News – Newcastle Cycling Campaign

Newcastle’s active travel schemes – progress and funding – update September 2022

19th September 2022 NewCycling News, Politics

Last year the government published Gear Change: One Year On, featuring Newcastle’s own Queen Victoria Road. It stated that ‘plans are underway to make the temporary changes permanent, following positive public feedback’. We are still waiting to find out when the work will begin here. Further Active Travel funding was announced this year, which makes Newcastle City Council one of the highest recipients of active travel funding in England (outside London), showing the level of ambition our Councillors have for our city. Active Travel England has now been set up to oversee the delivery of the Active Travel Fund and[…]

Heaton Streets for People update – Tintern Crescent

13th April 2021 NewCycling News

In 2017 a new cycleway was built on Heaton Road, between the junctions of Cardigan Tce and Meldon Tce, as part of Cycle City Ambition Fund Round 1 (CCAF1). A roundabout at the Heaton Rd/Heaton Park View junction was replaced by traffic lights to provide a safe crossing for pedetrians and cyclists. One of the side effects was that some drivers heading southbound down Heaton Rd were opting to cut down Tintern Crescent and onto Heaton Park View instead of wating at the traffic lights. Drivers were also ignoring the ‘No Motor Vehicles’ sign at the junction and were driving[…]

Streets for People – updated September 2022

13th April 2021 NewCycling News, Politics

Newcastle City Council launched their Streets for People programme in 2016 as part of Cycle City Ambition Fund Round 2 (CCAF2). The aim was to make safer, cleaner and more attractive neighbourhoods in Heaton, Jesmond and Fenham & Arthur’s Hill through delivering walking and cycling schemes. We will update this page when we have further news on these schemes so please check back here for news on progress. The aim of Streets for People was also to build on the work started under Cycle City Ambition Fund Round 1 (CCAF1), which aimed to create strategic cycle routes radiating from the[…]

Emergency Active Travel schemes – updated September 2022

13th April 2021 NewCycling Consultation replies, News

Last summer the Council implemented a number of experimental and temporary Government-funded Emergency Active Travel schemes intended to improve space for walking and cycling in response to the pandemic. The Government also published new guidance for walking and cycling schemes. We think these are very important and welcome changes which will make walking and cycling easier and more attractive and, very importantly, will help the Council to meet its net zero plans. We will update this page when we have further news on these schemes over the coming months so please check back for news on progress. Queen Victoria Road[…]

Local organisations back Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

27th September 2020 NewCycling News, Politics, Press

The Newcastle Cycling Campaign is one of 10 community groups in Newcastle and North Tyneside who, along with around 120 other organisations from across the UK, have signed a national statement calling on leaders of councils to take action to roll out more low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). The statement says: “Now more than ever we need safe and spacious routes for walking and cycling to stop the air and noise pollution, and danger that traffic inflicts on our neighbourhoods… That’s why we welcome the leadership of councils who are working tirelessly to make sure changes to streetspace aren’t lost as[…]

A ‘gear change’ for walking and cycling: UK government announces ambitious plans

22nd August 2020 NewCycling News, Politics

On 28th July, the government published its plans to get Britain cycling Gear change: A bold vision for cycling and walking. Successive governments have made such announcements, but this time it looks like they really mean it. This article summarises the main points of the report. Accompanying the report is long-awaited updated guidance for designing cycling infrastructure (LTN 1/20). These two documents are ground-breaking in their ambition and a must-read for anyone who is interested in making better towns and cities. Here in Newcastle we have experienced first-hand the problems of short-term funding, lack of design guidance and difficulties in[…]

North Tyneside schemes for #SpaceForDistancing and #activetravel

12th July 2020 NewCycling News

What has happened Not so far from Newcastle, North Tyneside Council is also making use of the government funding to put in place temporary measures across the borough to create space for distancing and increase active travel. These are progressive and more ambitious than anything that Newcastle has proposed yet and could prove to be transformative for the coast both in terms quality of life for its residents and as an attractive destination for visitors. Here we look at what their plans are and how they are getting on with it. Phase 1 plans were publicly announced on 11 June[…]

Huge support for safer neighbourhoods

14th June 2020 NewCycling News

A big thank you for those who responded to our call for action, wrote to Newcastle City Council and want to see safer streets in their neighbourhoods for social distancing. In this article, we would like to share the thoughts and stories of local residents in Newcastle. We hope we can amplify their voices, inspire others to re-imagine their neighbourhoods and ask for change to support local decision-making. The pop-up cycle lane on Queen Victoria Road in the city centre is a a great start and a clear example of road space reallocation and how quickly it can be done.[…]

Queen Victoria Road #SpaceForDistancing

9th June 2020 Infra Team News

Newcastle City Council have rolled out their first emergency Covid-19 related scheme on Queen Victoria Road, outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). We would like to congratulate the council on this for two key reasons: The speed at which the scheme has been rolled out. The removal of car parking to create space for cycling. The cycle route runs directly in front of the RVI, providing a link between Exhibition Park to the north and Leazes Park to the south. It provides a much needed link for key workers at the hospital. The measures are not just limited to a[…]

Our response to Newcastle City Council’s climate change call for scientific evidence

28th January 2020 NewCycling Consultation replies, News

This is Newcastle Cycling Campaign’s response to the Newcastle City Council climate change call for scientific evidence 2020. Individual responses can be sent through through a survey here. Who we are The Newcastle Cycling Campaign is a constituted community group, with more than 1,600 members. It was established in October 2010 to address economic, social and spatial inequalities in the transport system by lobbying for high quality cycling infrastructure to enable people of all ages and abilities to cycle in an around the city. What we do Over the last ten years, we have documented our actions and demands using evidence,[…]