Two Interpretations of Mobilité Douce

My definition of Mobilité Douce and the Swiss definition are quite different. For me Mobilité Douce is walking, hiking, cycling and other sports that require a certain dedication and desire to cover long distances. In contrast Switzerland seems to see Mobilité Douce as going from home to the shops, while leaving the car at home. The journeys seem to be short, and at a slower pace.

When I walk and cycle into Nyon, almost every day, I am struck by the sight of people waiting to catch a bus to travel 400 meters or less. To me, taking a bus for such a short distance is not mobilité douce. It’s lazy, especially for young healthy people in the prime of their lives.

For me the concept should be about getting between villages on foot, and by bike. It should be about using the car only when other options are not viable.

Infrastructure as Reflection

On Sunday I took the train home for a simple reason. On Saturday I went away from the lake road for the same reason. Switzerland spent millions building cycle lanes between Nyon and Geneva but they have a fatal flaw. They continuously throw us into traffic. They also force us to go through car parks where beach goers are walking slowly from their cars to the beach or vice versa.

That’s not the only issue. In summer, when everyone drifts down to the lake side they park on the pedestrian part and walk in the cycling lanes. This means that if you’re cycling fast you need to slow down, or even stop as the beach goers block the cycling path.

If you drift onto the road, then the same people that are walking on the cycle path will then get impatient that you, the cyclist, are blocking the road. The cycling path between Nyon and Geneva was designed by people who do not cycle.

On a quiet day it’s excellent, but on a busy day it’s nicer to go via the voie verte and agricultural roads.

For me, if Nyon is serious about mobilité douce, then we need walking and hiking paths from Nyon to the foot of the Jura, where we might cross main roads, but we are completely separate from traffic.

Exploring from Home

For me, Mobilité Douce (MD) should be about exploring the area around where you live or work, without touching the car. For me MD is about going for a walk or bike ride, from your home, and exploring local walks, without worrying about traffic. For me MD should be about fitness and the freedom to range across the local landscape for hours at a time, feeling safe the entire time, like we could, during lock down.

Cycling and Hiking Groups

When I hike and cycle I am always looking for routes that take me away from busy roads. I am constantly looking for routes that are parallel to a main road, but quiet. I prefer for them to be wide and quiet, because when they’re wide and quiet cars can overtake safely. When they’re narrow and quiet I believe roads should be closed to cars. They used to be. They used to be dirt roads, but as they were upgraded, so cars started to use them and walking and cycling comfort degraded.

And Finally

When a group of 8-30 cyclists or hikers decides to stop at a self-service café that café is going to have a lucrative half hour or more. They will serve a lot of coffees, some tarts, and other meals. Cyclists do not require a huge parking. A convenient wall is enough. In my eyes cycling groups and MD are good for the economy, because cafés that are in quiet village, can have a lucrative half hour or more.

In one case I know of a café having two waves of cyclists passing through. If that’s 8-15 people each, then these cafés have good reason to cater to such a crowd.

I believe that with time, each village and town will be networked to make hiking and cycling pleasant and safe, but that for now MD is for shorter trips.