iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Not that the so-called "car-free day" seems to have prevented anyone from driving as far as I can tell, but I also wouldn't call a day where cars are parked instead of moving a "car-free" day. They are still in your face everywhere, taking up space. But we don't even manage a "standing car day".

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This! The only reason I commute by bike is because it's the right thing to do (given that walking seems a bit time-intensive). And there's no way to protest against this institutionalised violence, because it'll catch you in the end, this way or another.

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

Martin Gelin @martingelin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

My latest piece for The Guardian: In Sweden, previously unthinkable far-right ideas are now comfortably embedded in the mainstream. The past four years were characterised by an astonishing acceptance of ethnonationalist views, xenophobic rhetoric and authoritarian policies often targeting children.

theguardian.com

How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden | Martin Gelin

In 2022 my country entered a new era of cruelty. It will take more than one election to get the old, tolerant Sweden back, writes Swedish journalist Martin Gelin

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The Swedish Transport Agency published their report on how to regulate overtaking of cyclists today - they picked up the idea of a full lane change, but it seems to stay at recommendation level (still have to read, so no final verdict yet ...): www.transportstyrelsen.se/sv/om-oss/pr...

transportstyrelsen.se

Så kan omkörningar av cyklister och mopedister bli mer hänsynsfulla - Transportstyrelsen

Transportstyrelsens bedömning är att tydligare riktlinjer är det bästa tillvägagångssättet för att försöka förändra bilförares beteende vid omkörning av cykel och moped II.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

It is a bit tiring to be viewed as some radical lunatic when calling out the endless harm done with motor vehicles to everyone, when questioning the self-evidence of private cars in society and asking for an alternative, sustainable society with more justice. Is it not even possible to discuss this?

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Ended up in a discussion on LinkedIn when I suggested to get rid of private cars altogether. I was taken by surprise that there still seem to be people around who apparently genuinely think that their choice of transport mode doesn't affect others. Can this really be a thing?

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Drivers frequently neglect glancing over their shoulder before turning. This can be at least partially due to a lack of rule knowledge. Our combined simulator and questionnaire study shows that this endangers especially cyclists and pedestrians: doi.org/10.1016/j.aa...

doi.org

Redirecting

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

jsliacan.bsky.social @jsliacan.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

"Eighty paperless migrants reported since Sweden's 'snitch law' enacted." But we can't have a reporting portal for traffic crimes. Nazis don't care about traffic criminals (drivers).

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Yet another cyclist I know got hit with a car so she fell, sustained injuries, her bike may be damaged. Yet again, Swedish police closed the case immediately. This will never show in the Strada crash stats. It teaches drivers that it's okay to hit people. Has anyone of you made similar experiences?

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

I find the motor vehicle noise all the time and everywhere harder and harder to tolerate, and there's no way to escape. I can't believe that this goes largely unnoticed.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Tack Cykelfrämjandet att jag fick skriva en krönika om hur cykelforskningen i många fall egentligen tjänar bilsamhället - för att vi inte vet, kan eller får göra bättre. Den finns på s26 i det aktuella numret: cykelframjandet.se/wp-content/u...

cykelframjandet.se

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

The Swedish Road Administration seems to assume that crossing a 2+1-road (100 km/h) becomes safer when people also have to fumble with a gate. How exactly? I might have kids with me, too. How can it not be their responsibility to limit the speed instead? But hey, we can't disturb the drivers!

A gate blocking the way for people coming from a gravel road who want to cross or access a bigger road. The gate can be opened manually via a hook mechanism.

A sign on the gate from the previous picture saying in Swedish: "Keep the gate closed. Think of your fellow travellers". It's an official sign from the road administration.

The bigger road. It's a so-called 2+1-road with a speed limit of 100 km/h.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Why would I feel humiliated when a) having to press a beg button, b) having to wait maybe 1 m away from cars zooming past me way above speed limit (which is too high to begin with) and c) getting showered by their tyres spraying dirty water from the recent rain all over me?

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

The noise from just one snowmobile destroying the silence and peace in the fjäll is a stark reminder of how quiet and peaceful the world could be without cars.

A wide, snowy, empty landscape in the Swedish fjäll, with winter trail markers and tracks of snowmobiles.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Tack, @kristerisaksson.bsky.social för äran att få gästblogga hos dig om att ändra tankesättet från "minimiavstånd" till "så liten påverkan som möjligt" vid omkörning av cyklande.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

It's frustrating that the only options seem to be to either be disliked by one's neighbours for pointing out to them that the bike path is not meant to be driven on, or to keep one's mouth shut so they continue driving on the bike path (which they do either way, to be fair).

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Some of you have previously indicated that you might want to participate in our data collection on overtaking of cyclists on rural roads. We are looking for cyclists in all of Sweden. Some more info and a recruitment questionnaire are here (first section): www.vti.se/en/archives/...

vti.se

Contribute as test participant?

Within ComCy, we are going to run empirical studies for which we will need participants. This is the preliminary schedule and geographical area. If you are interested, please check back in the future,...

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

On my bike ride today none of the overtakes felt scary, and that shows me how jaded I am, having normalised heavy objects getting hurled right past me with lethal energy. I'd certainly be less cool with bullets flying past me at that distance. But somehow, cars are fine?

A scatterplot showing overtaking vehicle speed against lateral clearance to the cyclist during the overtake, with clearances ranging from ca. 140-300 cm and vehicle speeds ranging from 35-90 km/h, with a slight trend of larger clearances at higher speeds.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Traffic violence is everywhere and appears in all kinds of shapes. As ordinary harm, constantly normalising inconveniences to those not driving. As slow violence, always raising the threshold for outrage. And as a brutal, deadly blow, masked as "accident". It hurts all the time to see it everywhere.

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

jsliacan.bsky.social @jsliacan.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Our research is not neutral if only because we depend on funding. That's distributed politically by governments or "selfishly" by corporations. Conditions often include industry in-kind which favors big corporations. Even topic choices and research areas are not neutral. www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks...

cbc.ca

Prominent climate scientist argues it's time to ditch the 'myth of neutrality' | CBC Radio

Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe talks to Bob McDonald about the polarization of science and why she thinks scientists should stop pretending to be neutral when it's our planet at risk.

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

Ola Spännar @olaspannar.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Det sker inte bara i USA

Aftonbladet 26-01-12
Intervju med civilförsvarsministern
– Det finns ett ”de” som inte bör vara en del av vårt ”vi”, och det är de som tar till våld, besinningslöst våld mot oskyldiga människor. De borde inte vara i Sverige, de borde inte ha en plats i samhället och det är ju definitionen av polarisering.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Exactly, it's public space after all. The narrative needs to be changed. It's completely absurd to restrict everyone else, not rarely to the point of making free movement impossible. And it's appalling that this is considered normal.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

The Swedish government commissioned the Transport Agency to investigate how a regulation for overtaking of cyclists by motor vehicles can be introduced. Good news - now we'll provide them with data and help them understand the importance of a full lane change. www.statskontoret.se/Statsliggare...

statskontoret.se

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Why, if I now have to press this beg button, does the light not change immediately? Why this period of making me wait, right where cars blast through, threatening me and splashing me? If we absolutely have to grant cars a guaranteed green time, why not insert it _after_ pedestrian/bike green?

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

There was this jogger on the rural road in the dusk, without reflective apparel or hiviz, and it was no problem at all, because my speed allowed me to see him well in advance and give him space and I could even say hi, as I was riding a bike. A normal encounter for human-sized mobility.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

"Use bicycle bell!" Lund's solution to their own horrendous planning. Four lanes for cars. Cyclists surely sort out who'll get the first try to not get stuck in the fence with their handlebars. Pedestrians are expected to dissolve. In which way exactly does the bicycle bell help here?

Stroad with two lanes per direction for cars passing underneath a bridge. On the sides the pedestrian pavements cease and the cycle path is diminished in width such that one bike at a time can pass, visibility is bad. A sign on the road side says : "Use bicycle bell".

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Vi ville undersöka frågan systematiskt, men har hittills fått avslag två gånger. Tycker ni att det är viktigt att ta fram information om detta som underlag för möjliga framtida beslut?

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Det tål att sägas igen. Omkörningar av cyklande ska ske med ett helt filbyte. Det borde vara en självklarhet att man gör allt för att inte skrämma och hota andra människor som befinner sig i ens närhet. Det är varken coolt eller starkt att utnyttja makt.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Snacka om att förvränga ett budskap - If och vi (VTI) gjorde en enkätundersökning och publicerar ett första resultat under rubriken "Så många bilister erkänner osäkra omkörningar av cyklister": via.tt.se/pressmeddela... Vad tycker då Carup är en bra rubriksättning? -->

via.tt.se

Ny undersökning: Så många bilister erkänner osäkra omkörningar av cyklister | If Skadeförsäkring

En ny undersökning från If om samspelet mellan bilister och cyklister, visar att en majoritet av svenska bilförare någon gång har kört om cyklister på ett osäkert sätt på landsväg. Endast fyra av tio ...

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Conclusions from our recently published paper: "The take-home lesson is that the problem of drivers failing to check for cyclists in a turn situation is confirmed by several studies with various methods, suggesting it is a global concern given the current design of traffic infrastructure. ...

doi.org

Redirecting

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

One almost wonders which transport mode has an engine. One of a thousand examples where bikes cover more altitude than cars. And often there are steep ramps. But hey, we're cycling for exercise, right?

A rural road with a smooth gradient next to a cycle path with much steeper gradients and more altitude covered over the same distance.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

I so wish that tyre and engine noise would be heard inside instead of outside of the vehicle. It's gruelling and mind-numbing to ride on a "perfectly safe" bike path next to a road full of cars.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

"Road safety is a shared responsibility!" I do my part by choosing a vehicle that does not kill others*. What's your contribution? *Yes, there is the odd case where the other party got killed in a collision with a bike. On a system level, the point is still valid.

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

jsliacan.bsky.social @jsliacan.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Not quite sure. It's rare to see cars share space instead of dominating it. The non-car user mass would have to be really big compared to the car volume if cars are to behave subdued enough to consider it sharing. I have my suspicions.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

On Saturday I learnt by experience what an impact at 30 kph means for the body. I assure you, it's not pleasant. It appears cynical to think that this is an acceptable speed to hit people with cars.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Let's hope and actively work for a change. It's not on for a country like Sweden, with its pride in "Vision Zero" and equality, to obstruct and ignore a transport mode that does not endanger others and enables equality.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Bikes on trains in Sweden, episode 443981: Going from Linköping to Emmaboda over the weekend, around 250 km. Without bike: 1 change. With bike: 4 changes. Obviously no guarantee to get the bike onto the train. Already 4 bikes on the platform. Taking an earlier option just in case of failure.

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

Emma Persson @emmapersson.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Otroligt äckligt att Sveriges mäktigaste politiker ger sig på Greta på det sätt de gör.

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

jsliacan.bsky.social @jsliacan.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Yes, and this isn't something where a "compromise" is going to make sense: "You can keep your unjustified privilege as long as you only hurt us less than a lot."

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

How cynical is this world where one can kill children with cars and this is accepted as normal ("nothing wrong"), but where the killed child's parents get charged for letting their kids be "unsupervised" in public space?

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Reposted by Katja Kircher

Jeannette Eggers @jeannetteeggers.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

"Vad som anses vara brott mot rikets säkerhet förändras över tid. Enligt somliga är exempelvis klimataktivism ett sådant. Enligt andra är granskande journalistik det. Saker som händer i andra länder kan också hända i Sverige, vi är inte immuna mot fascism." www.vk.se/2025-05-26/m...

vk.se

Sofia Mirjamsdotter: Vad har Forssell gjort för att förtjäna sitt medborgarskap?

Vad som anses vara brott mot rikets säkerhet förändras över tid. Enligt somliga är exempelvis klimataktivism ett sådant. Enligt andra är granskande journalistik det. Saker som händer i andra länder ka...

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Bikes on trains in Sweden, episode 443765. Two more wanted to get on. Would have been easy any other time. This time conductor refused on a whim, saying max one more. Next train cancelled. One hour to next train after that. Sustainable travel in Sweden, just forget it.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

It shows how deeply rooted carbrain is in our society when even the left side of the political spectrum considers it "necessary" to make public transport users instead private car users pay.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

To follow up on this - had written a proposal to the annual meeting to take away the free parking for cars. The steering group opposed that, and the annual meeting voted against it. Unfortunately I could not be present at the meeting. Very disappointed by Friskis & Svettis Linköping!

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

In a conversation about transport politics today, the other three agreed wholeheartedly how bizarre it was when a transport politician or planner didn't have a driver's licence. But did anyone of them discuss whether they'd have to be cycling? Scootering? Even walking? (Spoiler: no.)

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Sustainable travel in Sweden: Trying to get myself and my bike from Linköping to somewhere outside of Borås. Train takes forever (and they don't really take bikes). Bus (Vy) says on homepage they don't take bikes. Solution: 4 regional trains (4 h trip), then ride 50K. Amazing.

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Katja Kircher @katjakircher.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

"Är du aktivist, eller?!" Forskare och aktivist, får man vara det? Måste man kanske vara det? Alltså, stå upp för de resultat som forskningen får fram? Tipsar om ett webbinarium på cykelns dag om just denna frågeställning: cykelcentrum.vti.se/larande---ku...

cykelcentrum.vti.se

Är du aktivist eller?!

Var går egentligen gränsen mellan att vara engagerad i sitt arbete och att vara aktivist? Många blir ifrågasatta i sin profession, som forskare eller tjänstepersoner, om de verkligen är sakliga, om de...

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