Cities Fit for Cycling - The Times

[growingvegetables]

Hmm - just listened to Radio 4 news; despite the DfT "spin" (may be an unkind word?), the BBC report mentioned only the fact that the number of cyclists KSI went up by 8% compared to the 12 month period ending September 2010 (and compared to falls in pedestrian, motorcycle and car user casualties).

Good timing by the Times

Edited - also reported here

 

[marinyork]

I think it's all very good apart from point 8. Can't see point 8 being much use at all in many places. The additional airing to points 4,5 and 6 is very good.

 

[Bigsharn]

My personal opinion:

1. I'm sure that someone has said before now, that *if* set up correctly, an existing lorry doesn't have a blind spot, other than the wingmirror itself and the area just underneath a cab. I'm unsure how true this is, but HGV drivers' having the correct mirrors should be a higher priority (rather than throw more money at the situation)
2. I agree with the redesigning of the junctions, there's one in particular locally to me where I'm surprised a cyclist (or pedestrian) hasn't been killed, the amount of people jumping red there.
3. Good idea, but I doubt every single person in britain would reply. There are 13m cyclists according to the above video, but how many of those are the kind that jump red/ride on the pavement and give the rest of us a bad name? (and how many of THOSE would bother replying?)
4. What are next generation cycle routes? Is this like the current substandard cycling infrastructure, but not-yet-built? Or is it decent width cycle lanes, that conform to guidelines on not putting cyclists in the door zone or in a position where they're impossible to see at junctions? I reckon that £100m should be put towards getting rid of the current (and mostly flawed) cycle infrastructure and filling in the potholes that would crack a rim or cause a p'ture.
5. Wholeheartedly agreed.
6. I can't see this making much of a difference, most people on the roads (in my experience, anyway) are hitting 10-15mph. It doesn't matter if someone is clipped by a wingmirror at a 10mph or 100mph, the less experienced cyclist will be going down (and these are the ones that need protecting the most).
7. From what I read, most cycle superhighways are useless. I can only speak from local experience, but York's go at making a cycle superhighway is... not brilliant, to say the least
8. This, I disagree with. Every city and town should have a consult for designing new infrastructure, and for both pedestrian AND cyclists' safety.

...but that's just my 2 cents

 

[marinyork]

What are next generation cycle routes? Is this like the current substandard cycling infrastructure, but not-yet-built? Or is it decent width cycle lanes, that conform to guidelines on not putting cyclists in the door zone or in a position where they're impossible to see at junctions? I reckon that £100m should be put towards getting rid of the current (and mostly flawed) cycle infrastructure and filling in the potholes that would crack a rim or cause a p'ture.

I think there it's not so much literally whatever next generation cycle routes means but broadcasting the idea that cycling should get a certain pot of money outside schemes. As campaingers we have big problems any time a scheme comes along where there might be the opportunity to get some cycling stuff done. Councils say yeah we might give you some money or we might not give you any money at all and it's all up in the air. Setting a precedent for getting cash would make life an awful lot easier in theory.

 

[growingvegetables]

Dunno - there's lots to pick at in the 8 points. However

- first, it's higher profile than any other campaign I've seen; t'ain't just cyclists whinging


- and second (and I've been back to read it several times, cos I didn't believe it), helmets aren't mentioned - halleluiah! (Aye, and this isn't the place for a helmet debate either, please ).

 

[andy_spacey]

Holland and Denmark offered years ago to help the UK government in the set-up and improving the cycling routes and they just blanked them. I watched a vid a few weeks about. The Holland and the Denmark spend something like 10 euro per person in the country on cycling and this country spends £1.
Rip of Britain.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

OK, I've written to my MP (again). I would encourage others to do that as well (through the Times web site linked in the OP).

If you're interested, this is my letter, but please use your own words as it has more impact:

Dear David Crausby,

You may recall that I have written to you before about the serious need to improve conditions for cyclists on our roads. Whilst I was grateful that you did respond, and passed on my concerns to the relevant Government Department, I was also disappointed that you accepted their rather unsatisfactory replies without applying any further pressure.

In particular, when I wrote to you a year ago about the possibility of introducing a policy of "presumed liability" for determining liabilities in the case of road traffic incidents involving vulnerable road users, the reply seemed to boil down to: "There are many reasons why presumed liability ought to be introduced, which are backed up by research, but it might be difficult, so we don't intend to bother." A most disappointing response.

In our own town, I wrote last year to the Highway Authority about the very poor standard of cycle lanes in our area, and particularly on my own route to work, most of which do not even meet the standards set out in the DfT's own guidelines on Cycling Infrastructure. The response I received contained a list of very weak excuses as to why the situation would not be addressed.

It seems we now have an opportunity to make a difference in this important area of concern, as there is an upsurge in awareness of the problems, triggered largely by the Times's current campaign, which is itself the result of a tragic incident involving one of its reporters.

I will briefly summarise the main points as I see them. Cycling as a form of transport has the potential to address a number of the Government's stated priorities, including: obesity and poor health, which affects quality of life; the cost to the NHS of such poor health; and excessive and unsustainable consumption of energy, with the associated effects on our environment. The current environment on our roads, however, does nothing to encourage an increase in the use of cycling as a means of transport, and in fact actively discourages it. Yet there is much that the government can do to change this situation.

I would like to draw your attention to the 8 point manifesto that has been set out by the Times newspaper in its "Cities fit for cycling" campaign and ask that you press the Government to do everything in its power to bring about improved conditions for cyclists on our roads.

Yours sincerely,

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Also - but to try and a bit of "balance" I've asked him, at the same time, to press the local Constabulary to crack down on the large, and seemingly growing, number of "ninjas" round here.

Interesting. I'm working with local plod as part of our local cycling forum to encourage PCSO's to stop and talk to ninjas simply because being seen to sponsor this has won us shed loads of support for other cycling things from locally influential non-cyclists. Come the autumn we hope to get a discount deal with a local shop so the PCSO's can give a voucher to the great unlit encouraging them to buy some lights.

(I even put an 'I <3 my bike' style bell on one on of my bikes to get an influential blue-rinser on our side. Will I stop at nothing?)

 

[dawesome]

Today's Indie:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-demand-action-on-cyclist-deaths-6348784.html

This is all over Twitter. What happened to The Times reporter is just horrible.

 

[style over speed]

Even the BBC has noticed, maybe todays tragedy in the city will be reported rather than ignored as usual


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16874726

Has a new wave of cycling bloggers changed the debate?
It is difficult for the mayor to ignore cyclists
Cycling safety seems to be moving up the political agenda with The Times newspaper launching its campaign on Thursday.

When the Thunderer gets behind an issue then politicians usually take note.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Even the BBC has noticed, maybe todays tragedy in the city will be reported rather than ignored as usual
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16874726

I do wish they wouldn't make it look as though it's just a parochial London issue, though. Despite the number of highly publicised deaths, London is probably one of the better (or less bad) places to cycle because of the sheer numbers of cyclists. This issue is a National one.

 

[PK99]

The idea of cycle lane up the inside of lines of parked cars (item 5 on the times graphic) is lunacy - permanently in the passenger door zone!

Plus, exhortation to cyclists never to position themselves to the left of the lane at a junction and never to travel up the inside of an HGV at junctions would be a good first step.

 

[mumbo jumbo]

The Times campaign is most welcome and the video is excellent.

But it occurs to me that the trade can easily and should do more. Cycling generally, commuting in particular, is on the up. More inexperienced cyclists on the road increases the risk of tragedies like this. If every bike sale was accompanied by a leaflet (or something) covering

• key safe road cycling techniques
• key bits of the Highway Code / the law

with details of how to find out more / where to get training, there is a chance that some of these incidents could be avoided.
mj

 

[gaz]

FYI... Robert Elms 10am 04/02/12 94.9FM (BBC London) will be talking about cycle safety.
Guests include

• The writer from The Times that did the main article about Cities fit for Cycling (forgot his name)
• Someone from the LCC (I don't know who it is)
• Someone from a lorry company (forgot which company)
• And my self

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

FYI... Robert Elms 10am 04/02/12 94.9FM (BBC London) will be talking about cycle safety.
Guests include

• The writer from The Times that did the main article about Cities fit for Cycling (forgot his name)
• Someone from the LCC (I don't know who it is)
• Someone from a lorry company (forgot which company)
• And my self

Thanks for letting us know - not at all too early for a lazybones like me. Hope it goes well for you (and cyclists...).