Amongst car hating transport advocates the Muenster photograph is the stuff of legend.
Over the weekend before last the Cycling Promotion Fund recreated the photo on Allara Street here in Canberra:
On Sunday 9th September 69 volunteers, 69 bicycles, 60 cars and one bus gathered in Canberra to recreate a world-renowned photograph taken more than 20 years ago to demonstrate the advantages of bus and bicycle travel in congested cities.
The captured image shows the typical space occupied in a city street by three common modes of transport—cars, bicycles and a bus—and is being made available free of charge to organisations, group and individuals to help promote the efficiency of public transport and cycling in congested cities.
“The image succinctly illustrates the greater space efficiency of bus and bicycle travel,” spokesperson for the Cycling Promotion Fund (CPF), Mr Stephen Hodge said.
“In the space it takes to accommodate 60 cars, cities can accommodate around sixteen buses or more than 600 bikes.”
While many developed nations are embracing active travel, Australia is missing major opportunities to develop efficient and convenient transport options that have significant health and economic benefits.
“Eight out of ten Australian adults still use a private motor vehicle to travel to work or full-time study, just 14% take public transport, 4% walk and a mere 2% cycle, with 30% of these trips in the cities under 3km” Mr Hodge said.
“If Australians continue on this path it is estimated that productivity loss due to avoidable congestion—the economic loss due to the amount of time wasted in traffic—will be $20 billion by 2020.”
UPDATE 18/09/12 11:44: There’s also a video of making the photograph:
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