2023-06-15 18:02:37
” Can not ! I’m left-handed! » This Toulousaine sinks her nose into the handlebars and disdains the pink board which is however directly intended for her with her catchy slogan: « Here for cyclists it’s the foot! This flashy piece of equipment made an appearance Monday in downtown Toulouse. “At the top” of avenue Honoré-Serres more precisely, at the slightly uphill end of the cycle path and on the edge of the “airlock” reserved for two-wheelers who stop at a red light before entering, or cross the perilous dual carriageways bordering the Canal du Midi. “It’s a footstool, explains Maxime Boyer, the elected official in charge of the Bike and New Mobilities. We discovered this device during a visit to Copenhagen where it is welcome and works very well. We thought we could imitate them. What’s more, at a lower cost, since the three Toulouse prototypes were designed and manufactured in the municipal workshops. “This can especially be useful when you have a little slope to regain some momentum, argues the chosen one, himself a practitioner. A global policy must also include small adjustments to make life easier for cyclists. »
The tpresentation posted by Maxime Boyer sparked a lot of laughing reactions. “The height of uselessness”, judges a twittos when others wonder if cyclists cannot simply “put their foot on the ground” or offer saddle adjustment courses. Boris Kozlow, the president of the very active association 2Pieds 2Roues, is less sharp. “You have to see how it’s used,” he said. It may sound like a gimmick, but it’s a facility that you often see in Holland and that doesn’t hurt. Some downright appreciate this “little touch” from the north or find it “brilliant”.
Still need to stop
On the spot, the main interested parties are difficult to intercept. And for good reason. Ladlely, barely one in ten cyclists respects the red light. Léa, who is going home for lunch, yes. “Most of the time,” because she’s still not too sure of herself. She hadn’t understood what the pink board was for, but she said to herself that it “can reassure beginners”. Karine promises to try it… but on her next visit. Another lady, older, walks by, puts her foot on it as if she’s been doing it all her life but doesn’t have time to praise its merits.
“I don’t see the point,” decides Olivia at first. The one who converted to pedaling during confinement does not always respect the red light of Honoré-Serres. “We all stop a little further, beyond the airlock, we get ahead,” she explains. Because when you’re a cyclist everything is calculated and it’s too dangerous to be caught in traffic. As long as she is there, the young woman is testing the “footrest”. She leans for a moment on the big tube. “Finally it’s not so bad, it allows you to settle down a bit. But not too long then. At the end of this very narrow track, she is afraid of hindering cyclists and scooter riders who don’t care about the fire.
The other two footrests in the Pink City are to be installed soon on Avenue du Grand-Ramier, still on a slope, and Rue du Béarnais, in the Compans district, on flat ground. The experiment will continue for several months before a possible final adoption. “At the top” of avenue Honoré-Serres more precisely, at the slightly uphill end of the cycle path and on the edge of the “airlock” reserved for two-wheelers who stop at a red light before entering, or cross the perilous dual carriageways bordering the Canal du Midi.
#footrests #cyclists