Megan Lynch (she/her)

Although accessibility to disabled cyclists is not explicitly mentioned as such, @BicycleDutch 's new video shows some of the accessibility issues that crop up even with cycle infrastructure that many abled cycle advocates drool over.

Notice the facility talks about "monitoring the behavior" instead of learning from actual behavior related to design and rejiggering to fit (plus improving future design processes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmOLAM6oT64 #Ableism #Disability #BikeTooter #Infrastructure

Opening of a New Bicycle Parking Garage, 's-Hertogenbosch

YouTube
Mar 19 at 9:18pmWeb
Show threadMegan Lynch (she/her)Mar 19

The good news is that at least there's an area for non-standard, non-upright cycles. But how big is it? How many can use it at one time compared to the need?

The fact that in practice a number of upright cyclists wouldn't park the way the rack designers THOUGHT they would park and that the city would "monitor the behavior" and hope they'd stop it shows how backwards this is...

It's not this particular city's fault, but a fault more generally - this is a very common approach. #BikeTooter

Show threadMegan Lynch (she/her)Mar 19

This is why I advocate so strongly for cycle advocates in general to be doing more outreach and making themselves more accessible to disabled cyclists. When gov't goes to cycle advocates or vice versa, if the advocacy is run mostly or entirely by abled cyclists, the infrastructure is guaranteed to perpetuate ableism.

But I think it's worth looking at how new facilities come about, how far in advance a diversely disabled group of cyclists is being consulted and their recommendations

Show threadMegan Lynch (she/her)Mar 19

listened to.

At least in the US - cycle advocacy is largely abled. And still very white and cis-male.

Many rack designs are selected just from whichever company makes a pitch rather than directly meeting with diverse cyclists to talk about what their experiences with current racks are and determining what any new racks and installations should be doing differently. #BikeTooter #Accessibility

Show threadDebbieMar 19
@meganL that was one thing Cambridge (UK) Railway station go right. They provided 4 different types of double decker cycling racks and asked cyclist to try them out with their bikes and give feedback.
With me and my bike only one of these racks could I get my bike locked in safely and up back into position. Gave detailed feedback, like a lot of others and they chose the most usable option.
When there is double decker parking I always use the top, if I can, so that the lower more normal parking can be used by others. It is definitely more fiddly.