Towns get £5m to start cycle revolution
Discussion
And guess what is near the top of the list of priorities to create a bicycle friend town, yes you've guessed it
'..controlling traffic speed'
'...One way to encourage people to cycle more is to slow down traffic, he said. Danger from fast drivers was commonly cited, especially by women, as a reason they did not cycle.'
So great news for any PH's who happen to live in or near the affected towns.
Full Telegraph artice below
Towns get £5m to start cycle revolution
By Frances Booth
(Filed: 26/09/2005)
Five towns are each to be given a million pounds of public money to promote cycling and become "beacons" to show how increased investment can encourage riders on to the streets.
Eight towns and one London borough have been shortlisted, and are being tested by members of Cycling England, the Government funded organisation behind the scheme.
Today, Taunton and Exeter are being visited, and last week Lancaster and Southport were tested. The other towns shortlisted are Brighton, Aylesbury, Derby and Darlington, along with Hackney, north-east London.
The five winning "cycling demonstration" towns will each receive £500,000 a year from the Department of Transport for three years to be matched by £500,000 a year from their respective local authorities.
Phillip Darnton, the chairman of Cycling England, said that on average each person made 1,020 trips per year, ranging from popping to the local shops to travelling abroad. Only 15 of these trips, on average, were by bicycle.
The aim of the demonstration towns programme was to make a step change in the town's environment that suddenly makes you feel that cycling is a possibility, and it is just like a really great European cycling city. It is about changing a culture."
He said that 25 to 30 years ago the levels of cycling in Copenhagen were no higher than England now, but that it had become one of Europe's best cities for cycling after a concerted effort to make it more attractive to riders.
What was needed, he said, was investment. Less than £1 per head is spent on cycling in England. In the demonstration towns, this will be raised to £5 per head - based on the level of investment in European towns with high proportions of journeys by bike.
Cycling England, a body set up to co-ordinate the development of cycling and supported by several Government departments, hopes to show that a significant difference can be made to cycling levels in the chosen towns, and spur on further investment.
Detailed questionnaires were filled in by 30 towns which entered, and a shortlist of nine was drawn up. The towns have to show that the whole community is behind raising levels of cycling, with support from council leaders, officers, schools, police, employers and local people. "They have to be saying: 'This is a town where cycling is a real option'," Mr Darnton said.
The towns have to be able to provide the right physical environment for cycling, as well as promote a range of "soft" measures to encourage more people to cycle.
A decision will be made by Oct 5, then Cycling England will make a recommendation to the Department for Transport, suggesting the winning towns.
The £1 million to be spent in each demonstration town will be used for measures including cycling maps, qualified instructors, controlling traffic speed and encouraging schoolchildren to cycle, in an aim to raise cycling levels.
Cycling England, launched in March, has funding of £2.5 million a year for three years from the Department for Transport for the project.
In its proposal, it cited the need to achieve positive results quickly. In the past nine years, it said, despite increases in Government investment, there has been no increase in the number of journeys by bicycle.
At present, less than one and a half per cent of all journeys are by bicycle in England, but in Hull, Bristol, York, Cambridge, Oxford and London - all cycle-friendly towns - the figure is higher. In Hull, where there are 20mph limit zones, it is 12 per cent.
In contrast, 25 per cent of trips in Holland are by bike, a situation which Mr Darnton described as "a dream". One way to encourage people to cycle more is to slow down traffic, he said. Danger from fast drivers was commonly cited, especially by women, as a reason they did not cycle.
The cycling demonstration towns will show, he added, that cyclists get exercise, save money and tackle the pollution problem.
Mr Darnton said investment was needed because we are "all completely car-centric". "Get out of your car, change a culture, change an attitude."
'..controlling traffic speed'
'...One way to encourage people to cycle more is to slow down traffic, he said. Danger from fast drivers was commonly cited, especially by women, as a reason they did not cycle.'
So great news for any PH's who happen to live in or near the affected towns.
Full Telegraph artice below
Towns get £5m to start cycle revolution
By Frances Booth
(Filed: 26/09/2005)
Five towns are each to be given a million pounds of public money to promote cycling and become "beacons" to show how increased investment can encourage riders on to the streets.
Eight towns and one London borough have been shortlisted, and are being tested by members of Cycling England, the Government funded organisation behind the scheme.
Today, Taunton and Exeter are being visited, and last week Lancaster and Southport were tested. The other towns shortlisted are Brighton, Aylesbury, Derby and Darlington, along with Hackney, north-east London.
The five winning "cycling demonstration" towns will each receive £500,000 a year from the Department of Transport for three years to be matched by £500,000 a year from their respective local authorities.
Phillip Darnton, the chairman of Cycling England, said that on average each person made 1,020 trips per year, ranging from popping to the local shops to travelling abroad. Only 15 of these trips, on average, were by bicycle.
The aim of the demonstration towns programme was to make a step change in the town's environment that suddenly makes you feel that cycling is a possibility, and it is just like a really great European cycling city. It is about changing a culture."
He said that 25 to 30 years ago the levels of cycling in Copenhagen were no higher than England now, but that it had become one of Europe's best cities for cycling after a concerted effort to make it more attractive to riders.
What was needed, he said, was investment. Less than £1 per head is spent on cycling in England. In the demonstration towns, this will be raised to £5 per head - based on the level of investment in European towns with high proportions of journeys by bike.
Cycling England, a body set up to co-ordinate the development of cycling and supported by several Government departments, hopes to show that a significant difference can be made to cycling levels in the chosen towns, and spur on further investment.
Detailed questionnaires were filled in by 30 towns which entered, and a shortlist of nine was drawn up. The towns have to show that the whole community is behind raising levels of cycling, with support from council leaders, officers, schools, police, employers and local people. "They have to be saying: 'This is a town where cycling is a real option'," Mr Darnton said.
The towns have to be able to provide the right physical environment for cycling, as well as promote a range of "soft" measures to encourage more people to cycle.
A decision will be made by Oct 5, then Cycling England will make a recommendation to the Department for Transport, suggesting the winning towns.
The £1 million to be spent in each demonstration town will be used for measures including cycling maps, qualified instructors, controlling traffic speed and encouraging schoolchildren to cycle, in an aim to raise cycling levels.
Cycling England, launched in March, has funding of £2.5 million a year for three years from the Department for Transport for the project.
In its proposal, it cited the need to achieve positive results quickly. In the past nine years, it said, despite increases in Government investment, there has been no increase in the number of journeys by bicycle.
At present, less than one and a half per cent of all journeys are by bicycle in England, but in Hull, Bristol, York, Cambridge, Oxford and London - all cycle-friendly towns - the figure is higher. In Hull, where there are 20mph limit zones, it is 12 per cent.
In contrast, 25 per cent of trips in Holland are by bike, a situation which Mr Darnton described as "a dream". One way to encourage people to cycle more is to slow down traffic, he said. Danger from fast drivers was commonly cited, especially by women, as a reason they did not cycle.
The cycling demonstration towns will show, he added, that cyclists get exercise, save money and tackle the pollution problem.
Mr Darnton said investment was needed because we are "all completely car-centric". "Get out of your car, change a culture, change an attitude."
People will only cycle if the cycle lanes are away from the cars like in Copenhagen, where they have roads then a pavement then a cycle way then the pedestrian pavement.
You also need to have a flat area i.e. no hills and you also need to put this in place when the town is built not try and retro fit it to towns that were not designed to include cycling.
Compared with the £900M wasted on fighting truancy I suppose £5M is not a lot of money......
You also need to have a flat area i.e. no hills and you also need to put this in place when the town is built not try and retro fit it to towns that were not designed to include cycling.
Compared with the £900M wasted on fighting truancy I suppose £5M is not a lot of money......
Here's an idea
What about, where towns and cities have suitable rivers or waterways, creating out of town parking areas and river launches to ferry people in and out of them?
Open up bus and cylce lanes to motorcyclists too and maybe that would ease traffic flows at peak times.
All for promoting cycling but not at the detriment to existing traffic.
What about, where towns and cities have suitable rivers or waterways, creating out of town parking areas and river launches to ferry people in and out of them?
Open up bus and cylce lanes to motorcyclists too and maybe that would ease traffic flows at peak times.
All for promoting cycling but not at the detriment to existing traffic.
JagLover said:
He said that 25 to 30 years ago the levels of cycling in Copenhagen were no higher than England now, but that it had become one of Europe's best cities for cycling after a concerted effort to make it more attractive to riders.
What total bollox , the Danes have always used cycles as a way of getting about, maybe its because Copenhagen is as flat as a pancake and the Danes have 180% tax on new cars , opps must not go giving them ideas
Bizarre - but if they spend it wisely it might do some good. The trouble is that we know they won't!
Painting white lines on the road doesn't make a cycle lane. Cycle lanes need to be utterly seperate as described earlier.
Its also important to distinguish between cycling for entertainment - which always involves driving with a bike on the roof somewhere contributing to congestion!
- and cycling as transport. (Which I do). If the government wants to encourage transport cycling, as opposed to recreational cycling, then we need dedicated, seperate cycle lanes.
Ironically I'd rather not share them with pedestrians...a bike crashing into a person at 30mph is going to do the same amount of damage as a car...
Painting white lines on the road doesn't make a cycle lane. Cycle lanes need to be utterly seperate as described earlier.
Its also important to distinguish between cycling for entertainment - which always involves driving with a bike on the roof somewhere contributing to congestion!
- and cycling as transport. (Which I do). If the government wants to encourage transport cycling, as opposed to recreational cycling, then we need dedicated, seperate cycle lanes. Ironically I'd rather not share them with pedestrians...a bike crashing into a person at 30mph is going to do the same amount of damage as a car...
Look the UK is for the most part a cold wet pisswy island, except in summer when for 4 months it's warm wet and pisswy.
A few beardy, wooly jumper wearing save the planet veggies cycle, and they're a blimmin nuisance.
But it is never going to catch on for the mass of the population who don't want to arrive at work, sweaty, damp and stinking of BO.
This a another £5m of taxpayers money being peed away to employ local 'cycling and green transport' officers for each of these towns on £30,000 a year.
A few beardy, wooly jumper wearing save the planet veggies cycle, and they're a blimmin nuisance.
But it is never going to catch on for the mass of the population who don't want to arrive at work, sweaty, damp and stinking of BO.
This a another £5m of taxpayers money being peed away to employ local 'cycling and green transport' officers for each of these towns on £30,000 a year.
JagLover said:
Full Telegraph artice below
Towns get £5m to start cycle revolution
By Frances Booth
(Filed: 26/09/2005)
The £1 million to be spent in each demonstration town will be used for measures including cycling maps, qualified instructors, controlling traffic speed and encouraging schoolchildren to cycle, in an aim to raise cycling levels.
I bet that means lowering speeds of cars to show that bicycles are just as fast as a car round town.
If we cycle everywhere what about the potential job losses in the drive-thru fast food market? No cupholders on bikes as far as I know!
Don't the government think when coming up with these hair-brained schemes??
I think Ive ate too many 99p BK Double Bacon Cheese Burgers lately and the grease has gone to my head(5 since Saturday night
)
Don't the government think when coming up with these hair-brained schemes??
I think Ive ate too many 99p BK Double Bacon Cheese Burgers lately and the grease has gone to my head(5 since Saturday night
)The cost of that will escalate beyond sight. See this
www.millennium.gov.uk/cgi-site/awards.cgi?action=detail&id=127&t=2
The Millennium Green Wheel is part of the new sustainable transport system for the city of Peterborough. It is an 80km network of cycleways, footpaths and bridleways providing safe, continuous routes around the city, with radiating spokes connecting to the city centre. A new heritage centre at Flag Fen has been created and there is a sculpture trail of functional, landscape artworks, as well as a 'Living Landmarks' project which involves the community in local features such as mini woodlands, ponds and hedgerows.
Grant recipient: Peterborough Environment City Trust
Location: Peterborough
Project web page: www.flagfen.com
Grant awarded: £5,408,246
Total project cost: £12,697,964
www.millennium.gov.uk/cgi-site/awards.cgi?action=detail&id=127&t=2
The Millennium Green Wheel is part of the new sustainable transport system for the city of Peterborough. It is an 80km network of cycleways, footpaths and bridleways providing safe, continuous routes around the city, with radiating spokes connecting to the city centre. A new heritage centre at Flag Fen has been created and there is a sculpture trail of functional, landscape artworks, as well as a 'Living Landmarks' project which involves the community in local features such as mini woodlands, ponds and hedgerows.
Grant recipient: Peterborough Environment City Trust
Location: Peterborough
Project web page: www.flagfen.com
Grant awarded: £5,408,246
Total project cost: £12,697,964
Rob_F said:
....and Exeter are being visited, and last week...
Anyone who lives in Exeter will tell you it's the hills which put everyone off, not the speed of the traffic!
Cheers,
Rob.
Indeed
an idea doubtless with its roots in London, a city so flat it thinks Richmond has a hill.
Looking at that article it's clear that they don't understand another essential prerequisite for those who want to cycle to work. It's not just about roads and cycle paths.
Offices/places of work need showers and changing rooms - you don't sweat when you're speeding along on your bike, but when you arrive at work and the cooling airflow stops, cue the auto-douche. When the company I was working for were designing a new office they came over all green and touchy-feely and asked for suggestions, then promptly ignored the ideas that had a cost implication like showers/changing rooms. More corporate bullshit.
Offices/places of work need showers and changing rooms - you don't sweat when you're speeding along on your bike, but when you arrive at work and the cooling airflow stops, cue the auto-douche. When the company I was working for were designing a new office they came over all green and touchy-feely and asked for suggestions, then promptly ignored the ideas that had a cost implication like showers/changing rooms. More corporate bullshit.
I'd ride but ONLY if there were no cars. I'd NEVER EVER ride on the road for fear of being run over.
OK, speeding cars might be ore scary, but I'd rather have speeding attentive drivers than slow ones on the mobile phone or p1ss1ng about with their hair in slow traffic!
I'd honestly cycle the 15 miles to work if it was a straight line over the fields (5 miles now), away from the pollution of busses and buggered old trucks and stuff.
In a town I'd rather just bloody walk. You can't really go *that* much faster on a bike, then you have storage problems. You can ride INTO town, but then you can't take it into shops with you.
How much is bike storage that is safe gonna cost? More than a bus, more than car parking?
Just another dumb ass idea I'm afraid. Why do we pay pricks to come up with crap ideas?
Dave
OK, speeding cars might be ore scary, but I'd rather have speeding attentive drivers than slow ones on the mobile phone or p1ss1ng about with their hair in slow traffic!
I'd honestly cycle the 15 miles to work if it was a straight line over the fields (5 miles now), away from the pollution of busses and buggered old trucks and stuff.
In a town I'd rather just bloody walk. You can't really go *that* much faster on a bike, then you have storage problems. You can ride INTO town, but then you can't take it into shops with you.
How much is bike storage that is safe gonna cost? More than a bus, more than car parking?
Just another dumb ass idea I'm afraid. Why do we pay pricks to come up with crap ideas?
Dave
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