Two wheels and beyond

Step Change: Did they really say this...?

2012-02-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ministers are recommending Londoners use
time travel machines for the Olympics

The Government is aiming to positively change its travelby 50% during the Olympics to help manage demand on the capital’s transportsystem. The Department for Transport is at the forefront of this initiative.Operation 'StepChange' is designed to see how well we’re prepared for the Gameslater this year, but it’s not just staff that have been trying out new patternsof traveling to work, but ministers too.

Reporter: Operation Step Change is designed to see how wellwe’re prepared for the Games later this year. We caught up with ministerMike Penning outside the Palace of Westminster at 8.30 in the morning...

MikePenning, Minister for Transport: Good morning.

R: Good morning. What brings youhere at this time in the morning?

MP: Well, Operation Step Changemeans we need to look at our hours, get out of some of the traditionalroutines; so leaving home at 6.15 this morning into the Commons, and nowwalking across to the department desperately trying to avoid cyclists onpavements and not paying road tax.

R: But there isn’t road tax.

MP: So what.

R: Er...Okay. How important is itfor Government to lead when it comes to changing people’s travel habits duringthe Olympics?

MP: Well, the capacity is going tobe an issue.

R: You don't say.

MP: Quite. We need to make sure thatwe lead, we’re showing how we can do it, how our civil servants can do it, andthen we’re not asking the public to do something that we’re not doing.

R: So you are going out for a walkonce early in the morning and then you think you can demand that from thepublic. You expect people to go to work at 6:15 even if there office is notopen for the next three hours?

MP: Exactly.

R: We joined Secretary of State forTransport Justine Greening who was walking to Number 10 for a Cabinet meeting. Whatbrings you walking this morning?

Justine Greening,Secretary of State for Transport: The tube is too expensive and is packed to thebloody rafters. The trains are even more expensive, it’s too cold to cycle andthe car gets held up for an hour just on this road outside parliament.

R: How refreshingly honest.

JG: Yes well here is the officialline: Right across the whole department we’re trying to re-route, re-mode,re-time and just generally reduce our travel, so I’m re-moding at the moment.

R: ‘Re-moding’. That doesn’t existin the dictionary.

JG: Changing my way of getting intowork…a good old walk up to Cabinet, which does me a lot of good.

R: How important is it forGovernment departments to, sort of, set by example our need to change patternsof travel during the Olympics?

JG: I think it does matter, and weknow it can make a real difference – I’ve certainly had a more pleasant trip up to Cabinet than I normallydo.

R: So will you be doing anything toreduce the costs of travel for people and explain why we have the mostexpensive train costs in Europe.

JG: No.

R: Will you explain why hire bikes won't be able to go to the Olympic park because of sponsorship reasons?

JG: No

R: Will you explain how turning some of the bus lanes into VIP Olympic lanes, thus forcing cyclists, motorbikes, taxis, and buses into car lanes plus removing pedestrian crossings in the process will encourage 're-moding?'

JG: No

R: Also attending Cabinet wasFrancis Maude, who had cycled to work.

FrancisMaude, Minister for the Cabinet Office: I’m particularly keen this week, during StepChange, to get the bike out again, pump up the tyres and get going. Actually,it’s great; you feel great afterwards – a bit puffed but it gets thecirculation going. I think it’s great. It’s… actually it’s about… it’s a goodthing to do anyway. We will need to do it for the Olympics and to explore inthis week what are the different ways of doing it.

R: Are you saying that currentlyour transport network can’t cope?

FM: Yes, but actually I’m reallykeen that over time, we in the civil service get better at people working a bitmore from home sometimes, because I can sit on the sofa and do bugger all, and that can ease congestion, can be better forpeople’s lives; people can be much more productive if they are working a bitmore of the time from home.

R: And what if employers don’t wantthat?

FM: Then we’re fucked. So I thinkit’s great that we’ve got the need, as well as the opportunity, to exploredoing things a bit differently in future. You know, just getting on one’s bike andthen leaving it in the shed until the next Olympics.

What they actually said:

Cyclist killed in Kendal on Sunday is named

2012-02-13T06:15:00.000-08:00

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A cyclist killed after being hit by two cars in Cumbria yesterday, has been named.

Stephen David Salt was cycling along the A591 when the incident happened near Prizet fillingstation, Kendal. Police were called to thescene at 20:15 GMT.

The details that have emerged so far are that two cars driving on the A591 were heading towards the M6 and the cyclist was travelling in thesame direction. Police said a red Seat Ibiza - driven by a 20-year-oldwoman from Lancaster - and a green Skoda Fabia - driven by a49-year-old woman from Dalton-in-Furness were involved in the incident.

At the time he was hit, there was fog in the area, which the police are investigating to see if it was a contributory factor.

The cyclist, a 46-year-oldman from the coastal area of Morecambe, was pronounced dead at the scene, and has become the fifteenth victim on UK roads this year.

Witnesses or anynone with information, in particular themovements of the cyclist, are asked to contact Cumbria Police on 101.

Cumbria: Cyclist dies after being hit by two cars

2012-02-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

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A cyclist has died after being hit by two cars in Cumbria yesterday.

The incident happened on the A591 Southbound near Prizet fillingstation, Kendal. Police were called to thescene at 20:15 GMT.

The cyclist, a 46-year-oldman from the coastal area of Morecambe, was pronounced dead at the scene, and has become the fifteenth victim on UK roads this year.

Witnesses or anynone with information, in particular themovements of the cyclist, are asked to contact Cumbria Police on 101.

Cycling investment: Department of Transport has released its Cycling England, Cycling City and Towns end of programme reports.

2012-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Department of Transport has released its CyclingEngland, Cycling City and Towns end of programme reports.

Between April 2008 and March2011, the Department for Transport, the Department of Health and the nowabolished Cycling England invested over £140m to promote cycling and to addressa historic decline in cycling activity. Part of this investment (around £50m)was used to create one Cycling City and eleven Cycling Towns (CCTs). Alongsidematched funding from the participating local authorities, the investment aimedto deliver a step change in the provision of facilities and the promotion ofcycling for travel and leisure purposes, leading to wider impacts in areas suchas health, decongestion, reduced carbon emissions and accessibility.

The programme built on theexperience of the six original Cycling Demonstration Towns (CDTs), which beganreceiving increased levels of funding in 2005, and which reported interimevaluation results in 2009.

Aylesbury Aylesbury end of programme report (ZIP – 4569 KB)

Blackpool Blackpool end of programme report (ZIP – 18,865 KB)

Cambridge Cambridge end of programme report (ZIP – 3979 KB)

Chester Chester end of programme report (ZIP – 6180 KB)

Colchester Colchester end of programme report (ZIP – 35,918 KB)

Darlington Darlington end of programme report (ZIP – 7442 KB)

Derby Derby end of programme report (ZIP – 6737 KB)

Exeter Exeter end of programme report (ZIP – 9160 KB)

Greater Bristol Greater Bristol end of programme report (ZIP – 5058 KB)

Lancaster Lancaster and Morecambe end of programme report (ZIP –11,926 KB)

Leighton Leighton-Linslade end of programme report (ZIP – 2312 KB)

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury end of programme report (ZIP – 3741 KB)

Southend Southend end of programme report (ZIP – 6306 KB)

Southport Southport end of programme report (ZIP – 3702 KB)

Stoke on Trent Stoke on Trent end of programme report (ZIP – 14,114 KB)

Woking Woking end of programme report (ZIP – 7122 KB)

York York end of programme report (ZIP – 171,841 KB)

Overall the programme appears to be a success although it will take timeto do some number crunching of all the programmes which varied in budget size andproject aim. Children schemes, school runs, new lanes, and eduction programmes. The fact that it was a success makes it all the more shameful that this government decided to abolish Cycling England. Here is a snippet but they all make interesting and positive reading.

Bristol and South Gloucestershire - received £11.4 million pound for their projects.

The two councils matched the money with an investment of their own to the tune of £22.8 million. The project, spanning two and a half years, led to anincrease in investment of spend per head of population to £16 per annum, withthe vision of more people cycling, more safely, more often.

Cycling and pedestrian activity increased by up to 12%.
Pedal cycle casualties decreased by 40% in the first six months
Traffic speeds generally reduced by 1.4mph

Blackpool - Introduced a cycle hire scheme which should break even in 4.5 years. Trained 1,824 children in level 1 Bikeability, with afurther 878 children achieving level 2 Bikeability. Installed 132 new cycle parking spaces at primary schoolsand 20mph enforcement and other measures to enable cyclists to access thePromenade.

Aylesbury - Constructed 3.7 km of off-road cycle paths and 4.3 km of on-road cyclelanes, 2 toucan crossings, a 4m wide cycle zebra, 8 priority raised tables and 37red surface side road crossovers between July 2008 and March 2011. This increased the total length of dedicatedcycle facilities in the area from 22.4km to 30.4km, a 35% increase over theprogramme.

Derby - Completition of a £1.245mnew cycle bridge and public realm improvements at Cathedral Green on NCN Route 54.

Primary school cycle parking

Southend - The coastal town introduced a combination of new infrastructure, cycle parking for schools, railways stations and in the town centre, as well as a bicycle recycling centre, which was part of their remit for acquiring the funding.

As with all towns they were slow to get going because they needed to acquire the staff and the projects structure before action took place.

Shrewsbury infrastructure map.

Shrewsbury - New lanes added to the infrastructure, and considerable cycle parking all over the town, in schools and colleges. Communicating with workplaces to encourage commute by bike, as well as events to highlight commuting by bicycle.

Love London, Go Dutch: New petition campaign makes demands for new mayor

2012-02-10T04:13:00.000-08:00

LondonCycling Campaign (LCC) has launched a new petition which runs with the tagline.Love London, Go Dutch.

Thecampaign is aimed at the next Mayor of London to invest properly in cyclingwhen they next get into office.

As partof the campaign LCC has produced some enticing images that show how Parliamentsquare can look. Currently, nobody would want to go there unless there is aprotest, and that is supposedly outlawed.

How parliament could look

In aYouGov survey, 51% of Londoners said the next Mayor can take action to encouragethem to cycle more, with 78% of those people naming safe and convenient bikeslanes all over London or safer junctions and roundabouts as their top priority.

FundamentallyLondon is highly polluted and as a result has a £300 million fine hanging overit for failing to reach EU pollution limits if it doesn’t clean up its act. Thefuture for the City if it is to avoid this fine, and it wants to become a citywhich is decent to live, then cycling and walking offers the most best way toachieve this.

Thesurvey highlighted the increased cycle use waiting to happen: 31% of parentssaid there were positive steps the next Mayor could take to encourage them tocycle more with their children, with 81% of mothers who said they could beencouraged favouring safer bikes lanes or safer junctions and roundabouts.

Toillustrate how this can be done LCC has published its latest set of innovativestreet designs, showing how Parliament Square and the Olympic Park could bemade safe and inviting for all Londoners to walk and cycle. Last year, LCCpublished a people-friendly redesign of the controversial Blackfriars junction.

ParliamentSquare

OlympicPark

Blackfriars

LCC chiefexecutive Ashok Sinha said, “There’s a real danger London will be left behindby other global cities such as New York, Paris and Amsterdam if the next Mayordoesn’t look beyond outdated solutions that always favour motor traffic overcyclists and pedestrians.

Coredemands in the next mayoralty

We wantthe new mayor to prove their commitment to Love London, Go Dutch duringthe next Mayoralty (2012-2016) by doing the following:

Implementing three flagship Go Dutch developments on major streets and/or locations
Making sure all planned developments on main roads that they control are redesigned to Go Dutch key principles, especially junctions (www.lcc.org.uk/pages/key-principles)
Ensure the Cycle Superhighway programme is completed to Go Dutch standards.

To signfor the campaign and apply pressure on the next Mayor whoever that may here isthe petition.

France: New law allows cyclists to go through some red lights

2012-02-10T01:06:00.000-08:00

Advanced cycle lights and right go through red

The French have just brought intodecree a new law that authorises cyclists Paris to go through red lights.

The new law has come into placefollowing advice from road safety experts who say it will reduce roadaccidents.

The new law was not without struggleand followed a three-year campaign by cyclists' associations.

The new system will initially testedon 15 crossroads in the East of the French capital, cyclists are allowed toturn right or go straight ahead even when the lights are red.

They must, however, make way forpedestrians and incoming traffic on the left and will be held responsible inthe event of an accident. Certainly I have seen a few cyclists in London notrespecting the pedestrians and if we manage to obtain the right to go through ared this should be implemented here.

Red and yellow signposts posted ontraffic light poles will inform cyclists that they can ignore the lights indesignated 30km per hour zones. If it works, then the scheme will be rolled outto 1,700 crossroads in Paris.

"Griller les feux" – Frenchfor going through red lights – is already a common sight in Paris, where thenumber of bike users has shot up since Socialist mayor Bertrand Delanoë createdthe 'Vélib' low rental scheme and added hundreds of new cycle lanes.

In addition to Paris, the red lightpractice is already being tested in Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Nantes, where norise in accidents has occurred according to the Paris mayoral authority.

Belgium, Germany and Scandinaviaalready apply the rule.

In the UK, the Highway Code statesthat cyclists ‘must obey all traffic lights and traffic signals’.

Statisticsfrom the Department of transport show, the most common key contributory factorrecorded by the police for collisions involving a bicycle and another vehicle is‘failed to look properly’ by either the driver or rider,especially at junctions. ‘Failed to look properly‟ was attributed to the car driver in57% of serious collisions and to the cyclist in 43% of serious collisions atjunctions.

Junctions area particular danger for cyclists when sharing the road with HGVs. Around 20% ofcyclist fatalities occur involving an HGV. These often happen when an HGV isturning left at a junction’.

Certainlygiving people the right to get away from danger is vital to introduce here, andadding a common sense approach to looking out for danger when going through ared light should add to safety by making road users more observant.

Pro-motorist government: Road traffic on the increase latest figures reveal

2012-02-09T04:04:00.000-08:00

Latest statisticsreleased today by the Department of Transport (Dft) reveal road traffic is onthe increase despite claims by this government to want to decrease car use inthe fight against global warming.

The figures,which are estimates for the 4^th quarter of 2011 reveal, all motortraffic is 3.6% higher than in the forth quarter of 2010, with traffic beinghigher in the forth quarter of 2011 than in the forth quarter of 2010 for allroad types, with the largest increases on minor rural and minor urban roads.

The latest provisionalannual estimates show that in 2011, the overall motor vehicle traffic volume in the UK was 0.9per cent higher than in 2010, at 305.8 billion vehicle miles.

In 2011, cars accounted for 78.8 per cent of all motorvehicle traffic, light vans accounted for 13.8 per cent and heavy goodsvehicles accounted for 5.4 per cent.

20.2 per cent of traffic was on motorways in 2011, with 28.5per cent on rural ‘A’ roads and 16.3 per cent on urban ‘A’ roads. 35.0per centof traffic was on minor roads in 2011.

The government is trying to claim that quarterly estimatesdo not take into account the impact of extreme weather. Part of the reason forthe latest increase in traffic maybe; ‘the effect of heavy snowfall in thefourth quarter of 2010.’

In reality, the government is continuing to promote cardependency through a transport policy that out prices people on trains, lack ofinvestment in cycling, and the extent to which they are building new roads. Theprivatisation of the railways, which the Conservatives rushed through in 1998,has led to consistent inflation-busting price rises. Currently, passengers contribute about £6.5bn to the running ofthe railways, with taxpayers picking up the remaining £4bn. Whennationalised, the taxpayer paid £1 billion in subsidies.

New road building programmes have also added to the increasein traffic. This year I sent a Freedom of Information Act tothe DfT asking how much the government had spent on new road builds. The returned figures revealed the money spent in 2010/11 came to £981million, almost £150 million more than the previous year, and more than anytime over the last decade; this in the midst of a recession andat a time when we are trying to improve our transport CO2 emissions.

The message is clear: keepdriving and we will build more roads to fit more of you in. Road traffic hasincreased in the last 15 years by 25% despite some efforts to get people ontobikes.

Transport makes up a quarter of our total CO2 emissions,which rose in 2010 by 3.1% although the government claims this is a blip.

This government has shown itself to be pro-motorist, withrecent suggestions made to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph. Thisproposal flies in the face of a clear understanding that faster speeds leads toincreases in emissions, accidents and congestion.

The latest estimates show that traffic on motorways and onrural ‘A’ roads was 3 per cent higher in the fourth quarter of 2011 than in thesame quarter of 2010. Traffic on urban ‘A’ roads was 2 per cent higher than inthe fourth quarter of 2010.

In addition, a discovery in January thisyear was that four sitting MPs make up the sole patronage of the man-made climatechange denying and pro-motorist lobby group the Association of British drivers(ABD). According to their website Steve Baker, KarlMcCartney, David Morris, and Sammy Wilson are all proud patrons of the group. Itwas also discovered just how much of a say the ABD had in the 80 mph motorwayincrease proposal when comparisons were made between the former Transportminister Philip Hammond’s press release in October last year and a submissionmade by the ABD to the DfT back in 2005. The exact words led to one conclusion:The government is a mouthpiece for the ABD, and any future consultation will bea sham.

The increase in provisional traffic estimates between 2010and 2011 follows 3 consecutive years of declining traffic, which represents thefirst period where traffic has decreased in consecutive years since recordsbegan in 1949.

Road rage leaves cyclist on bonnet and bicycle mangled

2012-02-09T01:37:00.000-08:00

A cyclist was left in a state of shock following a road rage incident in Manchester.

Cyclist, Alexander Foreman was cycling on Egerton Road inFallowfield, Manchester, when he was clipped by a car’s wing mirror the Manchester Evening news reported.

The driver thenbecame so enraged, he deliberately ploughed into Alexander when he was waiting attraffic lights at the junction with Wilmslow Road. Police are now trying totrace the driver of the car, who was in a gold Toyota Yaris.

Alexander, was left with minor injuries but wasshaken by the incident and told the paper 'I was cycling along when a car clippedme with his wing mirror. I heard him swearloudly, even with his windows wound up, and he became really angry. Ijust wanted to get away so I cycled on. At the traffic lights, he mounted thekerb and the next thing I knew I was on his bonnet. It was all over reallyquickly.'

He was left withminor injuries, bruises and small cuts, but it could have been a lot worse. 'People don’t realise howvulnerable cyclists are when they are on the road. If you are in a car, youweigh about a tonne. If you’re on a bike, you weigh about 100kg. Motorists need to be aware of the damage that can be done. Thedriver is described as being an Asian man with stubble.

Detective ConstableRichard Lees informed the Evening paper: 'This man did not even bother to check on the person hehad driven into. His impatience meant he had little regard for other road usersand we therefore need to catch him as soon as possible. We areappealing to any of the motorists who witnessed the incident, particularlythose who may have made a note of the registration number to comeforward.'

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 8566090 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Anger towardscyclists is an additional menace to cyclists fuelled by roads that are notfit for purpose. In part because the infrastructure has been developed withonly the car in mind, there appears to be a lack of acceptance for cyclists onthe road. Proper investment in bicycle infrastructure must be made urgently.

Second London cyclist dies this year following crash into an opening car door

2012-02-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

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A cyclist who crashed into a door being opened by the driver, has died.

James Darby, 44, was cycling along Upper Elmers End Road in Beckenham when he was in collision with a stationary blue Fiat Panda.

The incident took place on Saturday January 7 in rush hour at 6.10pm.

The car was parked on Upper Elmers End Road and as the driver was getting out of the car, Mr Darby collided with the door.

He was taken to Kings College Hospital where he remained unconscious and in a serious condition until he died on January 22.

A post mortem gave the cause of death as head injuries.

No arrests have yet been made. Enquiries continue.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash in which a cyclist died.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to contact the Collision Investigation Unit at Catford Traffic Garage on 020 8285 1574 or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

London councils urge people to take cycle training

2012-02-08T01:04:00.000-08:00

LondonCouncils, the organisation which represents the 32 London boroughs andthe City of London has released a press release, urging cyclists to sign upfor free and subsidised safety training.

A total of £11m has beenmade available for cycle training during the financial year 2011/12, helping todeliver up to 275,000 cycle training places to school children aged between10-11.

In 2010-20118,350 people received the training, which was a 42 per cent increase on2009/2010.

Several London boroughs, including Croydon, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hackney, Lambeth and the City of London also offer cyclist awareness training for heavy goods vehicles drivers, which encourages HGV drivers to empathize with cyclists by giving them the experience of riding a bike on the road.

LondonCouncils wants more people to take up the opportunity of free or subsidisedtuition to try and reduce the number of cyclist casualties on London’s roads.

The first Cycling Proficiency Test was held for seven children on 7 October 1947. The National Cycling Proficiency Scheme was introduced by the Government in 1958. In 1959 over 100,000 children took the test and by 1974, statutory responsibility for road safety being given to local authorities, including the provision of child cyclist training.

Training is of course a good idea, especially for the young who will hopefully learn the love of a bike from early on. However, it is too simple to say let's reduce cycle casualties by offering training, when the problem is clearly the roads that are not fit for purpose. Henry Walker the latest victim of London's poorly designed roads was an experienced cycle courier of many years. When we stop sharing a lane with parked cars, buses, taxis, motorbikes and not have HGV's, coaches, and speeding delivery vans breathing down our neck. When we do more than paint a blue lane and call it a super highway, then this would be a far better approach to cyclist and pedestrian safety.

CouncillorCatherine West, Chair of London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committeesaid: “The number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on London’s roads hasgone down by 17 per cent in the last decade. But sixteen cyclists died onLondon’s roads in 2011 and two more have died since the start of thisyear.

Transport forLondon estimates that there are now half a million trips made by bicycle inLondon every day.

The majority of London boroughs offer free cyclingtuition to adults and children and others offer heavily subsidisedtraining.

Bishopsgate cyclist named as cycle courier Henry Warwick

2012-02-08T00:13:00.000-08:00

The cyclist killed last Friday at Bishopsgate has been named a Henry Warwick, aged 61.

Henry Warwick was an bicycle courier who worked for Rico logistics. Messages of sympathy towards family and friends have been pouring into a cycle forum.

A memorial ride organised by London couriers will be held this Friday.

The incident took place on Bishopsgate when a turning Terrorvision coach turned into Mr Warwick. Coaches taking people to Stansted airport pick up passengers outside Liverpool Street station on the A10 through road that leads to London Bridge.

This video from the Cycling Intelligence website - feature Henry Warwick in a programme called 'Ed's up' - In this video Henry looks after Ed as a cycling courier trying out dangerous jobs. Note the man from Rico has said 3 to 400 cyclists die in London each year - this is incorrect of course.

Transport for London to review 500 roundabouts

2012-02-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

Bow street roundabout from above

The Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed today that they will examine 500 key junctions as part of a major review of cycle safety ordered by the Mayor.

The first junctions proposed for priority review include St George's Circus, Highbury Corner and Stockwell Gyratory. Those junctions were prioritised using a range of criteria including cycle collision statistics.

TfL has already formed a steering group and held the first of a series of meetings with key stakeholders as part of the junction review programme.

Boris Johnson, said: 'We are seeing a step-change in both the way that people choose to travel, but also in the way that cyclists are viewed on our streets...'That is why...I have asked TfL to review hundreds of key junctions across the Capital to specifically examine safety and provision for cyclists.'

TfL is also currently discussing with cycling groups and key local stakeholders their views about proposals to improve the safety of cyclists using Bow Roundabout in east London. Last year 16 cyclists died in London, including two within three weeks at Bow roundabout, in the east of London.

As part of the review, consideration will be given to see if cyclists will be given a 'early start' at traffic lights on particularly busy junctions' under a review into how to cut the toll of cycling deaths and injuries in the capital.

The TfL review will involve all 375 junctions on the so-called 'cycle superhighways' (routes 2, 3, 7 and 8), although TfL does not expect all these junctions to require a redesign. The review also includes around 150 major junctions and planned schemes on the TfL Road Network. The majority of these are locations where work is already planned and is in the design stage as well as 150 others picked for reasons including high rates of bike collisions.

Any improvements to be delivered as a result of the junction review however, will not be delivered until after the Olympics aside from the Bow roundabout.

Junctions are not just a problem here in the UK. According to the European Road Safety Observatory, 'throughout 18 European Union countries including the UK, cyclists have the highest proportion of fatalities at junctions: more than a third. In Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom more than half of cyclist fatalities die at junctions'

The Steering Group for the junction review is made up of representatives from the following organisations:

TfL
Freight Transport Association
Living Streets
London Cycling Campaign
Roadpeace
SUSTRANS
Road Haulage Association
Institute of Advanced Motorists
London Technical Advisors Group
Metropolitan Police Service

UK emissions rose 3.1% in 2010 - government says our policies are in order - I beg to differ

2012-02-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

An article in the Guardian announced that 'greenouse gas emissions caused by the recession has proved to be a blip, with UK emissions rising 3.1% in 2010 as the economy recovered.

According to the paper the UK's emissions have been falling over the past decade as energy generation has 'switched to less carbon-intensive gas power, but this is the first time emissions have risen since a modest rise in 2003. The upward trajectory in 2010 follows a steep fall of 8.7% in 2009 on 2008 levels, as industrial activity slumped.'

Energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey, told the Guardian: "Emissions were up in 2010 because of the exceptionally cold weather and greater use of fossil fuels. One year won't knock the UK off meeting its long term emission reduction targets, but it serves to underline the importance of the coalition's policies for insulating homes to cut bills and emissions and moving to greener alternative forms of energy."

Actually Ed the coalitions policies for insulating home is in disarray.

Background:

The only long-term and sustainable solution for dealing with fuel poverty according to the Fuel Poverty Action Group in their 2009 8th annual report; is ‘to radically improve the energy efficiency of every dwelling occupied by fuel poor households.’ In an attempt to tackle fuel poverty, the Labour government introduced the Warm Front Scheme (WFS) in 2000 to provide a range of heating and insulation measures to vulnerable private sector households. In a period between June 2005 and March 2008, and at a cost of £852 million, the WFS assisted over 635,000 households. Buoyed by this progress, the Labour government raised the budget for the next 3 years to £859 million.

There were however criticisms leveled at scheme, which included helping out homes who didn’t need the support. According to a National Audit Office report looking into the WFS, ‘nearly 75 per cent of households who qualified were not necessarily in fuel poverty.’ Seeing a fault in the scheme, the charity National Energy Action set up a project named the Warm Zones project, which targeted specific geographic areas with fuel poor households. This different approach however duplicated the effort between the Scheme and the Warm Zones project, which offered some of the same measures that the Scheme provided. The need for a more collaborative approach appeared clear.

A new government brings new ideas. However, any benefits the Warm Front Scheme made have in some cases been entirely wiped out when the Coalition chancellor George Osbourne chose to cut the winter fuel allowance in half. Not content with making winter as difficult as possible for the poor and vulnerable, the government chose to phase the Warm Front Scheme out by 2013 leaving the UK without a central government-funded energy efficiency programme.

Presently there is a state of limbo with a Pay As You Save scheme under the title ‘Green Deal’ is not due to start until 2012. The idea of this new scheme will be to convince homeowners to take out a loan and repay it through the money saved on the heating bills. In the leaked letter to the Telegraph from Cameron’s energy advisors, this very issue was raised: ‘We believe a large number of measures will need to be subsidised given, the hassle factor and other barriers to consumer uptake identified at the Green Deal implementation meeting.’ The loans will be taken out through commercial companies with repayment made over a period of 20 to 25 years in installments via the household's energy bills. In addition these loans will have interest rates attached to them, and as of yet who will be loaning and under what conditions remains unclear.

There are also real doubts as to whether people will want to take up the offer and essentially land themselves into a 20-year debt. When homeowners choose to move house, the loan will be tied in with the house. The purchasers would take on that loan as part of the house. According to the government, this would make the new home more attractive because they would know they are moving into a house that will have lower fuel bills. However, Consumer Focus a charity statutory consumer body for England, Wales, Scotland asked homebuyers how they would react to a Green Deal loan sitting on a property they were looking to buy. Both buyers and tenants said that could ‘put them off choosing that property.’ In addition, there are currently 2.5m people already in debt to their energy supplier, and the depth of debt is rapidly increasing, the idea that the poorest will want to receive more debt is questionable, and will existing defaulters be allowed to receive a loan on the green deal?

According to the Inquiry into Social Justice in the Low Carbon Economy report: ‘Funding these policies through levies on consumer bills is demonstrably regressive and perverse’, because ‘The poor spend proportionately more of their income on fuel than more affluent consumers.’ The report concludes that the eradication of fuel poverty is best achieved by funding programmes through HM treasury in a joined up approach. ‘This is generally accepted to be a more equitable and progressive approach.’ The UK has the highest winter death rate in northern Europe; worse than much colder countries such as Finland and Sweden. In 2009/10, nine elderly people died every hour from cold-related illnesses, resulting in an estimated 25,400 excess winter deaths. However, it must be noted that the claim that people in Sweden uses less energy than in the UK is not true. Either way, it is hard to imagine elderly homeowners wanting to take on a debt in late life to improve their heating and therefore the most vulnerable people affected by fuel poverty, are those who are least likely toadopt the scheme.

Further concern has focused on the way the scheme presents an opportunity for utility companies to get back a lot of the money that was levied on them to improve energy efficiency in the first place. For example, under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, utility companies have paid into a fund for energy-efficient home improvements. Under the Green Deal, they are the companies doing much of the retrofitting, and will be given a green light to get this money back at a profit.

For a large overview on fuel poverty and the issues surrounding it please click here.

Spalding cyclist and record holder killed in crash is named

2012-02-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

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A CYCLIST who died after being hit by a car in Whaplode Drove, Spalding has been named.

Kenneth Usher Aged 77, of Dowsdale, Crowland, died at the scene of the accident in Broadgate on Friday the 3rd, just after 1pm.

The incident involved a Suzuki Wagon, driven by an 80-year-old man from Spalding. The driver was not injured.

Mr Usher was a keen cyclist and according to the Time Trialing forum held several records. Last year he re-joined Cambridge Cycling Club and got a silver medal in the Veterans Time Trails Association (VTTA) competition.

He still holds National VTTA trike records for:
100 miles 62 K Usher 1997 4.38.13
24 hours 65 K Usher 1999 381.770
14 hours 65 K Usher 1999 239.230

The fatality is the third on Lincolnshire roads in 2012 compared to a total of five in the same period last year.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or who saw the vehicle prior to the incident should contact the police collision witness hotline on 01522 558855.

Eilidh Cairns: Family pleads for better safety at See Me, Save Me event

2012-02-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

The family of Eilidh Cairns who died three years ago following an an incident which saw a truck plough into her, have warned that similar deaths will occur unless better safety measures are introduced.

Eilidh Cairns - died on February the 5th, 2009 after being knocked off her bike by a heavy goods vehicle near Notting Hill Gate.

'The 30-year-old television producer, who cycled from her Hampstead home to work in Chiswick on a daily basis, lay under the wheels of the 32-tonne vehicle still conscious and able to talk. She was airlifted to hospital but died hours later' the Evening Standard reported.

An event to mark the third anniversary of her death was held on Sunday the 5th to launch the See Me, Save Me campaign to fit heavy vehicles with cameras and sensors to remove blind spots.

On Friday the death of a cyclist in his 60s at Bishopsgate hit by a coach highlighted the vital and immediate need for action.

Eilidh's sister Kate Cairns, 39, told the crowd gathered that over 50 more cyclists in the capital havd died in similar circumstances since her younger sibling's death. A ghost bike, which is at the site of Eilidh's accident is the first officially sanctioned of its kind in London, she said: "The government's response has been all too slow and too late to help address this issue. How many more have to suffer before those that have the influence to change things do something about this issue?"

"It's not simply about educating the cyclist, because Eilidh was doing all the right things, but was still knocked over and killed. We hope that by launching this campaign to put pressure on drivers we can prevent such pointless losses of life."

Last year the family prepared a written declaration which won the support of more than half the total number of MEPs.

Cynthia Barlow, who chairs the charity RoadPeace which has developed the campaign website, said: "After my daughter was killed cycling by a left turning lorry in 2000 I challenged the firm involved to make their lorries safer for other road users. "To their credit they adopted additional safety features including sensors. But over eight years on these are still only voluntary. How many more people must die on our streets before we accept that the blind spot can be eliminated?"

Accidents between a pedal cycle and HGV are more likely to result in serious injury with 10 per cent of pedal cyclist casualties in these accidents being fatal, compared with 1 per cent of all pedal cyclist casualties. Nearly 1 in 4 pedal cyclists killed is in an accident with an HGV - Stats for 2007 - source Department of Transport

63 year-old cyclist becomes third victim in three days on UK roads

2012-02-06T01:09:00.000-08:00

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Alan Mort aged 68 has become the thirteenth cyclist to be killed this year on UK roads.

North Wales Police were called to a serious road traffic collision between a pedal cyclist and a motorist on the A548 near the Manor Industrial Estate, Flint on Sunday the 5th February at 12.38hrs.

The cyclist sustained serious injuries and was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.

The cyclist has been named as Alan Mort, 63 years of age from the Kimnel Bay area.

A 44 year old man, the driver of the vehicle involved, has been arrested and has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision or anyone who saw the cyclist or a silver range rover in the area around the time of the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call PC 450 Aled Jackson on 101.

Mr Mort becomes the third victim in three days following the tragic death of a cyclist in Bishopsgate and Spalding on Friday the 3rd.

New cycle hire schemes under consideration in several towns

2012-02-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

Cardiff hire bikes

Cycle hire schemes are of increasing interest across several UK towns and Cities.

Hull Council is looking at a number of options for cycle hire schemes to promote the city as a 'Prestige Green City'. A recent meeting of the council on the topic however pointed out that there is a general consensus is in favour of the scheme, alternative money sources needed to be found other than from the council. Options for running it range from handing over responsibility to a not-for- profit social enterprise offering training in cycle repairs, to working in partnership with a national retail chain.

In Norwich, Dutch train operator Abellio who are taking over from National Express East Anglia in running the Greater Anglia train services are in talks with Norwich City Council this week. It emerged that previous discussion between council bosses and Abellio were over improvements at Norwich station. Among the ideas, was the possible provision of both cycle hire and secure cycle storage facilities at Norwich station.

In addition, the council of the seaside town of Bournemouth is considering introducing a town wide hire scheme. Officers are arranging a feasibility study into a local scheme to see how many people will take to two wheels.

These hire scheme possibilities are on top of existing schemes including Cardiff, Newcastle, and York, and generally add to the continued momentum of cycle expansion

New cycle route projects roundup

2012-02-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

Dorset

CYCLISTS have been invited to have their say on a cycle route that will link Dorset with France. They have welcomed plans to make tramway lines in Weymouth safe as part of the European cycle network.

Dorset County Council is receiving €461,600 from the EU to improve bike paths in Weymouth, Dorchester and Purbeck as part of the Cycle West tourism project. Read more...

Devon

Paignton seafront - by Debbie Da'Silva-Dias

The council has opened Eastern Esplanade to cyclists by introducing contraflow cycle lanes, allowing them to use this scenic section of highway in both directions whilst the road is open to traffic. The cycle route is intended to link into future cycle facilities, which will form part of the National Cycle Route through Torbay. Read More...

Worcestershire

VIEWS are wanted on plans for a new cycle route linking Worcester and Malvern. Information on the routes and on how people can contact Sustrans with their thoughts can be obtained by sending an email to consultation@sustrans.org.uk. Worcestershire County Council and the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are assisting with the study, with the work funded by the AONB. Read more...

Leinster, Ireland

Signs have gone up all over South Laois over the past couple of weeks for the Laois cycle trail. These signs are part of the 48km cycle trail which is promoted by South Laois Tourism in conjunction with Laois Partnership.

The trail encompasses a number of areas including Ballacolla, Cullahill, Durrow, Attanagh, and Ballinakill. As part of this trail, there are also four shorter trails, which take in differnt parts of South Laois. As well as the signs, Failte Ireland will also be putting map boards up in the five villages. Read more...

Cyclist dies in Spalding - Twelfth this year.

2012-02-04T03:14:00.000-08:00

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The Twelfth cyclist to die this year in a road accident was a 77-year-old Lincolnshire man in a road crash in Spalding.

The Crowland man, who has yet to be identified, was hit by a car on Whaplode Drive on Friday afternoon and died at the scene, police said.

The driver of the car, an 80-year-old Spalding man, was not injured in the incident.

The fatality is the third on Lincolnshire roads in 2012 compared to a total of five in the same period last year.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the vehicle prior to the crash is asked to contact the police.

James Moore: An open letter to the Minister for road safety

2012-02-04T02:59:00.000-08:00

James Moore of the Independent

This open letter appeared in the Independent by Deputy business editor James Moore:

Dear Mike Penning,

I might be misinformed, but it seems you are no great fan of cyclists. You count the number who run red lights on your way to work, I have seen it reported.

Cyclists running red lights is bad form, I know, Minister, but some cyclists run red lights because that is one way of avoiding lorries.

Of course, lorries are supposed to stay out of cycle lanes and the green boxes with cycles painted on them near junctions. Those boxes are there to ensure cyclists can get away before HGVs get started when the lights turn green. The trouble is that HGV drivers don't always stay out of them as they should. Like the driver of a tanker who hit me when he was turning left.

I should say, Mr Penning, I am also a motorist – or at least I was before I was seriously disabled by that tanker. And I can tell you that, as a motorist in London, the thing I'm afraid of is other motorists, not cyclists. That is because other motorists can hurt me even when I'm in a car. And when I'm on a bike, they can kill me.

Cyclists are uniquely vulnerable. Maybe some cycle badly. But they seem to attract far more opprobrium from people like you than motorists who drive badly. The practice of blaming the victim is rather repellent, don't you think?

As Minister for road safety, you ought to be looking at ways to make roads safer. One thing might be to impose tougher penalties on motorists who ignore cycle paths and stop boxes. Another might be to force companies operating HGVs to fit sensors to their vehicles so drivers are alerted to the presence of cyclists who they either don't see – or don't look out for. If the driver who hit me had seen me, maybe I wouldn't be writing this. I'd be in Kensington writing business news rather than working from a home I'm basically confined to on account of my legs being wrecked.

Sensors cost £500 per lorry. I know you're keen on cutting regulation to make life easier and less costly for business. The economy's in a bit of a state. I'm a business journalist. I get it. But look at it this way. If the prospect of saving other families from the agony that mine has been through (and thousands of others), please think about this: the costs of the sensors ought to be offset by a reduction in insurance costs. Every road death costs nearly £2m in terms of hospital costs, rehab, police time, not to mention all the resultant criminal and civil claims, according to the charity Road Peace, using figures from your Department of Transport. So why not act? You might save some lives. And if that doesn't excite you, you'd certainly save some money. How about it?

Yours sincerely,

James Moore

Well said - Twowheelsandbeyond thinks Mike Penning should resign.

London: cyclist killed by coach on Bishopsgate, London

2012-02-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

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A cyclist has died today following a collision with a coach in the City of London. The incident happened on the junction of Wormwood Street in the early afternoon.

The cyclist aged 60 is the first cyclist to be killed in London and the tenth killed in the UK this year.

Police are asking anyone who saw the incident to phone 0207 7601 2222.

The accident comes at a time when cycle safety is gaining mass attention following years of campaigning and a recent campaign by the Times newspaper.

Although the details of the incident are unknown, what is clear is the danger Bishopsgate represents to many cyclists, being a narrow street with large volumes of traffic.

Bishopsgate is also a major pick up place for coaches taking passengers to Stansted airport. the coach that was involved in the incident today was a Terrorvision coach which runs an airport service from outside Liverpool street station.

Uninsured driver who killed cyclist gets fined £350 plus suspended sentence

2012-02-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

A 28-year old driver who was adjusting his radio when he collided with cyclist Rob Gregory on the A5 in Milton Keynes in March last year has been given a six-month suspended sentence.

Boulton was driving a red Peugeot 306 at 9.45am on Sunday, March last year, when he crashed into a bike being ridden by 43-year-old Robert Gregory, from Little Brickhill.

The sentence was handed down at Aylesbury Crown Court and included 200 hours of unpaid work, a £350 fine with a £15 victim surcharge (paid into a fund aimed at helping improve services for victims of crime).

In affect the driver Martin Boulton, has been given a £350 fine for taking someone's life while fiddling around with his radio and driving without insurance.

The article appeared in the Milton Keynes Citizen with a picture of someone in handcuffs and 'Justice' emblazoned across the image. Hardly justice and not going to prison.

In addition to the suspended jail term, Boulton was also sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work, and a 15-month driving disqualification for each of the two offences, to run concurrently.

Investigating officer PC Naomi Hames, of the Road Death Investigation Team in Aylesbury, said: “This is a very sad case and my thoughts continue to be with the family of Robert Gregory who have been very supportive throughout the police investigation.

A statement from his wife in a tribute released laste year after his death read: "Rob was such a caring person, he was a loving father and doted on his children and was a wonderful husband filling our lives with so much love and laughter. Rob loved his cycling and would cycle for miles exploring the county. When he wasn’t cycling he would be making improvements to our home, just last year building a conservatory for our children to play in."

The issue of drivers being allowed back behind the wheels who have killed someone came to the fore recently after a Freedom of Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) revealed over 600 drivers who have been convicted of causing death bydrink-driving, dangerous or careless driving have been give allowed to driveagain.

The largest proportion of those given back their licence fell into thedrink-driving category and amounted to 317, there were 148 who caused death bybeing careless and 138 by being dangerous. Among the 625 to get their licences back are 13 who took a life while eitherunlicensed, disqualified or uninsured. With a 15-month disqualification, we can expect one more to be added to that list in 2014.

Promoting cycling - Bradford views cycling as the way forward

2012-02-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

Bradford is setting itself up to become known as a cycle-friendly city for both commuters and tourists, when Councillors discuss a cycling strategy to be presented to the authority’s Executive on February the 10th.

The strategy has involved a collaboration between a range of cycling organisations, local businesses, and members of the public as well as the Council, to form the ‘Cycle Bradford’ Partnership.

The plan sets out action points to get more people out cycling by improving cycling infrastructure, promoting training, staging events and gathering community support.

Councillor David Green said in the Yorkshire Post: “Although it is important that we promote cycling as a sustainable mode of transport, we also see cycling as a great leisure and sporting activity that can boost people’s health and this strategy reflects those benefits.”

The council says that the cycling strategy is closely aligned and will help to deliver the aims of the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan 2011-26 and the recently launched ‘Active Bradford’ Sport and Physical Activity Strategy.

Bradford Council will be working with the charity Sustrans and other partners to improve nearly £4m of cycle routes in the district, for example the completion of Connect 2 project in the Manchester Road area which will see the installation of a new bridge; the creation of a mountain biking hub at St Ives estate in Bingley and improving the Canal Road corridor for cyclists.

Cycling is increasingly being seen as a benefit to local economies. In a study in the Dutch city of Utrecht, figures revealed that although bicycle consumers spend less per transaction, they make more visits and spend the most collectively.

A German study in the City of Munster found equally beneficial results to the cyclist cause when it highlighted cyclists as ‘better customers’. 'Cyclists' it said; 'go to shops more regularly (11 times a month on average, as opposed to seven times a month for motorists) and are thus exposed more often to temptation. Motorists were in the minority (25 to 40 % of customers, depending on whether it is a weekday or a Saturday) in shops in urban areas.
It isn't just for daily shopping trips either. cycling plays a vital role in tourism, which Bradford may benefit from. Certainly small businesses benefited from my trip when I cycled around the North Sea. I wended my way through countless tiny villages and places that received my money as I went.

A good example of the expenditure brought about by a cycle route network designed to attract tourists can be found in Veloland Schweiz. The Swiss network has been monitored extensively from the project inception and use has been high from early stages of development. The total number of cyclists per annum was 3.3 million in 1999 and this rose to 4.8 million in 2007, a 30% increase. Around 210,000 of these trips are overnight cyclists; the other 4.6 million are day excursions. In 2007, the total turnover from all cyclists on the Veloland network was an estimated at €88 million. Now I'm not saying Bradford would attract that sort of number, but it highlights the significant sums cycling brings to local economies.

Next Bikes Alive protest at Kings Cross

2012-02-03T00:20:00.001-08:00

There’s another Bikes Alive event at Kings Cross, on Monday 6 February, 6pm-7pm. Fight the cold by warming the heart.

Why still Kings Cross?

The current Bikes Alive strategy is to keep up the pressure at just one of the places where change is needed (until there are so many Bikes Alive activists that road closures are happening all over London every day, that is…), and Kings Cross is a place where Transport for London (TfL) might be especially vulnerable.

There’s quite a surge in concern at the moment about the way road traffic policies – especially in London – affect cyclists. Even The Times gave over its front page on Thursday 2 February to launch a campaign to improve the safety of cycling (see the on-live version here: www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3306502.ece). Other national dailies have covered the Bikes Alive campaign specifically; and there’s been both general cycling safety coverage, and specifically Bikes Alive coverage, in London-wide media. This, and the work of many other cycling campaigns and websites, has all helped to stir up quite a public hubbub about cycle safety in the run up to the Greater London elections (for the Mayor and the Assembly) in May. And after all, since transport is the one thing which is largely devolved to London, it probably is – in practical terms as opposed to political posturing (by both candidates and lobbyists) – the most important issue in the election campaign.

Even more specifically at Kings Cross, Bikes Alive have two local papers (covering the two boroughs that meet at Kings Cross) running stories about the safety of the Kings Cross road system week after week, and – in their on-line editions – generating quite a debate over whether Bikes Alive is using the right tactics (see, for example, www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/jan/‘you-ride-too-rough’-london-cycling-campaign-lcc-refuse-back-safety-protests). On top of that, the wonderful community website for Kings Cross (kingscrossenvironment.com) has helped to rally lots of vocal and practical support for the campaign to make the area’s roads safer.

(And, not least, the one thing TfL does plan for Kings Cross will speed up traffic and makes thngs even more dangerous for cyclists.) See the map below for meeting point the date of this map is of course inaccurate, please refer to the date at the top.

Air pollution: Brighton children test their playgrounds for air pollution

2012-02-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

A newresearch project aimed at testing how pollution from neighbouring roads mightaffect children in the playgrounds is underway.

Theproject run by Imperial College London is involving the children by getting theschool pupils to measure the levels of airborne pollutants at different timesof the day, and at different locations in and around their school. The idea isto learn about how the pattern of air quality relates to external factors suchas the weather, local industry and the number of cars passing by or stopping atthe school.

With thehelp of Imperial physicist Dr Mark Richards, Year 6 pupils from Elm GrovePrimary are using monitoring devices that detect nitric oxide (NO), nitrogendioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), airbornemolecules that are known to be harmful to human health and the environment.

A 2005 study by the World Health Organisation whichlooked into the effects of air pollution on children’sdevelopment found ‘evidence implicating air pollution in adverse effects onchildren’s health’. It concluded; the ‘developing fetal lung, as well as the infantlung, is more susceptible to injury by lung toxicants (including airpollutants). Another report by the WHO stated 'The emissions from car exhaustsare responsible for more deaths than road accidents.'

Following a report by the Institute of OccupationalMedicine in June 2010 on Mortality Impacts of particle airpollution in London, it was estimated 4,267 deaths were attributable todangerous airborne particles in 2008 alone.

The airquality results from monitoring stations at the roadside and in the school arebeing displayed on plasma screens inside the school, where pupils have beenclosely studying how pollution levels vary in real time. Community scientistsfrom the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) project visited the school during May andJune 2011 to engage the students in activities and discussions about theenvironmental impact of air pollution and its significance for localbiodiversity. The project continues in 2012, with pollution monitors in a thirdBrighton school, St Bartholomew's Primary.

DrRichards, said: "There's a lot that scientists don't yet know about air pollutionand how it moves around in urban environments. Thanks to our project, the kidscan analyse pollution data, pretty much like a scientist does, and make theirown decisions about what air quality means to them. They could even decide whenis best to go out to play in the school grounds based on the pollutionlevels."

Londonwhich has some of the worstair pollution in Europe, has 1,148 schools within 150 metres of roadscarrying about 10,000 vehicles a day. The figures which were obtained by CleanAir in London campaign group using the Freedom of Information Act, highlightsthe exposure many pupils face.

Brightonand Hove City Councillor Ian Davey, said: "Traffic emissions aroundschools are a big issue in the city and these children have been able to seehow it affects air quality in their space. It’s been a valuable project whichwe hope will encourage a new generation of young people interested inprotecting and improving the environment."

DrRichards said: "We hope to use data from this programme to assess theimpact that vehicle emissions have on human health, particularly on vulnerablegroups like people with asthma or other respiratory diseases. In additionto the obvious health and educational benefits, results from this projectshould tell us more about how localised air pollution spreads around our urbanenvironment. This data will be a valuable aid for local environmentalpolicy-makers and transport planners, and can also help scientists develop moreaccurate models of the atmosphere."

New cycle projects roundup

2012-02-01T03:22:00.000-08:00

New cycle projects are springing up all over the place, so I thought I would bring some of them together here.

Devon

Two exciting developments relate to EuroVelo 1 in the UK. A brand new 300 metre long walking / cycling viaduct is being built near Tavistock, Devon on part of EuroVelo 1 (National Cycle Network Route 27). It will be known as “Gem Bridge” and crosses the River Walkham near Grenofen, where it will open up a traffic-free section of the EuroVelo 1 / NCN27 route which is currently on road.

There it will be joined by another traffic-free section of the route, which is opening thanks to the purchase of a disused railway tunnel by Devon County Council nearby. The “Grenofen Tunnel” was built in 1859 by the famous British Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel but has been closed for 50 years. It is being re-opened with a cycle route through it, again as part of EuroVelo 1 / NCN27 (the picture was taken before any work was started). It is expected to open in Spring 2012. The viaduct and tunnel, combined with connecting paths, will add 26kms of traffic-free cycling to the route.

East Sussex

The Long-awaited Bexhill to Hastings seafront cycle and pedestrian path was officially opened this week and a special ‘portrait bench’ was also unveiled. The new seafront path, which is 2.2km in length, creates a traffic-free route that is more than 5km long by linking two existing paths; Galley Hill in Bexhill and Hastings promenade.

Somerset

Work has begun on a new bridge for walkers and cyclists which will open up a route from Bath into the countryside. The work, expected to last 12 weeks, will see a 30-yard-long, steel foot and cycle bridge installed over Monksdale Road in Oldfield Park. The whole route is expected to open in late autumn.

West Sussex

A CYCLE path scheme which will double up as a restricted parking zone along Worth Park Avenue has been prioritised by councillors, a meeting heard. Two new pedestrian crossings and two traffic management schemes will also be prioritised for 2013/14. Gordon Easden, of Crawley Cycle Forum, said: “We’re delighted that this scheme is going ahead. It builds on all the improvements made throughout the town to the cycle network.

Jersey

Work has started to widen a cycle track in St Helier in Jersey.

It is the latest phase of a project to provide a fully off road cycle route from Havre des Pas to link with the existing western cycle track. David St George, the manager of Transport Policy, said they wanted to increase the number of people who commuted to work by bicycle. He said Jersey was the perfect place to ride a bike because of its mild climate and good cycle network from the west.

Glasgow

The infamous 'bridge to nowhere' over the M8 is finally going somewhere. The spiral-shaped footbridge was planned as a pedestrian link between Anderston and the city centre. It was meant to connect to the Anderston Centre shopping and office complex but the second phase of the site was never built. But money has now been found to finish the bridge and create a new pedestrian and cycle route. The £1.7 million scheme is part of a national project from Sustrans, a charity which is creating new cycle and more than 75 UK communities.

Hit and run lorry driver seriously injures cyclist: Police seek 4x4 driver

2012-01-31T09:15:00.000-08:00

A cyclist has been left with serious leg injuries following a hit and run. Police investigating the crash want to speak to a 4x4 driver who may also have hit the victim.

The 57-year-old cyclist was knocked into the road as he collided with an unidentified green articulated lorry in London Road, Bromley.

It is thought the lorry driver is unaware of the incident, which happened as they were both turning right from the traffic lights in Tweedy Road, and officers want to speak to the driver.

CCTV footage taken from a nearby business shows a dark coloured 4x4 following the lorry through the traffic lights.

This vehicle appears to have hit the cyclist as he was lying in the junction. The 4x4 driver stopped briefly before driving off and police are appealing to the driver to come forward and help them with their enquiries.

Officers would also like to hear from anyone else who was in the area when the collision happened at around 8.20am on January 13.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information should call the Met Police’s traffic serious casework unit on 020 7230 1756.

All residential roads in London borough to become 20 mph zones by April

2012-01-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

The London Borough of Hackney is to follow in the steps of Islington and make all residential roads have a 20mph limit by the end of March.

The decision to lower the speed limit was made by Councillor Demirci, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, who confirmed at last week’s full council meeting that the council is on schedule to complete works to support the scheme by the end of the current financial year.

Islington became the first London Borough to implement 20mph limits on all residential roads last year. An observational study based on analysis of geographically coded police data on road casualties, 1986-2006, revealed the benefits of lowering the speed to 20 m.p.h. The study by BMJ showed 20 m.p.h zones reduced casualties as a whole by 41.9%, and the number of killed or seriously injured children fell by half. There has been criticism of only reducing the speed limit in certain streets as this lessens the affect on injuries and deaths and led for calls for the scheme to be expanded throughout residential streets.

Caroline Allen, the Green Greater London Assembly candidate for North East London, told the Hackney Gazette that 'if the council really wanted to make a real difference to the health and well-being of residents, the scheme should include main roads, where collisions are concentrated and air pollution is highest.'

HGV driver walks free in accident that maimed cyclist

2012-01-30T04:50:00.000-08:00

HGV lorries present massive danger to cyclists

A court has heard how a cyclist thought he was about to die after being dragged under a petrol tanker.

The article which appeared in the journalist Ross Lydall blog section of the Evening Standard highlighted how James Moore, 40, said he still had nightmares and slept with the TV on to block out memories of the near-fatal collision which took place in February last year.

Mr Moore a journalist, arrived in court in a wheelchair and needed crutches to reach the witness box.

The cyclist had been cycling home to Wood Green following a hospital appointment when he was hit by a tanker turning left in Leytonstone. The court was shown CCTV footage from a nearby supermarket of the exact moment he was hit by the tanker and dragged under the vehicle.

He suffered multiple injuries including a broken left fibia and tibia, broken pelvis, collapsed lung and numerous broken ribs. He was in a medically-induced coma for three weeks and in hospital for three months. See here for his story.

A motorist who helped keep him conscious while he awaited medical help was given a bravery award.

Mr Moore, told Waltham Forest magistrates last Thursday: 'I do remember quite clearly cycling along past the junction. Suddenly, without any warning I could see, the lorry turned on me. I remember screaming ‘Stop, stop’, I think, and I think I’m going to die. Then I can remember being under the lorry and in quite considerable pain.”

A police road crash investigator, PC Clive Austin, told the court that driver Nigel Gummer, 54, of Hadleigh, Essex, would have had sight in his mirrors of Mr Moore approaching for at least 12 seconds as he waited at a red light, at the juction of Leytonstone High Road and Cathall Road.

Mr Moore had been riding on a cycle lane on the inside of queueing traffic and drew level with the tanker’s front axle virtually as it began pulling away. He tried to cycle straight on but was hit by the lorry - which had stopped in the advance cyclist’s “box” - as it turned.

PC Austin said the Highway Code made clear that Mr Moore had the right of way. “Had he [the driver] looked in his mirrors as Mr Moore cycled up, it’s very clear he would have been visible. He is utilising the cycle lane as is right and just.”

Mr Gummer, who has more than 30 years’ experience as a HGV driver and a clean licence, was found not guilty of careless driving after insisting he had checked his mirrors before pulling away. The CCTV images showed he was indicating left as he waited at the lights.

Mr Moore is now pursuing a civil claim for compensation against the tanker company’s insurers. His solicitor Kevin O'Sullivan told me: 'It's a reflection of how vulnerable cyclist's are.'

Mr Moore, associate business editor on The Independent said afterwards that he was disappointed the prosecution failed to call two witnesses, including the man who helped him as he lay trapped under the tanker. 'I think the whole leagl process is weighted against the victim.'

He called for lorries to be fitted with sensors to detect cyclists. “If it saves lives, and saves people being put in the same position as me, it’s a damn good thing.”

For the original story please click here

Overview of some of last week's stories on Twowheelsandbeyond

2012-01-30T02:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a few stories that have appeared on this blog that you may have missed over the last two weeks.

The government spent more money on new road schemes last year than in any other year over the last decade a new Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed. The money spent in 2010/11 came to £981 million, almost £150 million more than the previous year, and more than any time over the last decade. Read more...

An interesting approach which will force developers to pay for new cycle routes is taking place in Colchester will begin as of next week. The scheme will mean developers will have to take it into account when applying for major housing and retail development cycling lanes. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will be set locally and according to the Cycling Delivery Strategy, will become a 'standard charge per square meter applied to new developments.' Read more...

This interview appeared in The Hindu business line. with the Director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy Roelof Wittink. It makes for interesting reading. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Netherlands witnessed a period of growing motorisation. In 1970s, the environment for cycling was not very good anymore. Cars dominated the roads and streets. At that time, we started thinking about our clogged roads and how to plan for our future. We realised we had to open up our cities, remove buildings, fill in our nice canals. That would have meant lot of investments. Then we decided not to do that. Read more...

A Freedomof Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) hasrevealed over 600 drivers who have been convicted of causing death bydrink-driving, dangerous or careless driving have been give allowed to driveagain. The largest proportion of those given back their licence fell into thedrink-driving category and amounted to 317, there were 148 who caused death bybeing careless and 138 by being dangerous. Read more...

French announce cycle plan intention but what happened to our Decade of Cycling?

2012-01-30T00:29:00.000-08:00

The FrenchTransport Ministry announced their intention to increase cycling in the countryvia a new national cycling plan on the 26^th January 2012. Transportminister Thierry Mariani unveiled his ideas in a bid to encourage the use ofbicycles across France.

The focus ofthe policy will be on short trips of less than three kilometres, of which onlythree percent of these short journey’s are currently made by bike. Thegovernment wants to increase this to 12% by 2020, recognising the potentialsavings of €5.6 billion in health spending to be had, and the obvious benefitsto the environment. In addition the minister proposed the introduction of newsecure bicycle parking zones, hoping this would boost local tourism andannounced his support for incentive schemes such as employers reimbursing workers who come to work on a bicycle.   

A report bythe European Cyclists Federation highlighted the benefits of the bicycle in thefight against global warming catastrophe with a groundbreaking report whichshowed by cycling to the levels of the Danish we could reduce the transport CO2omissions quota by a quarter. Cycling is becoming increasingly seen as asolution to many areas of society particularly, health, and the environment.The Danes currently cycle %%

Clearly France is notalien to the bicycle given that they host the world’s most famous cycle racethe Tour de France, however a poll by radio station Europe 1 on its websitesuggested people were fairly evenly split on whether payments would encouragethem to cycle to work.

Of around 7,000 who tookpart, 41 percent said the incentive would encourage them into the saddle, while48 percent said it wouldn't.

In early 2010 England took a large step towardsincreasing and improving cycling in the country when both the Department of Transport and the Department ofHealth published an ‘Active Travel Strategy’, which incorporated a NationalCycling Plan promising a ‘Decade of Cycling.’

The new plan had followeda survey conducted by CTC the UK’s oldest cycling organisation, whichhighlighted the desire to see cycling in the country increase. The results ofthe survey showed:

Ambitionto increase cycling

▪ 66%want to see a doubling of cycling within 10 years, with the long-termcommitment to make cycling the normal journey choice for short trips.

▪ 30%want to go further, with a more than doubling of cycling within ten years

Investmentin cycling

▪ 50%want to see an increase in funding for Cycling England, with the investmentgoing to focus on providing training to all.

▪ 27%want to see increased investment focused on the Cycling Towns and Citiesprogramme.

▪ 10%want additional investment to bypass Cycling England and go straight to localauthorities.

In addition aCabinet Office Strategy Unit report on Urban Transport, showed that, in terms of economic impact, theannual costs of congestion (£10.9bn), road casualties (£8.7bn), air quality(£4.5 - 10.6bn) and physical inactivity (£9.8bn) were all of a similarmagnitude were all able to be reduced by increasing cycling.

Since then however we havehad a change of government. One, that shut down Cycling England. One that spentmore on new road builds in the last year than any annual new road spend in the lastdecade. A government that wants to increase motorway speed limits, which wouldharm the environment, increase congestion and cost the driver more in fuel aswell as cost money on the inevitable extra accidents caused by such a policy.We know at least why they used the words they did in the press release on thismatter and it has something to do with four sitting Conservative MPs making up all of the patronage of the Association of British drivers. Furthermore our road minister Mike Penning; believes themyth that drivers pay road tax, which is appallingly ignorant and highlightswhat we are up against to continue the trend towards more cycling. We may wellhave been a year or two ahead of France and there remain many positives to takefrom the last two years, but it is clear that we will only get to abetter-integrated transport network by fighting every step of the way.

Thatcham cyclist named: Robb Fraser

2012-01-27T02:25:00.000-08:00

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THE Thatcham man who died on Tuesday after thebicycle he was riding was in collision with a lorry has been named as thetown’s cricket club captain, Robb Fraser.

The Newburytoday has highlighted how the tributes haveflooded in from Thatcham Town Cricket Club to Mr Fraser, of Henwick Lane, whodied aged 40.  

Mr Fraser had been cycling along the Bath Road, atthe junction of Pound Lane when his bicycle was in collision with a Hansonlorry just before 8am. He was rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital inReading by land ambulance, but later died.

 Mr Fraser was the current Thatcham skipper for aclub which he had been a member of since the age of about 14, and he worked forNew Greenham Park-based Marcolin UK.

 The chairman of the cricket club, Nick Cornish,said "Robb was a family man who involved his whole family within theclub,”

"He made a massive contribution to the life ofthe club over the years.  "He was just a massive part of localcricket and he was a positive person.  "It's tragic now but come thecricket season it's going to come back again because he is not going to bearound."  

The vice chairman of the club, Nick Bishop, saidthat Mr Fraser was instrumental in integrating the club's overseas players tomake them feel like part of the community while they were over hereplaying.  

He said: "He had a huge amount of respect fromopponents; there have been a large number of messages from clubs we playagainst."

Anyone who witnessed thecollision on Tuesday, January 24, or has any other information is asked tocontact Pc Samantha Allen from Three Mile Cross roads policing unit, on thepolice non-emergency number 101.

In midst of recession, Government new road building spend at highest for a decade

2012-01-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

New road schemes on the increase

The government spent more money on new road schemes last year than in any other year over the last decade a new Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed.

Transport is responsible for around a quarter of EU greenhouse gas emissions making it the second biggest greenhouse gas emitting sector after energy. The UK says it is committed to reducing greenhouse gases in the battle to prevent out of control global warming. So why is the government spending more money on road expansion now than at any time in the last decade.

The FOI request sent to the Department of Transport asked 'how much has been spent on new road schemes since the year 2000, divided into annual spend?' The results contradict the claims this government make that they are a party of the environment. The money spent in 2010/11 came to £981 million, almost £150 million more than the previous year, and more than any time over the last decade. The sum doesn't include Local Authority schemes but if they did, then an additional £193 million would need to be added to the overall amount taking the spend for last year to over £1.1 billion. This from a government whose claims of being the 'greenest government ever' look ever more ridiculous by the day.

Most worrying of all is a trend which has seen new road spend rise massively in the second half of this decade, at a time when the message ought to be to drive less.

The FOI request shows the total spend on roads has increased by 100% over the last five years. From 2001/02 to 2005/06 the total spend on new schemes was just under £2 billion - then from 2006/07 to 2010/11 it doubled to £4 billion.

Surely the government ought to be spending less on roads and more on cycling infrastructure if they want to properly deal with congestion. New roads do not solve the problem of congestion. New capacity may in the short-term make journeys shorter, but in the long run, the roads fill up again soon enough. This has been known for some time. A landmark report by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment (SACTRA) called ‘Trunk roads and the generation of traffic’, HMSO, 1994, concluded that new roads generate new traffic growth.

A major independent study titled 'Beyond Transport Infrastructure' highlighted on the Campaign for Better Transport website, looked into the impact of the Newbury bypass and 2 other road schemes. The report showed that traffic levels predicted for 2010 in Newbury were already reached by 2003 – and that traffic had increased by almost 50% in that period. New development around the road was partially to blame for the increases.

Indeed, even by their own admission, the DfT admit congestion poses a very real long-term economic threat, which if left unchecked could 'cost the taxpayer an extra £22 billion in wasted time by 2025.'

The message this government appears to be giving out is: keep driving and we will build more roads to fit more of you in. Road traffic has increased in the last 15 years by 25% despite some efforts to get people onto bikes. A report by the European Cyclists Federation conducted a study on the cost effectiveness of modes of transport in the battle to reduce Transport carbon omissions and concluded if EU citizens were to cycle as much as the Danes in 2000, (an average of 2.6km a day), it would 'help the EU meet more than a quarter of the targeted emission reductions for the transport sector.' This government it would seem has other priorities.

DfT spend on new road schemes by year (£m)
	Highways Agency Schemes
2000/01	299
2001/02	424
2002/03	483
2003/04	235
2004/05	317
2005/06	483
2006/07	814
2007/08	759
2008/09	725
2009/10	733
2010/11	981

Three cyclists killed in three days: Collision with car in Washington, Tyne and Wear

2012-01-26T01:41:00.000-08:00

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A cyclist has died in a collision with a car in Tyne and Wear bringing the number of cyclist killed this month to nine and three killed in three days.

Police were called to the scene of the crash which happened about 22:00 GMT on Wednesday on Cherry Blossom Way, Usworth, Washington.

The 31-year-old cyclist died as a result of his injuries. His name has not yet been released.

The driver of the car is currently being questioned by police. Anyone with any information has been asked to contact Northumbria Police.

Cyclist killed in collision with a lorry in Thatcham

2012-01-25T07:22:00.000-08:00

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A 40-year-old man from Thatcham, Berkshire, has died after the bicycle he was riding along the Bath Road was in collision with a lorry on the 24th January.

South Central Ambulance Service were called to the incident at 7.48am and police were called to the scene at Bath Road near to the junction of Pound Lane at about 7.50am. The cyclist was taken by ambulance to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading but later this morning he died of his injuries. Thames Valley Police said his next of kin have been informed.

The lorry driver was not injured and is helping police with their enquiries. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has any other information is asked to contact Pc Samantha Allen from Three Mile Cross Roads Policing Unit, on the police non-emergency number 101.

This brings the number of deaths for cyclists this month to eight, with three of the incidents involving a lorry.

20th Anniversary Critical Mass Book Project

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

A message from the San Francisco Critical Mass:

The 20^th anniversary of Critical Mass is coming in September 2012. The first-ever ride was in San Francisco in September 1992, so we’re inviting everyone from around the wide world of Critical Mass rides to come to San Francisco next September for a week-long festival to celebrate twenty years. During the week-long festival we hope to have daily group rides, film festival, art shows, discussions, music, and more. (Send us a message if you’re planning to come, and let us know how many people are planning to come from your city/country. And if you’re in the Bay Area and want to help plan the week, organize an event, coordinate food and entertainment, provide housing, etc., please contact us!

In conjunction with this anniversary we also want to produce a new book of essays, cartoons, photographs, and documents, capturing the dynamic and powerful social movements that have emerged from, or embraced the Critical Mass phenomenon. To that end, this is an open solicitation for material for the book. Predictably we have no budget to pay anyone, but we hope to create a historically important volume documenting the emergent bicycle movement over the past two decades, and its relationship to Critical Mass. Any proceeds of sales of the book will go to funding events for the anniversary and after that, for ongoing Critical Mass-related printing and communications.

We’d love essays anywhere from 2000 to 8000 words, and we’re open to other kinds of materials too. We are especially interested in essays that go deeper into the larger political questions surrounding Critical Mass specifically, and the bicycle as a signifier and tool of a broader social transformation.

Please contact us to let us know if you’re going to write something, or if you have photos, flyers, or other material to contribute to this. Authors or groups published in the book will get a free copy, and if we’re lucky, we’ll find publishers in other languages to produce the book in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. If you have contacts with publishers in other languages, please do let us know.

Here are some questions to get you started, but feel free to query us with your own ideas of what you’d like to write:

1. Please describe the history of the Critical Mass experience in your city with the following questions as a guide:

When did it start? How many people participated in starting it? Did it come out of a pre-existing network or political association? Or did new friends come together to start it?

Give us the details of your ride:

where does it start from, when does it roll, how long has it been going? How often does it happen? Monthly? How do you think your ride is unique vis a vis other rides you have heard of, or maybe personally experienced?

2. How does Critical Mass manage itself in your city? Do you have monitors and communications that are sustained by the same people month after month, or do new people emerge regularly to help produce a good experience? What kind of debates characterize your Critical Mass experience? Do people discuss and argue about the nature of the ride during the ride? Do you have xerocracy (printed documents circulating among the riders)? Do you have pre-planned routes or do you move around the city spontaneously? Do your rides split up into multiple rides sometimes? Tell us about the lived experience and the tensions within your ride, and related to other organized bike rides in your city (if any).

3. Can you describe stories of personal transformation that people have experienced as a result of riding in Critical Mass? Who rides in Critical Mass in your city? Has the population of your ride changed over time or is it the same as it has been since the beginning? What kind of future does the ride have in your city, in your estimation?

4. How would you characterize your city’s bicycling scene? Was it pretty big before Critical Mass? Did Critical Mass play a key role in expanding it? How does your city feel differently today than it did before Critical Mass started? Or does it feel different at all?

5. Are there formal bicycle advocacy groups in your city (or region)? How do they relate to Critical Mass? Do they support it and participate in it? Or are they hostile? What kinds of dynamics have taken place where you are?

6. Are there free food, gardening/farming, housing/squatting, free radio, hacker spaces, or other kinds of similar efforts cross-linked to Critical Mass in your city? What is the relationship of Critical Mass to other political and social initiatives in your city, if any? Can you write in depth about those relationships and how they have fed each other? What is the relationship in your city between formal and informal political groups?

7. Outsider journalists and writers often pose the question, “What has Critical Mass accomplished?” Our answer in SF as co-founders has generally been to emphasize that Critical Mass is an ongoing event, an ongoing seizure of public space by hundreds and thousands of cyclists, and is not an organization—nor even a coherent movement—with a specific agenda. So to speak of “accomplishments” is to frame it incorrectly. How do you respond to this question? Describe how you experience the meaning and coherence of the Critical Mass phenomenon in your city.

8. What kinds of journalism, blogs, writing, and/or art has emerged from the Critical Mass movement in your city? Please submit some examples and tell us about them (can be weblinks, photos, artwork, books, zines, stickers, posters, etc. If you are sending a url, please be specific about which page/blog/art you mean, and describe how it relates to Critical Mass, the ride).

Deadline for Submissions: February 7th to critmasssf@gmail.com

http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/2011/07/06/20th-anniversary-critical-mass-book-project/

From Chris Carlsson, Hugh D’Andrade, LisaRuth Elliott, and friends

Freedom of Information reveals over 600 drivers who have killed someone are allowed back on road

2012-01-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

A Freedomof Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) hasrevealed over 600 drivers who have been convicted of causing death bydrink-driving, dangerous or careless driving have been give allowed to driveagain.

The largest proportion of those given back their licence fell into thedrink-driving category and amounted to 317, there were 148 who caused death bybeing careless and 138 by being dangerous.

Among the 625 to get their licences back are 13 who took a life while eitherunlicensed, disqualified or uninsured.

Thealarming DVLA statistics which appeared in the Mirror show another three are still on theroad despite killing people while on drugs and 11 were convicted of failing tosupply a specimen after causing a death.

The road safety campaign organisation Brake told the Mirror: 'Driving is aprivilege which these people have abused with devastating consequences and thefact that so many continue to drive is a source of emotional turmoil for manybereaved families across the UK. Brake has long campaigned for lifetime bansfor drivers whose bad driving has killed, to help bring justice to families andcommunities who lost loved ones in such sudden and violent circumstances.'

One drink-driver who killed two pedestrians and left a 12-year-old girl braindamaged after his car mounted a pavement was jailed for 10 years – but willstill be allowed back on the road. StefanStanko, 24, admitted drinking whisky and cherry brandy throughout the daybefore getting behind the wheel. He was over the limit when he ploughed into agroup of friends walking home together in Ashford, Kent, in 2009. Stanko,previously of Gravesend, admitted causing death by dangerous driving of67-year-old Brian Moon and Denise Head, 49. He also careered into Rosie Brown,12, who is in a rehabilitation unit and remains in a coma with brain damage.

One month ago, the Mirrorhad revealed more than 5,000 drivers are legally drivingon our roads with three or more drink-drive convictions.

Themaximum term for causing death by dangerous driving is 14 years.

Thebreakdown of the offences are as follows:

Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink - 192
Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs - 3
Causing death by careless driving with alcohol level above the limit - 125
Causing death by careless driving then failing to supply specimen for alcohol analysis - 11
Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving - 148
Causing death by driving: unlicenced, disqualified or uninsured drivers - 13
Causing death by dangerous driving - 138

Althoughthe level of drinking and driving has dropped dramatically over the last threedecades, around 400 people are still killed in drink drive accidents everyyear. (About one in five of all road deaths). Despite 30 years of drink driveeducation and enforcement, around 100,000 people are still caught drink drivingannually.

Developers will be forced to pay for new cycle lanes in Colchester

2012-01-24T05:06:00.000-08:00

An interesting approach which will force developers to pay for new cycle routes is taking place in Colchester will begin as of next week.

The new strategy to be adopted by Colchester Council, will build on the three-year, £4.2million Cycling Town project, which ended last year.

Colchester won the cycling improvement award at the National Transport Awards in 2011 for their cycling Colchester initiative which saw seven new and upgraded cycle routes; 1,200 cycle parking spaces and improved cycle facilities at primary and secondary schools.

The council is striving to reduce congestion, improve personal health and create jobs, of which cycling contributes to all these aims. There is some body of evidence that show more people walking and cycling will increase the amount of people in the high streets, improving the local economy. A study conducted in Bristol by Sustrans revealed retailers overestimated the amount of shoppers arriving by car. The study which appeared in a living streets report titled 'Making the case for Investment in the Walking Environment' , showed the retailers assumption that 41% of the shoppers arrived by car, when in fact it was 22%. In fact, over half of the shoppers had arrived by foot and a greater proportion by public transport and bicycles.

The Colchester Cycling Delivery Strategy which was produced in November 2011 is aimed at helping cyclists and public authorities secure funding or cycling upgrades from developers and Government sources.

The scheme will mean developers will have to take it into account when applying for major housing and retail development cycling lanes. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will be set locally and according to the Cycling Delivery Strategy, will become a 'standard charge per square meter applied to new developments.'

Funds raised by the CIL will be allocated on the basis of a project list agreed and regularly updated. The CIL will be a non-negotiable charge applied across all developments by type. The demands of the new strategy include parking facilities: 'New developments will be expected to incorporate cycle parking both at the point of origin and at destinations.'

Desford crash death cyclist named as Neil Thompson

2012-01-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

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A cyclist who was killed in a road collision has been named today. The incident which took place in Leicestershire has been named by police as Neil Thompson.

The crash, which also involved a Nissan car, happened on Botcheston Road, near Desford at 17:20 on 19 January.

Neil Thompson, 54, of Kirkby Mallory, received fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. No-one else was injured.

A 61-year-old man arrested over the incident has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Cyclist in A19 lorry crash identified as Christopher Griffiths

2012-01-24T03:15:00.000-08:00

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A cyclist who died in a collision with a lorry on Teesside has been identified by police. The crash, which took place at 7.10am on Monday the 23rd January, happened on the A19 about half a mile before the A1027 junction, near Hartlepool.

Christopher Paul Griffiths, Aged 50, from the Wynyard area, was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees where he was confirmed dead. A 53-year-old man was arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.

Cyclists involved in collisions with HGVs are 78 times more likely to be killed than those hit by a car.

An interview with the director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy: The Dutch and how they encourage cycling

2012-01-23T01:02:00.000-08:00

This interview appeared in The Hindu business line. with the Director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy Roelof Wittink. It makes for interesting reading.

When did your country first start promoting cycling?

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Netherlands witnessed a period of growing motorisation. In 1970s, the environment for cycling was not very good anymore. Cars dominated the roads and streets. At that time, we started thinking about our clogged roads and how to plan for our future. We realised we had to open up our cities, remove buildings, fill in our nice canals. That would have meant lot of investments. Then we decided not to do that.

In the early 1970s, for the first time, we said we had to take control of the car traffic, and preserve cycling. That might also be the stage that India might be in now.

What were the steps taken to encourage cycling?

We took several steps. We made cycling plans, invested a lot in cycling infrastructure and network of routes so that people have good cycling facilities in all places. This took many years, and we sill can improve on that.

But it was important we started to think about the needs and interests of cyclists and that we had a perspective about the measures required to organise our transport system to increase the road-share of cyclists.

There were cars, two-wheelers and other motorised forms of public transport, and we had to work out a compromise.

We decided to limit the speed of cars in city areas. Majority of roads in the city areas in the Netherlands have speed limits of 30 km per hour.

We limited the space for cars on the roads. The outcome was that we created better traffic flow, because people were encouraged to use bicycles, which occupy much less space than cars. Our cities became more livable in, we got better quality air, and the local economy was growing as there were a lot more people on streets.

What is the vehicle ownership pattern?

In the Netherlands, most of our people use a combination of bicycles, cars and public transportation. There are very few people who use only bicycles, or only cars.

When you think of a trip, you consider where do I have to go? Is it accessible by car, public transportation or by bicycle, or is it a combination. We have a public bicycle system connected to the railways. We have folding bikes. All this helped in facilitating the use of bicycles.

What is the average distance that people use bicycles for?

It varies and can go up to 20-30 km. For longer distances, people are using electric bicycles. We are investing a lot in bicycle highways between cities. These bicycle highways are 20-30 km, and do not have traffic lights outside the cities. Cyclists can get a speed of 15-30 km per hour. There, congestion starts outside our cities. If you take car, you run a risk the spending as much time as on a bicycle.

How did you integrate cycling with the public transportation system?

Public transport is important for longer distance. Cycles were used as feeder options. In the Netherlands, 40 per cent of passengers at train stations come by bike, and 15 per cent of passengers coming out of train stations leave by bike. So, they have a second bike to go for work from the station, or they carry a folding bike or they use a public bike.

The workplace of many people could be 50 km away from home. They take a bike to station, take the train for 45 km, and again use bike in the last few km.

The parking charges at the station?

They are designed to encourage cycling. I pay $30 a year for bicycle parking. There is an annual membership, and we pay about $2 per trip for hiring a cycle. That system runs without subsidy.

Who offers the public bike system?

The Railways. Every station, barring some very small stations, has bicycles. Railways devised a policy that allowed carrying some bikes. That's how foldable bikes came in, bikes that fit in between seats. In Netherlands, we have 17 million people and 18 million bike rides per day.

When you started implementing rules, such as limiting intra-city speeds, didn't you face resistance?

We started this experiment in residential areas because the residents protested against high-speed cars that led to accidents. The neighbourhoods became unsafe, you could not even walk or sit outside.

We started with something — woonerf — a Dutch word that never has been translated. The concept was we bring down the speed of cars almost to the level of pedestrians. There was not much resistance because everybody felt that, in the neighbourhood, around the house, kids should get a chance to play.

Then we realised there no need to reduce speeds so dramatically because even if you bring down the speed to 30 km per hour, the chance of fatal accidents goes down significantly. That was the point when there was wider acceptance. But every country has to develop its own model.

York Racecourse charged over cyclist's death

2012-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

York Racecourse is to be prosecuted over the death of Ruby Milnes who died in a cycle track behind the course in May 2008.

The seventeen-year-old Ruby Milnes died while returning home to Bishophill from her college. She was in collision with a lorry travelling on an access road to the racecourse, which crossed the cycle route.

Now, more than three-and-a-half years later, the Health and Safety Executive said it had summoned York Racecourse Knavesmire LLP to appear at York Magistrates Court next month, charged with two safety breaches in connection with Ruby’s death.

The article which appeared in the York press tells us how one of the claims says 'the racecourse failed to conduct its undertaking, including the build-up phase of race meetings, in such a way as to ensure – so far as was reasonably practicable – that cyclists using the York to Selby cycletrack were not exposed to risks to their health and safety. This related to the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act.'

The other allegation claims 'the course failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to people’s health and safety, in particular in connection with the delivery of items during the build-up phase for a race meeting, relating to the 1999 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.'

A York Racecourse spokesman told the paper it was aware of the HSE’s decision to issue proceedings relating to Ruby’s death.

“Our first thoughts remain for the family and friends of Ruby Milnes,” he said. “We offer them our sincere condolences.

“The racecourse has fully co-operated with the various investigations into the sad events of that afternoon and will continue to do so.”

He said the racecourse took its responsibilities in the area of Health and Safety very seriously.

Ruby’s parents, Al and Dave Milnes, said yesterday: “We’re pleased that the HSE are taking an interest in what happened to Ruby.

“For us, there’s no outcome that could give us our daughter back but we hope that this prosecution results in cycle paths being made safe for cyclists everywhere in the country.”

Cyclist killed in Desford, Leicestershire

2012-01-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

A cyclist has died after a crash, near Desford, in Leicestershire.

The cyclist was involved in a collision with a 4x4 vehicle at about 5.20pm yesterday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened on Botcheston Road about 200 metres from the junction with Desford Lane.

A 61-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and released on police bail.

Police have yet to formally identify the crash victim, who sadly makes six cyclists killed on our roads this month.

Detective Constable Paul Bingham said: “The 4x4 vehicle and cyclist were both travelling in the same direction towards Desford when the collision occurred.

“We would appeal to anyone who was travelling along Botcheston Road at about 5.20pm yesterday evening to contact us if they witnessed the collision or saw either vehicle beforehand.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Det Con Bingham on 101*.

Protest reminder - Bikes Alive Kings Cross Go Slow - Map

2012-01-21T00:29:00.000-08:00

Map for Bike Alive protest

On the day:

Please try to arrive promptly by 6pm. The numbers are likely to be even higher than on the first Bikes Alive event (which involved around 200 people, including pedestrians), and it’s obviously very important that we try to stay together, for maximum impact. We need to make it clear that the current lethal priorities of Transport for London will not be tolerated, and if the only way an existing road system can be made safe is to take it over and exclude motor vehicles – at least for an hour! – so be it… We assume that the police presence will be as friendly and accommodating as it was last time; though if you were to have any problem then you should ring some helpful local solicitors (Hodge Jones Allen: tel 07659 111192).

And remember that we’re expecting pedestrians (including many Kings Cross locals, who also suffer from the current road system in the area) to be part of the action. So please don’t be too cycle-centric, and be prepared to move – or not move – at a pace which suits them too! Since we’re trying to change the balance on our roads to a more human and more humane one, do come with a smile on your face, and in good voice.

Don’t forget to use the weekend to spread the word to all your cycling friends! If Bikes Alive continues to grow, we can target more places, more often – but that depends on you.

If you want to be on the e-mail list to get direct messages from Bikes Alive from time to time, please e-mail bikesalive@london.com and ask.

If you’re on Twitter, you can keep up to date by following @BikesAlive, and by watching out for #bikesalive.

London: Historically listed park in Bethnal Green may get cycle parking

2012-01-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

Memorial gardens - Bethnal Gre

A historic park, which is currently under-used is set to get a revamp which will include some landscaping, a café-kiosk, and some cycle parking.

Presently anyone wanting to leave their bicycle at the station before entering the tube network or who is working in the area, are forced to lock their bicycles against the railings of the park and those outside the tube station.

Quite what the cost will be I am not sure, but what cyclists will get out of it is parking for eighty bikes, which if protected is an encouraging development.However all this is tempered by the piecemeal way in which cycle infrastructure development is occurring in this country.

In the Netherlands the government match council or municipal funding by 50%. The lack of care and political will by all main parties over the years has been a missed opportunity.

In this case the council have to go cap in hand to the Olympic funding project for which they will make an application.

Causing 'death by dangerous cycling' has second reading

2012-01-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

Latest news on the Bill:

The bill was not debated on the 20th January in the end as it was too far down the list for the day and there is no indication when the bill will progress further.

--------------------------------------

An amendment to the Road Traffic Act 1998which will allow cyclists to be prosecuted under ‘death by dangerous cycling’,is having a second reading in the House of Commons today.

The amendment has been put forward by ConservativeMP Andrea Leadsom following the following the tragic death of Rhiannon Bennett,aged 17, who died from head injuries after she was hit by a bicycle in April2007.

Rhiannon’s parents, Michael andDiana, of Greatworth, were outraged when the cyclist left court with a fine of£2,200 after being charged with dangerous cycling.

This is something we cyclists are only too familiar with. In reality cyclists read only too manystories of drivers who have got away with a fine having maimed someone.

Any cyclist who maims or kills someone fromreckless behaviour deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law, so insome ways the amendment is acceptable. Certainly any parent would be furious atsomeone walking away from court with a fine if their child had been killedthrough someone’s actions; what is amazing though, is that the government areprepared to introduce this law with so few incidents of the kind taking place.

Pedestrian casualties 2001-09

Killed by cycles: 18
Seriously injured by cycles: 434
Killed by cars: 3,495
Seriously injured by cars: 46,245

Figuresapply to Great Britain. Source: Department for Transport

10,935 pedestrians have lost their lives since 1994

122,053 have been seriously injured in the same period -

source- National Office of Statistics

Andrea Leadsom who says she is a keen cyclistsays she is filling a legal gap. She said: “The law, as it stands, does notconsider that Rhiannon’s reckless killing merited a prison sentence. Shecontinued: “In my view, if a motorist had driven onto a pavement and killed ateenager there would have been a national outcry if the driver had walked awaywith only a fine.”

On the contrary, given how rare the incidentis, the amount of outcry against cyclists because of this incident was highlydisproportionate to that which takes place against pedestrians maimed or killedby cars.

Mrs Leadsom has proposed that any personfound guilty of causing death by dangerous cycling could face a penalty of upto 14 years in prison.

So there we have it...I will keep an eye on the outcome of this discussion and post here. For the moment here is Dangerous and Reckless Cycling (Offences) bill.'

Cyclist’s leg crushed by lorry in hit-and-run...almost required amputation

2012-01-20T02:22:00.000-08:00

HGV vehicles are a menace on London roads

Another day in London, and another day when an HGVmaims a cyclist.

A grandfather-of-three has had his leg crushed by anarticulated lorry, which left the cyclist so badly injured; surgeons fearedthey may have to amputate after the accident on Friday.

David Hickman, 57, of Well Hill, Chelsfield,was turning the corner of Tweedy Road into London Road, Bromley, at around8.20am when a green lorry, also turning, knocked him off his bike and broke hisright shoulder.

The lorry then ran over and shattered hisleft leg before driving off. It is not known if the driver knew if he hit thecyclist.

The story appeared in the the Bromley times and quotedMr Hickman’s wife Carol as saying: “I was very fearful when I arrived at thehospital and the doctors said they hoped David wouldn’t lose his leg. Luckilythe surgeons did an amazing job. We need to trace this driver to make sure heis more careful in future before this happens to somebody else.”

The CCTV at the junction of Tweedy Road andLondon Road was not working, so Mr Hickman’s family want any businesses inLondon Road with footage from Friday morning to submit it to the police.

Mr Hickman has had two re-constructive operationsand was due to be transferred to St Thomas’ Hospital yesterday (Wednesday) forleg skin grafts.

She particularly said thank you to TabithaLawrence, a nursery school nurse who helped Mr Hickman, and a woman who stoppedher car to prevent more traffic from running over him.

A police spokesman said: “Anybody withinformation about the incident or CCTV footage should contact us by telephoning101.”

This serious kind of injury is exactly why two trauma surgeons working in London, recently wrote an open letter demanding better protection for cyclists. In the letter they explicitly define what is meant by serious injury, and the horrific consequences of the serious accidents, which so often barely get a mention in the press.

Hit and run driver knocks down cyclist in Epsom

2012-01-19T04:44:00.000-08:00

A cyclist broke six ribs after he was knocked down in a hit and run in Epsom earlier this month.

Craig Hughes who is 24, is appealling for information to trace the driver, was cycling along Kiln Lane, Epsom on Wednesday, January 4, at about 9.30am when he was flung from his bike as he navigated the roundabout near Sainsbury's.

His bike, which was tossed into the air and was slammed into his ribs before Mr Hughes landed in the middle of the road according to the local Guardian.

Craign Hughes told the paper how he 'was on the roundabout and had right of way and the woman was joining the roundabout and I think she didn’t see me but was looking at the car behind me.' He continued, 'she basically took out the back of my bike and made very strong contact with the back forks in the wheel...I was knocked off my bike and I have had six ribs broken, a bit of whiplash and scrapes and bruises."

The cyclist says there were witnesses and urges people to come forward and give information, especially on the car, which he believes was a black Ford Focus, which stopped momentarily 10 metres from the incident, before driving off.

The wheel of Mr Hughes £1,000 bike, which he had had less than a week, was bent out of shape and its back fork bent. Repairs are expected to be well into the hundreds but Mr Hughes cannot claim through insurance as the driver has failed to come forward.

'If the person had stopped and showed some remorse' My Hughes said then 'I would have been fine with it but the fact that she drove off and didn’t really care, I’m pretty hacked off about to be honest.'

Nearly 1 in every 6 pedal cyclist casualties (16 per cent) occurs in a ‘hit and run’ accident according to the Department for Transport – a total of 2,665 took place in 2007 of which 337 were seriously injured and 16 killed. Pedal cyclists are over-represented in these accidents, representing 11 per cent of hit and run casualties (compared with 7 per cent of all casualties). -

A hit and run driver killed a 22-year old driver in Glasgow in December last year

Olympic gridlock: Congestion expected to increase by 33% this summer new study reveals

2012-01-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

Olympics will lead to city wide gridlock

A new report carried out by an international provider of real-time traffic information has predicted a massive increase in congestion during the summer.

The studtytitled ‘UK Summer Traffic Predictions: INRIX Traffic Congestion Report,’ is according to its authors the mostcomprehensive of its kind and includes details of the likely effect thisyear’s Summer Games will have on the UK road network and in particular inLondon.

Residents will face 'increasedtraffic congestion of 33% and core routes will slow to just 12mph in late Julyand early August.' It pinpoints the first three days of the event as being the greatest risk of traffic troubles. The Olympic opening ceremony on Friday 27thJuly clashes with one of the busiest holiday getaway weekends of the summerwhen traffic levels are already around 30% above average. This event isimmediately followed by the Men’s Road Cycling Race which will close thousandsof roads throughout southwest London and Surrey. A trial event for the race inAugust 2011 resulted in traffic chaos, when journeys of just a few miles tookseveral hours and some drivers were forced to abandon their cars.

Greg Hallsworth an INRIX Lead Scientist and TrafficAnalyst syas the weekend of 27th, 28th and 29th Julywill be hugely challenging because it is “one of the busiest holiday getaway weekends, theOlympic opening ceremony and the Men’s road cycling race is the perfect trafficstorm. Nearly 100,000 ticket-holders are expected at the opening ceremony, withtens of thousands of visitors anticipated at the live sites at Hyde Park andVictoria Park. This, combined with thousands of closed roads for the Men’s RoadCycling event will undeniably create huge stress on the UK’s road networks.”

The INRIX Traffic CongestionReport predicts that journeys with an average travel time of one hour will takeat least 12 additional minutes throughout Greater London for the duration of the Games. Journeys through routes identifiedas Games hotspots such as Vauxhall Bridge and the Blackwall Tunnel will take atleast 15 minutes longer and people travelling on the Core Games Network shouldplan for at least 20 minutes more for their journey.

Based on its free-flow tocongestion model, INRIX predicts that in early August the start time for dailycongested periods will move forward by as much as 90 minutes, with morning peaktraffic hitting at 05:30 from 07:00 and evening peak traffic hitting as earlyas 15:30, rather than 17:00. In other words Morning to afternoon gridlock. However,there may be some relief in the evening traffic congestion if people head tomeeting places to watch events on TV. Combined with rush hour traffic,Londoners should also anticipate increased traffic around lunchtime as venuesclear and refill between sessions - adding an anticipated nine minutes tostandard lunchtime travel times.

It is hoped that 80% of visitorsto the main Games park will arrive by public transport, using park and rideschemes that have capacity for 18,000 vehicles in Essex and 9,000 in Ebbsfleet.However, with major shopping centre Lakeside, claiming half a million shoppersweekly, next to the Essex site, and both sites adjacent to the M25, one of theUK’s most congested routes, traffic trouble will be near impossible to avert.This congestion risk is compounded by the fact that entrance into the park andride sites is ticket-only - any people with misplaced tickets willunfortunately add to the resultant tailbacks and could cause a domino effectonto the already congested M25.

Quite how the government are going to improve ontheir air pollution which has already resulted in the UK facing legal action and fines of £300 million forits breaches of EU and UK air pollution limits, is anyone’s guess.

Transport forLondon are denying there will be gridlock by claiming six years of planning for the Olympics was not taken intoaccount by the report, but perhaps the report didn’t take into accounteverything that INIX did, which says it is the ‘most comprehensive of its kind.’

How disappointing it is then, that in 1998, the government launched it's 'Don't Choke Britain' campaign to persuade people to use their cars less. 'Urgent action' is needed to integrate transport. Missed opportunity, and scandalous failed policy.

One thing is forsure, if you are in any way thinking of going away this year, then this may bea good time of the year to do it; if you can.

Campaign Group for Safe Cycle Lanes in Southwark organise protest and lists demands for safer cycling in the borough

2012-01-18T05:46:00.000-08:00

Lorries on Southwark bridge road

A cycle group in Southwark have made a list ofdemands for improving the safety for all cyclists in the borough. London saw a steep increase in cycle fatalities in 2011 and cyclists are upping the pressure on the government to do more to improve cycle safety.

The Southwark group are organising a Die-In Protest on Wednesday, January 25th from 5.30pm at Southwark Council Assembly Walworth Academy, 40 Shorncliffe Road, SE1 5UJ

Southwark Council has announced zero budget for safecycle lanes for children in their next three-year transport budget of £40 million.

They are urging you to Bring bikes, clean blackrubbish bag, placards, kids and skull mask if you have one. For more information contact Stop Murder Of Cyclists– (S.M.O.C. - Southwark) on Facebook.

Email: contact@3acorns.co.uk Mobile on day: 07947884299.

The demands

1. We want a fully comprehensive system of primary and secondary cycle routesacross Southwark that will enable every child who wants to cycle to school todo so safely without having to interact with vehicular traffic.

2. A third of the Transport Budget to be devoted to cycling infrastructure fornext three years.

3. Council to adopt ambition of 30% of journeys to be by cycle within 5 years. (Sevilleseemingly did it on 3 years!)

4. Pedestrians to always have right of way on footpaths and at crossings.

5. Removal of right of untrained security guards to impose on-the-spot fines oncyclists but not lorry drivers and other drivers who actually do the killing.

6. Change the title of the Transport Department to the Pedestrian, Cycling andPublic Transport Department. Appoint senior officer at assistant director levelin PCPT Department to be in charge of installing new cycling infrastructure.

7. Council to lobby TfL to install real separate protected safe cycle-lanesuper-highways rather than just painting blue-paint on road.

8. Lobby TfL to urgently re-design all major transport junctions under theircontrol to include protected left-hand turns for cyclists. This is where mostterrible cycling fatalities have happened recently in London.

9. Replace Head of Planning & Transport and Cabinet Member forEnvironment if they do not support the End Institutional Killing of Cyclists inSouthwark Charter.

10. Carry out annual transport survey of councillors and members of Pedestrian,Cycling and Public Transport Department, and publish the results, indicatingmain modes of transport used.

A video of cycling in the winner of the Best Cycling City 2011 award

2012-01-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

Cycling in the Netherlands is a pleasure, but even amongst the overall excellance there are places that stand out. In this case 's-Hertogenbosch, which is also known as Den Bosch, won the 'Fietsstad 2011' or 'Cycling City 2011' award.

Happily there is a video of cycling in Den Bosch which will make me green with envy and ever more determined to press our government for proper investment.

Government cave in to twenty-year long motor car protest

2012-01-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

Protesters block road in 'gridlock' tactic

The government appearsto be giving in to protester demands to allow more driving in the City despitepromising a crack down on the ‘gridlock’ protests that brought London to astandstill twice a day over the last twenty years.

The protests, whichtake place both morning and late afternoon, involve the mass blocking of roadsand the aggressive beeping of horns for hours on end, whilst sitting inan endless queue going absolutely nowhere.

‘Why should we usepublic transport’ challenged one protester who preferred to stay anonymous. ‘It’sour right to sit here and pollute the atmosphere if we want to.’

The direct actionappears to be working as the government recently announced its promise to buildmore roads to the tune of £897million to placate drivers despite clear evidence of cars being responsiblefor the majority of our transport CO2 omissions. In addition to the roadexpansion the government have curiously floated the idea of increasing themotorway limit arousing suspicion of collusion with the protesters.

These accusations havesome depth to them after it was revealed four members of the government are actuallypatrons of what some peopleare calling an extremist motorist cell. The so-called ‘extremists’ known as theAssociation of British Drivers are seen to have influence at the very heart of government,to such an extent, it appears the lobby group have managed to mould the wordsof our former transport minister Philip Hammond so that any difference betweenthem is indefinable.

When questioned onthis matter, the Association of British Drivers refuted the claim saying, ‘thisis blatantly untrue,’ an accusation also denied by the government who told us ‘thisis blatantly untrue.’

The protests have comein a direct response to people trying to cycle more into work, which causes noair or noise pollution and remains one of the quickest and cheapest ways tocommute. In addition cycling is a cheap way to tackle obesity and will save theNHS millions. This mode of transport has really got up the nose of people who havetaken to the car to reclaim the streets for themselves.

Top Gear presenter andDavid Cameron’s best friend JeremyClarkson told this blog the reason for the actions: ‘There are too manyimmigrants who take public transport and when you’re in a car you cancompletely ignore them and pretend they’re not there.’ When reminded that thishad very little to do with the other protesters reasons he raged: ‘I want todrive in a very fast car and I don’t care who it harms.’ Traffic in Londonmoves on average slower than in the days of horse and cart, which I reminded him of as Icycled past his stationary car with the engine still running.

Recent figuresreleased by the Department of Sensible Decision-Making, employing the rarelyused ‘Blatant Logic methodology, highlighted that the economic cost of a decadeof road kill and over 3 million road casualties in the last 11 years has costthe taxpayer an estimated £32 billion. This appears to be falling on deaf earsas further road blocks are expected to continue tomorrowmorning, afternoon, and the next day, and the next and the next and so on intothe foreseeable future.

One cyclist who hasbeen battling the bottlenecks for the last twelve months said: ‘This is themost selfish protest I have ever seen. It is harming the environment, killingand seriously injuring thousands each year and ruining the economy. Thegovernment should throw the book at them.’

Recent scientificresearch has highlighted the dangers of car pollution with a World HealthOrganisation report revealing; 'emissionsfrom car exhausts are responsible for more deaths than road accidents.' When one protester who picks up her son from school was asked why theydrive a gas-guzzling 4x4, she shouted down from 3 stories up, ‘I can’t hear aword you’re saying’, before driving off into someone else’s kid.

Cyclist killed in West Yorkshire named

2012-01-17T04:20:00.000-08:00

A cyclist who was killed in a collision with a car in South Hiendley, near Wakefield, has been named by West Yorkshire Police.

Maria Micklethwaite, 36, from Carlton, Barnsley, was killed when her bike was involved in a collision with a Ford Focus on Slack Lane at around 3.25pm last Friday.

An inquest into the incident is due to open in Sheffield later this week.

This brings the amount of cyclists killed on our roads this year to five.

James Hodgson - Aged 14 - A483 North of Welshpool between Four Crosses and Arddleen, Powys, Wales - Accident happened 16:40pm - Thursday 5th December 2012 - hit by black Volkswagen Polo car.
Andrew McNicol - Aged 43 - A70 Lanark Road, Edinburgh, Scotland - Died around 8am rush hour morning Thursday 5th January 2012 - hit by overtaking lorry after he clipped a parked car.
Maria Micklethwaite - Aged 36 - Slack lane (country lane), South Hiendley, Barnsley, West Yorkshire - Accident 3.25pm Friday 13th 2012 - hit by a Ford Focus car
Maria Micklethwaite - Aged 36 - Slack lane (country lane), South Hiendley, Barnsley, West Yorkshire - Accident 3.25pm Friday 13th 2012 - hit by a Ford Focus car
David Noy - Aged 64 - B1121 Saxmundham, Suffolk - Died Wednesday 4th January 2012 - killed by hit and run car driver.
Steven Shaw Prime - Aged 47 - A18 between Crowle and Thorne, North Lincolnshire - Incident 5:15am Wednesday 11th January - White Mercedes Sprinter Van

Second protest at Kings Cross announced as cyclists keep up pressure on TfL

2012-01-16T17:34:00.000-08:00

Following on from the first protest at Kings Cross inLondon; Bikes Alive have announced another date for the second protesthighlighting the danger of the Kings cross junction.

Below is the press release from the Bikes Alive group

Dear Bikes Alive friends

As you might have seen from the announcement that wentup on the Bikes Alive website last night, the next pre-announced Bikes Aliveaction of organised self defence against the violence of motor traffic is atKings Cross, from 6pm to 7pm on Monday 23 January (see bikesalive.wordpress.comfor more details).

Cyclists and others will again forcibly, butnon-violently, calm the traffic at Kings Cross for an hour - both in oppositionto Transport for London's policy of prioritising vehicle speed above thesafety, health, and sanity of everyone else on the streets, and also inopposition specifically to the lethal nature of the roads at Kings Cross, wherechanges currently being made by TfL will actually make matters worse.

Please also note a Bikes Alive planning meeting,expected for 7pm this Thursday, in the Kings Cross area. Confirmation of thedetails will follow later - watch the website...

BIKES ALIVE NEEDS YOU!

In addition to the Bikes alive press release or ratherpart of it, they asked for support in sustaining the protests.

If you support this initiative, they say, please:

1) Keep an eye on the website for news.

2) If you're on Twitter, follow @BikesAlive to receiveoccasional alerts - and check for others tweeting about #BikesAlive.

3) Actively spread the information about 23 January tolocal groups in your area - not just cyclists' groups, but other environmental,pedestrian, etc, campaigners who might be interested.

4) Contact all relevant blogs and other websites youknow of, to get this event mentioned (including a reference to bikesalive.worldpress.com).

5) Come to the planning meeting if there's anything atall you can do to help with ideas or actions.

‘If youwant to see these actions getting bigger, happening more frequently, andspreading around London (or even continuing at all...) - it's up to you tohelp!’

Driver admit's blame for death of cyclist

2012-01-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

Student admits blame for death of cyclist Rob Jefferies on the A351

A teenage driver who admitted causing the death of a cyclist by careless driving has been handed a community order.

Lee Cahill, 18, of Tamlin Street, Wareham, appeared at Weymouth Magistrates Court on Thursday for sentencing. The Weymouth court heard how Lee Cahill, 18 had been driving a Renault Clio on the A351 in Wareham in May when he was involved in a collision with Robert Jefferies, who was riding a bicycle on the road.

Cahill pleaded guilty to the offence of causing death by careless driving at an earlier hearing.

Cahill was given a 12 month community order, ordered to undertake 200 hours of community service, disqualified from driving for 18 months, ordered to retake his test and told he must pay costs of £85. Theincident took place as Cahill was driving along the A351. Rob Jefferies was cycling inside the white line on the road. The driver said he made an exaggerated overtake to give the cyclists room.

The court case covered by the Daily Echo told how 'Mr Brown said the Clio seemed to be in line with the cyclists.' Speaking for the defendant, Robert Grey told the court that "Cahill had been dazzled by the sun when he was driving along the road." The police arranged for a road traffic expert to attend the scene the following day, in which his report stated that drivers travelling north-west at the time of the collision would have had the sun shining almost directly across the road.

Speaking for the defendent He added: “My client should have slowed down or stopped. Perhaps a more experienced driver would have done"

“But that is what he has done wrong. He will always remember what he did and what the effect of that was.”

Mr Grey told the court that Cahill, of previous good character, was training to be a plumber and passed his driving test in January 2011.

Two wheels and beyond

Step Change: Did they really say this...?

Cyclist killed in Kendal on Sunday is named

Cumbria: Cyclist dies after being hit by two cars

Cycling investment: Department of Transport has released its Cycling England, Cycling City and Towns end of programme reports.

Love London, Go Dutch: New petition campaign makes demands for new mayor

France: New law allows cyclists to go through some red lights

Pro-motorist government: Road traffic on the increase latest figures reveal

Road rage leaves cyclist on bonnet and bicycle mangled

Second London cyclist dies this year following crash into an opening car door

London councils urge people to take cycle training

Bishopsgate cyclist named as cycle courier Henry Warwick

Transport for London to review 500 roundabouts

UK emissions rose 3.1% in 2010 - government says our policies are in order - I beg to differ

Spalding cyclist and record holder killed in crash is named

Eilidh Cairns: Family pleads for better safety at See Me, Save Me event

63 year-old cyclist becomes third victim in three days on UK roads

New cycle hire schemes under consideration in several towns

New cycle route projects roundup

Cyclist dies in Spalding - Twelfth this year.

James Moore: An open letter to the Minister for road safety

London: cyclist killed by coach on Bishopsgate, London

Uninsured driver who killed cyclist gets fined £350 plus suspended sentence

Promoting cycling - Bradford views cycling as the way forward

Next Bikes Alive protest at Kings Cross

Air pollution: Brighton children test their playgrounds for air pollution

New cycle projects roundup

Hit and run lorry driver seriously injures cyclist: Police seek 4x4 driver

All residential roads in London borough to become 20 mph zones by April

HGV driver walks free in accident that maimed cyclist

Overview of some of last week's stories on Twowheelsandbeyond

French announce cycle plan intention but what happened to our Decade of Cycling?

Thatcham cyclist named: Robb Fraser

In midst of recession, Government new road building spend at highest for a decade

Three cyclists killed in three days: Collision with car in Washington, Tyne and Wear

Cyclist killed in collision with a lorry in Thatcham

20th Anniversary Critical Mass Book Project

Freedom of Information reveals over 600 drivers who have killed someone are allowed back on road

Developers will be forced to pay for new cycle lanes in Colchester

Desford crash death cyclist named as Neil Thompson

Cyclist in A19 lorry crash identified as Christopher Griffiths

An interview with the director of the Dutch Cycling Embassy: The Dutch and how they encourage cycling

York Racecourse charged over cyclist's death

Cyclist killed in Desford, Leicestershire

Protest reminder - Bikes Alive Kings Cross Go Slow - Map

London: Historically listed park in Bethnal Green may get cycle parking

Causing 'death by dangerous cycling' has second reading

Cyclist’s leg crushed by lorry in hit-and-run...almost required amputation

Hit and run driver knocks down cyclist in Epsom

Olympic gridlock: Congestion expected to increase by 33% this summer new study reveals

Campaign Group for Safe Cycle Lanes in Southwark organise protest and lists demands for safer cycling in the borough

Southwark Council has announced zero budget for safecycle lanes for children in their next three-year transport budget of £40 million.

They are urging you to Bring bikes, clean blackrubbish bag, placards, kids and skull mask if you have one. For more information contact Stop Murder Of Cyclists– (S.M.O.C. - Southwark) on Facebook.Email: contact@3acorns.co.uk Mobile on day: 07947884299.

The demands

A video of cycling in the winner of the Best Cycling City 2011 award

Government cave in to twenty-year long motor car protest

Cyclist killed in West Yorkshire named

Second protest at Kings Cross announced as cyclists keep up pressure on TfL

Driver admit's blame for death of cyclist

Student admits blame for death of cyclist Rob Jefferies on the A351

They are urging you to Bring bikes, clean blackrubbish bag, placards, kids and skull mask if you have one. For more information contact Stop Murder Of Cyclists– (S.M.O.C. - Southwark) on Facebook.

Email: contact@3acorns.co.uk Mobile on day: 07947884299.