Our priorities for 2016/17

As in previous years we will concentrate on the political and institutional barriers to building cycling into Newcastle. Leading on from last year that we spent myth busting and challenging the status quo of transport planning and engineering, this year we are:

Putting cycling back on the map

We will put the focus back on the Strategic Cycle Routes and creating a good quality cycle network for Newcastle, and connecting into neighbouring authorities. The cycle network should not only exist in word (as it does in the key policy of the Local Plan / One Core Plan), but in an actual mapped form. We’ll lobby for the inclusion of the cycle network map into city transport policy. This way any changes to the roads, for example through new developments processes, would necessitate inclusion of appropriate (cycle) infrastructure and inclusive urban design.

Campaign priorities AGM 2016 (v4) from newcycling

Newcastle needs protected cycleways on main roads

The 9 spokes and 2 ring routes are the minimum barebone network of protected cycleways.

In between main roads, mode-filtering could be sufficient

In between these routes motor through traffic must be identified and removed to create quieter and calmer neighbourhood streets, so that kids can play out and residents can enjoy life in the city.

Inclusive road safety

On an institutional basis, we know that Newcastle also needs a clearer transport budget, better design rules and a more focussed council structure. Through asking for Sustainable Safety principles to be adopted we will highlight these shortfalls.