Underground bike lanes.

San Sebastian inaugurated the world's longest bicycle commuter tunnel in 2009. Basically its a converted train tunnel. 

but it looks quite cool and makes you wonder what it would be like to be able to cycle for long (ish) distances in the dry at speed ( not intersections ) and in the cool ( good for spain)  

This link http://www.diariovasco.com/videos/gipuzkoa/actualidad-de-gipuzkoa/690890454001-tunel-morlans-amara-ibaeta-bicicleta.html

lets you see a spanish TV report. Looks quite nice - I'd love to try it out. 

Naturally digging a tunnel is the most expensive way of getting road space but if its available then why not use it. Does make you wonder about the carrying capacity of this tunnel with bikes vs the same thing with trains. 

Sustrans talk about one in the UK - another abandoned Rail system. 

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/connect2/schemes/south-west/bath-two-tunnels?id=2

the wireroad

I found this cycle monotrails system and I'm very very intrigued by it.  This looks to be partly thin  ( I mean thin) rail and partly steel wire but for the life of me I can't quite see how it works. Have a look and for your self.



If it was possible (which it clearly is)  to have sections of wire cable for a monorail that that would be a truly remarkable thing. The visual intrusion argument would be over. I've been looking at the video again and again and I think this system works mostly on a rail ( like the Wuppertal Schwebebahn) monorails and then has a stretch of cable pulled between two solid rails which extend on to it.


Which is exactly what you need. - the solid rail for curved sections and the wire sections for straight  places where you need very very minimal visual intrusion. The wire here is even smaller than the sheweb enclosed . So basically you have an aerial tramway (aka cable car / ski lift) - which has a good history behind it of operation with sections of tracked monorail.

Naturally being a cycle system you get very thin wires with amount as minimal intrusion as you could expect.

More sweeb

A nice more detailed vid about the Sweeb system.

cool scheme video

This has just gone up on you tube very nice. 



quote
'This concept is a copy of the one presented by the Architect Richard Moreta with office in Berlin and Miami, Florida. He introduced the concept of a highway for bikes in the early 2002 and lately has been refined the concept and presented to a diversities of city to be implement in the states , Europe and South America. See the video'

very nice, we need more slick videos like this.

A vision of cycle Utopia

I fond this video of a Dutch cycle Rush hour

After enjoying seeing a glimpse of Utopia I I thought a number things

1. The traffic density was terrific - if everyone had been in cars then it would have been a jam.
2. See how many people will use a bike if you have a flat city
3. I noticed the bikes had to stop for the buses. A necessity for an at grade system - Imagine what would it would be like  if the bikes didn't have to stop. 

Rochester

This looks to be an interesting enclosed at grade system in Rochester ( Canada )



It's quite simple but is based on an abandoned rail route.

Fast Lane Cyclery And Cycle motorway interview.

Thanks to a kind reader leaving a comment 


Interview with Fast Lane Cyclery in the examiner. 
I think the motoway/freeway concept is a good metaphor. You don't have motorways everywhere and in cities the only way to introduce them is to elevate them ( at considerable expense ) . Motoways are smooth roads designed for high speed use and have intersections at different gradients (heights). You have on/off ramps at intervals and most of all you have very low gradient changes and cut through mountains and build up roads to do it. 


Worth a read. 

Christopher Rusay

Lovely elevated system I found as a competition entry by Chrstopher Rusay and Pariq Visop. 
Actually the best entry in my thinking ( have a look at some of the others see what you think ). Wonderfully modular and colourful and made from recycled materials. Does make you think about what you could achieve if you use plastic as a building materials. Inspired by the California Cycleway of 1900, a wooden elevated bike path (link elsewhere on the blog). 


I love the elegance of the system. I'd still put something over people's heads my self(OK I'm a pureist ) .  

top marks.