December 2015 – Newcastle Cycling Campaign

Dear Santa, please have a look at our wishlist

23rd December 2015 NewCycling Press

Dear Santa Please, can you have a look at our wishlist? This year again, we tried very hard to be good. Our Infrastructure Team has been exceptionally busy, providing vital expert advice to the council. After five years of observation, our wishlist is made up of very carefully considered items. These items, taken all together, will make our city better, happier and reduce inequalities. It’s really not so much for the few of us who already cycle in Newcastle – as we are often cycling despite the lack of sensible cycleways out there – but for everyone who wishes to[…]

Our Reply: Great North Road – Broadway To Brunton Lane Engagement

21st December 2015 Infra Team Consultation replies

The following is our response to the engagement event carried out by the council for changes that are being developed for the Great North Road between Broadway and Brunton Lane. The engagement web page is here. The drawing that was produced for this is included below. Our Response As the proposed scheme is currently going through engagement, this is not an endorsement of the scheme, but an opportunity for us to make comments. We hope these comments will be useful to the council in developing the scheme further. Overall the scheme is encouraging. It is good to see continuous cycle[…]

Governing the transport transition

10th December 2015 NewCycling Uncategorized

In our third letter to Pat Ritchie, we examine the bidding system for transport projects. We also look again at council responsibility and local decision-making. Over the last couple of months, we have written two letters to Pat Ritchie, the Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council. The letters discussed council responsibility, budget transparency, working with civic society, climate change and sustainability, and costs and savings: First letter Working together for a successful outcome requires accountability Second letter What is the price we pay for our transport system? So far, we have established that for the council to succeed in creating a fair transport system[…]

Cycle City Ambition Programme 2 – summary and questions

2nd December 2015 NewCycling Uncategorized

One year on, we have a look at the Cycle City Ambition Fund 2 (CCAF2), its general content and feasibility. The CCAF2 documentation was put together by the City Council a year ago. It was approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) shortly thereafter. Newcastle Council did not contact us to collaborate or allow us to help shape the input and direction of the bid. Despite newcycling being a strong transport and cycling stakeholder we were given no involvement whatsoever in the content, quality or its ambition. Based on our experience of the last two years of CCAF1 delivery and many[…]

Haddrick’s Mill – Through Routes and Distributor Roads

1st December 2015 Infra Team Uncategorized

In two previous articles we discussed the Haddrick’s Mill Junction in general terms and talked more specifically about the required cycle provision. One of the key points we have been making over the past few years, is that roads need to be clearly designated by their function – following the Dutch design principles of Sustainable Safety (a campaign policy). So it was a bit of a pleasant surprise to see a booklet (recently published by the council carried out under the Re-Newcastle banner) showing a road designation system, albeit rudimentary, now being developed! Have the council got it right? Let’s[…]