In this Not Everyone Drives episode of the Streets and People podcast, hosted by Wendy Nash, Travis Bassett shares his experiences and insights as an avid bike rider from Brisbane’s Sherwood area. Travis, a podcast listener, discusses his reasons for financially supporting the podcast, focusing on promoting local stories and combating challenges in the area with fewer bike-friendly resources compared to places like Canada. Travis reminisces about extensive cycle tours in Europe and highlights the contrasts in bike riding culture, specifically the freedom experienced by children in Holland. He talks about the utility and benefits of using an electric cargo bike for daily commutes and school drop-offs, emphasising its impact on fitness and convenience. Discussions also cover practical strategies for improving local bike infrastructure, the significance of community advocacy, and the potential benefits of electric bikes. The conversation underscores the importance of local bike riding networks, community engagement, and policy advocacy to enhance biking experiences and safety.
Travis’s recommended videos:
- Safe Streets for All – Bringing Dutch Transportation Planning to Bend – YouTube. It’s a presentation from a Dutch engineer to a city in the US Bend. Travis found it interesting, just the way they see speed and safety as an engineering problem not so much a policing issue. Also mentioned a lot of their funding for walking and cycling infrastructure, comes from reducing congestion to improve car trips.
- These Suburbs Have Incredible Untapped Potential for Cycling (youtube.com). Travis would like to do something similar to this. They are just mapping distances between places in the suburbs for most people (like gym, grocery store, schools etc.). Be interesting to apply this in an Australian context, particularly with an ebike.
