I read an article a few years ago about a town in the UK that did the same thing and reported the same results, an increase in civility and a decrease in accidents.
> Nearly 70% of all city centre trips are by bicycle, and more space is needed on the bike networks.
Yes, please! I want that where I live. It has been improving, but we have a long way to go. I really hope more US cities end up with majority bike/ped traffic rather than majority car traffic.
Geography may not be conductive to biking everywhere. While I mostly bike around the city I live in, it's a very hilly place and even a short trip requires an amount of effort that cannot be expected of most people.
As for pedestrian traffic, my experience with medium US cities is that they are far too spread out for walking to be an option for most things. It's hard to see how this could change without Americans abandoning their beloved individual suburban homes with yards.
I think in most places public transportation is the only effective replacement for cars.
I could see cities easily changing though, by slowing the outward growth and becoming more dense... and more bike-friendly in the center! ;)
The city I live in has been growing outward, but that's coming to an end now that the expansion in the valley has hit the mountains on every side. The good news is my downtown is getting more bike friendly every year, I'm just looking forward to bikes being a majority. (Which might never actually happen since it snows where I live...) :)
Get a ebike. I live on a street with a 8% climb and that on a ebike is just a stroll. My wife loves it. Most of my cyclist neighbors have one too. I occasionally “steal” her bike, but most of the time I love doing my climbing by myself. Though things may get hairy above 12% and definitely painful above 16%. However, with a ebike even those gradients would be fine.
> Nearly 70% of all city centre trips are by bicycle, and more space is needed on the bike networks.
Yes, please! I want that where I live. It has been improving, but we have a long way to go. I really hope more US cities end up with majority bike/ped traffic rather than majority car traffic.