users. ALL ROAD USERS. What about painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all. For sharrows, it’s actually safer to NOT have them. Via @usa.streetsblog.org @nyc.streetsblog.org

In this weekend's @irishtimes.com, I've written about the incredible plan by Dublin City Council to relocate from Wood Quay to Lower Kevin Street, demolishing the purpose-built Civic Offices that they fought so hard to build and replacing them with social and "affordable cost-rental" apartments ...

NYT editorial board issues a full-throated endorsement of congestion pricing: "Over its first 14 months, the [NYC] congestion pricing system has exceeded even the high hopes of many supporters. It has reduced traffic, improved the quality of life and even provided a boost for businesses."

When it comes to the likelihood of car crashes, or the deadly consequences of car crashes, speed is ALWAYS a factor. Speed kills. #UrbanTruth

"...nearly 40,000 people killed on US roads in 2024 works out to almost 12 roadway deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants, more than twice as many as peer nations including Australia, the Czech Republic, Israel and South Korea." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

"In order to reduce climate emissions to meet a 1.5°C warming scenario, cities need to focus on increasing urban density, mass transit, cycling, and walking, while also encouraging electric vehicle use. itdp.org/2021/12/09/w...

"A federal court shot down President Trump’s attempt to kill New York City’s congestion pricing program on Tuesday, allowing the city’s $9 toll on cars entering downtown Manhattan during peak hours to remain in effect." heatmap.news/sparks/conge...

The American planning system has created a society that requires most people to own a car. And for most people those cars are becoming unaffordable! #UrbanTruth @urbantruth.blsy.social www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/b...

Fascinating work from Rafael Prieto-Curiel and Juan P. Ospina

Halvemaansteeg & Rembrandtplein, Amsterdam in 1979 and today. From car-choked streets with little space for people to a lively car-free area with only trams, pedestrians & bikes permitted. Cafes and outdoor seating dominate the area. A reminder to politicians: design streets for the city you want.

They really want us to love cars. But why would we love being car dependent? Dependency is never freedom. Mobility freedom comes from mobility choices. #UrbanTruth

Feels tacky. We can do better. @galwaycity.ie @cosaingalway.bsky.social

Suburban Sprawl may seem cheap, but even the costs we CAN count are far too high, and we ALL pay them. HT Smart Prosperity Institute #UrbanTruth institute.smartprosperity.ca/library/publ...

New York City is a city of walkers. More trips are made on foot than by car (41% versus 28%)... MIT researchers just mapped New York City foot traffic for the first time ever

This park and ride appears to have very little to do with getting people out of their cars. How much will this additional car park for the park cost? Why are families not walking to the park? Is it possible? Is it safe from cars?

Learning from Vienna. commonedge.org/a-radical-an...

Galway City Council approved a €45.5m loan in 2022 to buy Crown Square, with the public being informed just three days before the vote. Months later, it emerged that extra borrowing was needed for fit-out works. The final cost of all this is still to be determined. connachttribune.ie/media-minist...

Speaking of "narcissistic dipshittery", the RSA has been asked more than once for evidence that high vis, or its promotion, has made the roads safer. They acknowledged that they had no such information in their possession. On one occasion they offered the "if it saves one life" justification.

So Ireland doesn't even know how many houses are being built? The numbers are unreliable, apparently. If 36,000 new houses were built last year, why were only 58 sold to buyers in Dublin? www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

Excellent news! @GalwayCityCo The EU grant will help revitalise the city's historic canals as a source of clean energy and better public engagement for pedestrians and cyclists. www.rte.ie/news/regiona...

Coolglass wind-farm ruling puts every public servant in Ireland on notice www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

They might park but what will they ride? Putting the car before the improved bus service? www.galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-f...

Trump actively rolling back all efforts to fight climate change. Trump Allies Near ‘Total Victory’ in Wiping Out U.S. Climate Regulation www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...

New research finds negligible benefit from "minimum passing distance" laws requiring drivers to give cyclists space when overtaking them. Protected bike lanes are far more effective. doi.org/10.1016/j.jc...

“It's not my duty as Mayor to make sure you have a parking spot. For me it's the same as if you bought a cow, or a refrigerator, and then asked me where you're going to put them.” — Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain (re-elected 6 times)

Driverless cars, hey? Since the dawn of motoring it has always been possible, for a fee, to be taken somewhere in a car without having to drive it. The technology is called “taxi cabs”. (Try getting a robot taxi to help a disabled/infirm passenger from their front door to inside the cab.)

Galway City Council's mystery move to "Crown Square" set to cause a significant increase in traffic congestion. @galwaycitycouncil.bsky.social

Cameras to detect speeding, running red lights, and use of bus lanes are set to be rolled out, as the first National Safety Camera Strategy is on track to be approved early this year jrnl.ie/6937859

What would your street look like with great cycling infrastructure? Email your photo to Marco Mulder ([email protected]). One condition: it must be a photo of a street—nothing more. International examples are more than welcome! Marco will get back to you as soon as possible.

Judge who said cyclists a “nightmare” pleaded guilty to failing to take breathalyser test A Dublin-based Circuit Court judge who said that "Cyclists have become a nightmare in Dublin" pleaded guilty in 2012 to failing to comply with a request by a garda to use a breathalyser in Connemara.…

Four pedestrian desire lines. One zebra crossing. 👇 Why do you suppose Galway City Council is so uninterested in enabling foot traffic, @illanwall.bsky.social @kleyden.bsky.social? They have an Active Travel team, with a bunch of "strategies" lining their shelves. What's their problem?

From 2019-2024, road deaths in Ireland rose by 22 per cent whereas the EU average dropped 12 per cent. www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

Since 2010, pedestrian deaths in the US 🇺🇸 have increased by 80%. During that same time, pedestrian deaths in the EU 🇪🇺 have dropped by 37%, but that stat could be about to change. A new video by NJB. 👇