DO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATORS RIDE THEIR BIKE ?

On 28th October 2008 we published the post "public Administrators using bicycle" and invited the Mayor of Turin to ride his bike in order to set a good example.

On March 12 we incredulous read in the Stampa: "Blue bikes instead of blue cars. A way to wip the slate clean both to the Palazzo Civico budget - by now bled dry, and to eliminate some cars from the city center and consequently, to lower pollution. (.) an ecological turning point for Chiamparino’s team movements that imitates in that way the example of smaller and more man-sized cities like Modena or Pordenone. And so, within one month, in the courtyard of Palazzo Civico near a less and less large number of blue cars , there will be the "blue bikes" that will be at disposal of the more virtuosos and sports councillors." ( see: Emanuela Minucci, The town councillors ride the blue bikes, in‘’La Stampa’’of March 12th 2009).

It seems to be a good beginning to improve, to increase and above all to legitimate the Turinese possibility to ride a bike. We are happy for this and we want to complimentate.
.....but be careful , starting from today we hope to meet councilors on their bike, with a notebook to record the so many deficiencies in the cycle net!
We will keep an eye on you!

THE CICLOFFICINA

The Ciclofficina (garage for bikes) in Turin is an equipped space where it is possible to mend one’s own bicycle at a very low cost , that is usually a little higher than the spares one. All this is possible thanks to one’s personal commitment and the collaboration with others. The repair activity has not a profit, but it allows everybody, also the one who has limited economic resources to have an economic, ecological and reliable means i.e the bicycle.

The Ciclofficina offers courses for the self-repair of inner tubes, setup of brakes and gears, the rolling radius disposal and the balancing of wheels and bicycles repairs. Besides being a meeting and exchange point for the city cyclists it is also a center of promotion and incentive of a sustainable urban mobility through initiatives and a demonstrations of sensitization of the use of the bicycle as a means of transport. The cilcofficina, managed by the association Muovi Equilibri, in this period is housed in the occupied classroom 1M of the Polytechnic in Turin at 71 Boggio street and it is open on Saturdays from 3,00 p.m to 7.00 p.m.

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CRITICAL MAP TORINO

Critical Map is a project of "participated cyclocartography" constituted by a common platform that allows bicyclists to signal through an interactive map which are the cycle problems of the Italian cities.
The Critical Map in Turin with signallings of new cycle runs, with suggestions of best runs to drive across, zones to be avoided, runs with problems or with works in progress, signals of fountains where to quench one’s thirsty , bicycles sellers and repairers, free wifi...places, is very used by the city bicyclists. Anyway there are both complaints and protests and good news (obviously rare), besides curiosity and posters for a cycle culture. In short all the useful and precious information for the survival on two wheels in the city.
"It is a means to promote an idea of sustainable mobility centered on the bicycle giving a representation of the ideal city, of how it should be to meet our demands of mobility."

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PUBBLIC ADMINISTRATORS USING BICYCLE

Local politicians should give a good example for future mobility

How lucky of you mister Mayor! You are one of the few Torinesi who can go at work by bicycle, only going along cycling tracks! You perfectly know, because you probably have been told by the road network councillor, that most of the citizens that use bicycle as a mean of transport to go to work, are not that lucky and sometimes they do not find not even a small part of a cycling track, putting everyday their life at risk along Turin roads. But you, you live in piazza Vittorio, so you can go along the new downtown cycling tracks to get to Palazzo di Città! Yes, the same tracks that somebody mysteriously wants to close, supported by the local newspaper (see: Emanuela Minucci, Grane ciclabili, in <>, Sunday 19th October 2008).
Obviously the pieces of cycling tracks are not connected among them so it happens that you suddenly find yourself in the middle of the road, maybe in a maze of railway lines, but you will surely find out how to get out of troubles, isnt’it!, as it is taken for granted that a Turinese bicycle rider should do. He/she will also have to be careful at crossroads, because nobody is going to give way, and besides he/she will experience the automobiles dangerous manoeuvres. When the rider will find inevitable cars parked on the cycling track, he/she will have to bravely pass along the road with the risk of being run over by drivers, who often show to be hostile with cyclists. Alternatively he/she will have to jump on the sidewalk, with the risk of getting a fine: traffic wardens most likely will give the cyclist a fine rather than the car parked on the track.
Well, this is surely dangerous and stressful, but what a great example would be? A person like you, desiring for Turin an ecologic and sustainable future, as we all desire! You maybe will infect the other local administrators to use an alternative mean to go to work. Possibly if you started risking your lives everyday, you would design more sensible cycling tracks, secured and connected among them, and hopefully respected by everybody.
I can but wish you a good bicycle ride, giving you the last advice: remember to wear a helmet, we would never like to read on the newspaper La Stampa: <>!

Sincerely,
Strale

TURIN CRITICAL MASS

Critical Mass is a spontaneous and self-run meeting of thousands of cyclists invading the streets that are usually used by cars, exploiting the strength of the number of participants (mass). If the mass is sufficient (that means critical), non-cyclist traffic is stopped also along big arteries.

This idea was born in San Francisco in 1992 and spread quickly in thousands of cities in at least fourteenth countries, Critical Mass is a clear sign of protest that claims the use of alternative means of transport in order to fight the diffusion of traffic and pollution, and to establish bases for the mobility of the future: ecologic and sustainable future.
In Turin, Critical Mass, is pretty active, always updated and in the first row for fighting in the name of the ciclability of the city. In the last weeks, for example, it has been the only critical voice against the proposal of abolition of the new cycling tracks in downtown. During two days of protest, they have massively invaded those cycling tracks, showing that they should not have to be abolished, but improved and respected, remembering to all detractors that ecologic and sustainable mobility is a sign of civilization more than only common sense.

You can find Turin Critical Mass every first Saturday of the month at 4,00 p.m. and every third Tuesday of the month at 9,00 p.m. in piazza Palazzo di Città.

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