As to bus system – it’s really the worst I met. Not the buses themselves but the routes “design” (OM*G!!!). It is simply insane. Made by persons who has NO IDEA about the subject (no matter how good their intentions were).
So just by re-designing it the effectiveness could be boosted by 100-200% (I’m not joking – urban planning is something I’ve being doing for a couple of decades)
In particular the travel time can be cut by 25-200% (depending on distance)
Practical travel time – from door to door – is a major reason people don’t use buses here.
The cost must be reduced. I don’t want to explain in detail all financial matters of this – but current prices just drive possible passengers away thus reducing so much needed revenue. Etc.
The bus usage within certain downtown area must be FREE. With parking lots outside this area and bus routes connected to this parking lots. This will motivate people to drop their cars outside dense center.
Etc.
There are big number of possible improvements – as there is huge experience in public transportation in the world available. Why the heck “experts” at the city committee are inventing the bus all over again?

PS. I never used studs in Iceland. Last year decided to try “Green Diamond” restored tires but didn’t test them really – couldn’t find much ice.
” Bites into ice better than a studded snow tire
Superior wet road traction
Environmentally friendly
Always ready for ever-changing road conditions.
45,000 suggested year round mileage.”.
http://www.greendiamondtire.com/

Agreed that Reykjavík has the cleanest urban air I’ve had the pleasure of breathing. I hope it stays that way and that they make it even cleaner. Good air is good PR.

On the subject of which, and in no way an underhanded dig at Icelanders as we have our own incomprehesible judgements over here, can anyone flesh out exactly what the crime & sentence was in this case?
http://www.visir.is/article/20091022/FRETTIR01/230402563
http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/10/22/5_ara_fangelsi_fyrir_brot_gegn_dottur_sinni/?ref=fphelst

Having said that, I think Reykjavik has the cleanest air you could ever breath in anywhere, you couldn’t even start comparing its air, dirt & civilised pollution to cities like London,Berlin, or Paris. Everytime I’m over there am just amazed by it all and as is always the case, I just can’t adjust to life easily whenever I get back to London.

And the Google translation from Icelandic to English seems to be improving. With a grain of salt and some common sense it is working fine in many fields. But you can be sure, that I won’t understand you when talking Icelandic, like in the subway. For this, I’m still waiting for the appropriate application for my Iphone .

If kreppa forces people to consider alternatives then that is a good thing in the long run. My own conditions have radically changed since Black October so I feel the pain too. Balance and compromise won’t kill us but stubborn pride might. However I prefer incentive motivation over penalty motivation.

There is still the question of standards, what are they compared to a city of 5 million? I’d be thrilled to be living under Reykjavík’s dirty little secret vs the degrading conditions over here in N.A. I’ll bet our standards are lower and getting lower which is our kreppa legacy.

@LaTanya, oh yes, that air and water in Iceland by comparison is a real treat. I noticed it most within 5 seconds of landing back in N.A. I think about it every day almost a year later. I hope that they do the right thing and not let conditions run away.

That’s too bad! I still have fond memories of what it was like when I lived there.. When I close my eyes I can still smell the clean crisp air. AAHHH (minus the fish drying in the background) I’m sure it’s not as bad as the U.S.!

Pretty-much the one advantage that thr kreppa gives Iceland. Fuel/parts are going to be much more expensive and many households are simply not going to be able to afford to drive as often.

Of course, the counter to that is that people will change many habits before they change their driving ones and there will be less money to maintain those vehicles. So maybe it’ll go the other way.

Alda. And with Icelandic there’s almost no chance of the classic unexpected linguist story occurring . Although would another Nordic be able to get the drift if they overheard?

Personally, though, I’d put in a vote for going by bike more often. I saw surprisingly (to me) few Icelanders going by bike even this summer when it was warm, even though bikes are a great way of getting around that avoids all the unpleasant things – pollution, having to wait for busses, and so on.

Oh, and alda – relying on people not understanding what you say when you speak Icelandic probably isn’t a good idea in general. Even without Google, I think there’s several people here who’ll understand what’s being said (as long as it’s not TOO complicated, anyway).