Tree-hugging weekend

Along with the people were tons of police and of course, the obligatory soft-pretzel vendor.
I also saw some LMP politicians working the crowd.

Quite a good turnout at Római part on Saturday. We estimated maybe 2,000 people, give or take a thousand. Who knows? The important thing is, we completely plugged up the riverfront path where the organisers set up their PA system. So for the space available, we were an overwhelming presence, which is as much as you can ask of a protest.

We were there demonstrating against a big flood-protection scheme that would devastate the riverbank and wipe out thousands of trees. A "respected" news site, HVG -- kind-of Hungary's equivalent to The Economist -- called it "Fák off" -- "fák" being Hungarian for "trees".

We went out there with both kids by bike, our two-year-old in the child's seat and our eight-year-old riding his own bike. The closer we got to Római part, the heavier the bike traffic got. By the time we got to the Újpesti vasúti híd, there were huge clusters of cyclists caravaning in front of us and in back and parked along the side of the road. It was looking like a Critical Mass.

There's Lance, Kristin and Sequoia. Soon after we arrived, Lance wandered off into the milling masses and left me on the riverbank, panicked, as I rode herd over Sequoia hoping to limit our losses. Kristin found Lance way up the riverbank throwing rocks and after he rejoined us, Sequoia walked up to the river's edge and promptly tripped into the water. It was a chilly ride back home for her.

A Budapest landscape architect, Bardóczi Sándor, editor of the Építészfórum website, gave a talk proposing a sensible alternative to the massive earthworks that's being proposed. Bardóczi notes that the existing fences at the top of the bank, running between the riverfront bars and restaurants, could be built into a flood-proof bulwark that would protect properties further inland. This would avoid a major earth moving project that would wipe out all the trees along the water and destroy the riverbank.

Hope Sányi's arguments -- and the presence of all us citizen protesters -- will have some effect.

Save Római part's trees!

The fabulous Fellini bisztro on the north end of Romai part.

Tomorrow at 3 p.m. (March 2), fans of the Római part will demonstrate against a big earthworks proposal that would spoil a riverside wonderland to protect a bunch of luxury townhouses that shouldn't even be there.

The project involves the construction of what's termed a "mobile" dike along a 3.1 kilometre stretch of bank running north from the Újpesti vasúti híd. This Index article has a map. A mobile dike doesn't sound permanent, however the work will apparently involve infilling the river 50 to 100 metres out from the existing bank. This will wipe out many of the gorgeous willows and cottonwoods along here, which is why organisers have dubbed their protest "Keep the trees on Római!". The tree defenders also have a facebook page.

Római part has been a favourite bike-riding destination of ours for years. It's a leafy stretch of bank lined with bufes and bars, some with playground equipment to entertain the kids. It's great place to have some fish soup or hekk and a few beers. It's not as cheap as it used to be, but you pay a price for convenience -- it's just a 20-30 minute ride up the Buda bank from Margit hid.

Not incidentally, it's along the Eurovelo 6 trans-European cycling route. One of the criteria for Eurovelo designation is scenic value, which these earthworks will undermine.

Amidst the bufes are a dwindling number of old boat houses, where you can keep or rent canoes, kayaks, skulls and rowboats. We used to rent canoes from one of these places at least once every summer and paddle up to Szentendrei Sziget and back.

In the last few years, several of these old boat houses have been displaced by high-end condos. This is in a flood plain, and how the developers got their construction permits is a scandal.

By now the dodgy development has reached a critical mass and the new property owners have successfully lobbied City Hall to get taxpayers to pay for flood protection. This will protect their inappropriately built townhouses to the detriment of Római part's traditional natural, recreational value. It's a shame.

We're planning to go up there by bike on Saturday to christen the cycling season and be counted.

What: Save the trees on Római! demonstration
Time: Saturday, March 2, 3 p.m.
Place: Hattyú Csónakház (1039 Budapest, Királyok útja 17.)
(Follow the facebook page for updates.)

Change of Course

The spring Critical Mass was announced last week and the organisers are saying it's the last one!

To me, the message was a bombshell. Critical Mass has become an institution in Budapest, and not just for cyclists. With rides attracting tens of thousands every occasion, Budapest Critical Mass is believed to be the biggest CM in the world. As a major city event, it's up there with the Sziget Festival, Formula 1, Saint Stephen's Day and the Budapest Bucsú. It's a mass popular event, with participants of all ages, all walks of life and all political persuasions.

Having gone off twice per year since 2004, it's hard imagining an Earth Day or Mobility Week passing without a Critical Mass. Yet this is exactly what will happen after what's being called the "Utolsó Budapest Critical Mass," this April 30.

The announcement explains that the main goal of the ride has already been achieved: to create a critical mass of voters who support transport cycling in Budapest. The goal's been met despite the fact that Budapest is still not a bike-friendly city, the organisers say. Now, it's up to you, they add: "Critical Mass is yours."

Despite being taken aback, I've come to the conclusion that the organisers have made the right decision. Critical Mass has, indeed, managed to build a culture of everyday cycling where one hardly existed. Before CM entered the picture, there were few cyclists on city streets other than bike messengers. These days the picture is entirely different -- on main cycling routes during rush hour, you get caught in queues at traffic signals.

While giving CM all due credit for popularising everyday cycling, it hasn't been nearly as successful in lobbying City Hall. Critical Mass organisers have always wanted to influence city transport policy. CM rides in the past have usually had a theme, sometimes attached to a detailed wish list of cyclists' priorities that they hoped city leaders would take on board. Before last fall's municipal elections, the CM after party included a candidates' forum in which the competing parties presented their cycling policies. Such public events have only been part of the lobbying effort -- all the while, CM leaders have been meeting with assembly members and transport staff behind the scene in hopes of getting better conditions for cyclists.

But the work with City Hall hasn't been fruitful. In terms of downtown infrastructure, we've seen very little happen since 2004. Probably the most positive developments have been the bike lanes (or "sharrows", really, since cars can legally drive on them) on the kiskörút, Thököly út and Alkotmány utca. There was the construction of the path on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, although that path infuriated CM organisers because it took space from pedestrians and is on only one side of the street. There is a promise of better cycling accommodation on the renovated Margit bridge, but City Hall has wavered on that commitment so many times that it's anybody's guess about how it will eventually look.

The city hasn't done much in terms of public education or promotion of city cycling. That's basically been left to the activists themselves (with some pro bono help from local advertising agencies). Even the little bicycle traffic monitoring that's been done has been carried out by volunteers and private supporters.

It's hard to say what it will take to get a pro-cycling city government. But if CM couldn't bring this about with 80,000 demonstrators (spring of 2008), maybe it's time to try something else.

I called CM an "institution" and it occurs to me that that's actually what CM shouldn't be. A political movement that evolves into an institution is no longer about change. And what cyclists desperately need, even more than an enjoyable bike jamboree twice a year, is change.

Let's Make Szentendre Safe for Cyclists!

Here's your chance to get in on the ground floor of a local cycling movement. So far, we've got two supporters. If you join us, our power base explodes by 50%. You bring in a friend, we're talking 100% growth!

We've already got the rudiments of a manifesto. This is a list of priority steps to sort out the main deficiencies of Szentendre's road system from the cyclist's point of view:

1. Create bike lanes on both sides of the main road into town from Budapest -- Route 11.

Reason: The current designated bike route south of Szentendre is the sidewalk along along the east side of Route 11 (Dozsa Gyorgy ut). The sidewalk is rife with the usual cycling obstructions: lightposts and signposts, a busstop shelter, pedestrians, and, of course, oncoming cyclists as this sidewalk is supposed to accommodate both directions of bike traffic. With cars crossing this sidewalk from several sidestreets, parking lots and driveways, you must be on constant alert for drivers fixated on the car traffic and oblivious to whatever's coming on the sidewalk. It's a typical, braindead solution that makes cycling unsafe and terribly slow.

2. At the southern entrance to town (where Dobogókői út intersects Route 11), create a safe cycling crossing with a priority traffic light.

Reason: At present, the designated bike path running along the west side of Route 11 from Budapest ends at an Aral petrol station (i.e. Dobogókői út). From there, you have to cross Route 11 to continue on the cycling path, which runs on a sidewalk on the EAST side of the street. The only legal way to do this is to go UNDER Route 11 through a tunnel that's reachable only by steps. Try doing this with a basket full of groceries (as shoppers at the Cora south of town might have) or with a loaded touring bike (this stretch of bike route is now part of the Euro Velo touristic network). It's impossible for many, and convenient for no one. The alternative is to cross Route 11 on the surface but this can be intimidating with a bunch of motor traffic bearing down on you. A nice solution would be a priority traffic light giving cyclists a few-seconds head start to get safely across the street.

3. Develop Szentendre's cycling infrastructure.

Reason: Under this heading are proposed several projects ranging from installing public bike racks to creating better signage to establishing good bike paths and lanes through town and to nearby destinations such as the Skanzen folkloric museum. The focus here is to improve the city not only for passing tourists and commuters, but also for residents of all ages who would like to be able to bike in Szentendre in the same free and easy way as they might have 20 years ago, before car traffic got so out of control.

Right now, we're looking to see who else wants to see a more bike-friendly Szentendre. We're looking not only for Szentendre residents, but also Budapest types who enjoy weekend rides up the Danube bend. The more support we have, the better our chances when we take up these proposals with City Hall.

If you'd like a copy of the short-but-sweet manifesto (just two pages, in Hungarian), or you'd just like to give ideas or voice your support, write to the brains of the movement, Balázs Devescovi, at totnes@gmail.com. You can also write me at hg.spencer@gmail.com.