Newcastle Cycling Campaign

2021 Council Elections – Newcastle City Council

14th April 2021 NewCycling Politics

Council elections take place on Thursday 6th May this year. You can find out who is up for election in your ward here. We have written to the transport leads for the four main parties, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Conservatives, to ask for their views on active travel. You can see their responses below. These are the questions we put to the parties: 1. How do you propose to built a cycling network (a combination of cycleways on main roads and filtered neighbourhoods where through traffic is removed) which would achieve mode shift and meet climate change commitments in[…]

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[…]

Queen Victoria Road – Permanent Scheme Engagement Response

13th April 2021 Scott Consultation replies

The Council have recently engaged on making permanent changes to Queen Victoria Road following the existing temporary changes made due to Covid-19 (previous articles here and here). Details on the planned changes can be found here (last accessed 11th April 2021). During the engagement period the council provided us with the opportunity to discuss our thoughts on the scheme and below are some of the key points that we have raised: Summary Overall the planned scheme and its intentions are a positive change for the area, one which we strongly support. The removal of car parking spaces along Queen Victoria[…]

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[…]

Our 2021 New Year message to city leaders

22nd March 2021 NewCycling Politics

In January we wrote to the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members for Transport & Air Quality and Climage Change & Communities. We commended them on their work to develop better walking and cycling infrastructure in the city in response to the pandemic and called for a new collaborative approach to working with walking and cycling advocacy groups. You can read the full letter here: Dear Cllr Forbes, Cllr Ainsley and Cllr Penny-Evans A belated Happy New Year from the Newcastle Cycling Campaign committee! 2020 was a very challenging year and we want to thank you for your efforts[…]

North East Transport Plan consultation: Action for members!

12th January 2021 NewCycling Consultation replies

The North East Transport Plan consultation is open until Thursday 14 January 2020. This is the first region-wide transport plan and sets priorities up to 2035. We welcome the development of the plan and we are commending political leaders on the vision statement and objectives (see page 6 of the plan). However the content of the plan does not support this vision and fails to set out the transformative interventions and the “standard” to deliver a green, healthy, dynamic and thriving North East. It is important that you respond to the consultation and make your voice heard in support of active travel. Please[…]

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[…]

Grey Street – #SpaceForDistancing

22nd August 2020 Infra Team Uncategorized

Newcastle City Council has now put in place the temporary measures on Grey Street. The changes are a huge improvement, befitting of its reputation as one of Britain’s finest streets. We congratulate the Council on the work they are doing to improve the city centre by including vital provision for cycling. We would like to see how this scheme is intended to fit into a wider network plan and hope that the Council will soon outline how it will connect this scheme to the John Dobson Street cycleway, the Tyne Bridge, the Central Station and links out to the east[…]