ETA film showing how the dutch made the street safe.

[tom73]

Nice 40 min crowd sourced film on why we have to change.

https://irishcycle.com/2019/12/27/s...tary-shows-dutch-struggled-for-safer-streets/

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

Chris Broadman's plans for Manchester really look good, if that's really connected it might work. Alltough like pointed out in the beginning of the documentary they should punish drivers reckless drivers the same way as the ''speedboat killer'' like most other countries.

But it is a long way to go in comparison with the Netherlands where even the Princesses go to school by bicycle. (the only visible difference from normal girls being the security guards cycling behind them)

 

[confusedcyclist]

Boardman's scheme won't be realised until central government start funding it. Boardman has called for in excess of £1.5 billion to get it done. The current government has set aside a paltry 150 million for the entire nation for an this year. Funding for cycle infrastructure has been cut based on previous spending. It's early days for Boris, but I'm not getting my hopes up for systematic change. Any infrastructure improvement we will likely see is going to be piecemeal and therefore ineffectual as far as joined up networks are concerned, at least at a national level. If all the who-haa is to be believed about establishing northern train lines, expect to see former railway lines turned cycle and walking paths reverted back to train lines, regardless of their current public benefit to walkers and cyclists.

 

[DCBassman]

expect to see former railway lines turned cycle and walking paths reverted back to train lines, regardless of their current public benefit to walkers and cyclists.

I hope, in a way, they will do lots of this to both get commuters out of cars and freight out of trucks. Then the roads themselves might be a bit safer...
But I'm not holding my breath...

 

[confusedcyclist]

I hope, in a way, they will do lots of this to both get commuters out of cars and freight out of trucks. Then the roads themselves might be a bit safer...
But I'm not holding my breath...

I was saying to my neighbour, I wouldn't mind if my local NCN66 was reclaimed by a train, so long as all road routes in the area were treated to a proper safe cycle lane. Still, train lines cost an order of magnitude more than cycle routes, so I doubt this is a problem I have to worry about, because the government can't even afford cycle ways.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

freight out of trucks.

I personally think that is more important that getting people out of cars

 

[confusedcyclist]

I personally think that is more important that getting people out of cars

Absolutely, but not just on grounds of safety, but because the laws physics mean we can't electrify HGVs. Freight, and civilization itself is inherently unsustainable so long as we rely on diesel trucks.
http://energyskeptic.com/2016/when-trucks-stop-running-so-does-civilization/

 

[tom73]

Many old routes are not going to be practical or the cost of putting them back will be way more than they want to pay.
Money is one thing but i'm not sure the the will or imagination is around to make things really happen.
The regional mayors that are popping up as a smoke screen for handing back power to a local level.
Will just add to none joined up approach and the hit and miss the have.

Going on the one we have around here has declared a climate emergency, talks a lot about active travel and has appointed his own version of Boardman.
But then has signed off funding for a massive new road layout which carving up a urban park. The need based on traffic figures which are a bit open to question. Then signs off 1.2M for a motorway link road for a 1700 housing devolvement which is being sold as active travel friendly development.

We can only hope that the real change will come once people really start to climate change which is only going to worse and sooner than many think.