We’ve submitted evidence to the parliamentary inquiry http://allpartycycling.org/inquiry/ Our conclusions and recommendations are > We want to see an annual allocation of a national budget to cycling infrastructure > We ask cycling to be integrated into national and local government plans > Cycle monitoring data ought to be published by local authorities for public scrutiny and comment > We want local authorities to be enabled to use innovative cycle design > Re-instate Cycling England and commit DfT resources to help develop local cycling infrastructure design expertise
Read moreTag: cycle politics
Cities Fit for Cycling campaign moves up a gear
Nine months after launching the Cities Fit for Cycling campaign, The Times takes stock. The 8-point manifesto to make cycling safer is reviewed and the conclusions are clear: not good enough. The government needs to do much more to tackle the issues and make decent progress: levels of funding earmarked for cycling infrastructure in particular are too low to make a real difference on the ground. A parliamentary inquiry “Get Britain cycling” will look at safety issues, amongst other things, and will report back in spring 2013. It will inform how previous commitment can be turned into action and cut[…]
Read moreNewcastle Cllr Travel Survey 2012
In October, we carried out our second Councillor Travel Survey. The leader and leader of the opposition replied and we are saying a massive thanks to both of them for their contributions. We wish their flock would have done the same but the overall replies are too few to analyse them in a meaningful way. We would have liked to report back to you like we did in 2010. This year only 21 out of the 78 City Councillors bothered to fill in the 1 minute survey. Compare that to 2010, when 39 Councillors responded. Ever economical and efficient we[…]
Read moreCycling to school? No!
We recently obtained a copy of a status report for sustainable travel at sixteen Tyneside schools. Kids usually want to walk or cycle, and the majority lives in walking or cycling distance to the school. There are some heart-rendering comments from pupils in the qualitative report. What deeply worried us is this: some schools actively ban pupils from cycling to school, and one North Tyneside school operates a strict contract system. We believe school heads react like this because they have a serious concern about the safety of our roads. But rather to address the root cause, head teachers apparently[…]
Read moreWe’ve written to Cllr Nigel Todd
Heartened by last year’s engagement and action on Brighton Grove, we’ve written to Newcastle’s local politician responsible for cycling, Cllr Nigel Todd, and ask for action. We’ve outlined the following four achievable targets for completion by 31 March 2012: 1. Allow cycling on Northumberland Street and make a start with out-of-shopping hours, as highlighted by the Safe Cycling petition in 2010 2. Map cycle lanes and give them double-yellow-line status (no parking in cycle lanes), as suggested by our patron Prof Stephen Singleton 3. Provide the definitive list of Newcastle’s one-way streets and allow contra-flow cycling in at least five[…]
Read moreNorth Tyneside breaks cycle pledge – press release
25.04.2012 PRESS RELEASE – NORTH TYNESIDE BREAKS CYCLE PLEDGE At a time of heightened awareness and concerns for cyclists’ safety a local authority chooses to abandon best principles and puts cyclists in harms way. Nationally The Times’ call for ‘Cities Fit For Cycling’ has done a lot to pull cycling into the public arena. Broadcaster Jon Snow and The Times editor James Harding made a plea to the government’s Transport Committee this week to make cycling safe by showing governmental leadership, changes in the law, designating a budget and construction of cycleways. North Tyneside Borough Council signed up in March[…]
Read moreLiaising with our MPs
Over the last week, we have been busy replying to communications from our MPs Catherine McKinnell and Chi Onwurah. – We’ve responded to Chi who had facilitated a reply from Barry Rowland, chief executive of Newcastle City Council – Catherine, our most prolific communicant, blogged about the Summer of Cycling and we asked whether it was possible to clarify with the Minister the much-mentioned National Cycle Stakeholder Forum, its terms of references, makeup and transparency We’ve also recently written to Barry Rowland, chief executive of Newcastle City Council, how he sees the excellent 1Plan implemented – NewcastleGateshead’s economic and spatial[…]
Read moreNews clippings – Team up for Tyne cycling challenge
Chronicle (10 April 2012) Team up for Tyne cycling challenge http://www.flickr.com/photos/katsdekker/7087147761/in/photostream [html / flickr]
Read moreNewcastle Bicycle Festival
We’ll be there! Should be fun! Welcome to the home of the 2012 Newcastle Bicycle Festival Simply meet at Haymarket at 17:30 when we’ll cycle over to the festival venue Star & Shadow. We are planning a political panel discussion for Friday night! Attendance (alphabetical order): – Green Party: yes, name TBC – Labour: Cllr Nigel Todd – Liberal Democrats: attendance unclear to date, TBC Be there! To ask YOUR cycling question. Event poster added! Spread far and wide. Follow this link https://newcycling.org/news/20120809/newcastle-bicycle-festival-poster-added
Read more4C = City Chief Cycle Challenge
Organised by us. Our contribution (albeit postponed) to ‘BikeWeek’ and ‘Summer of Cycling’: let’s get cycling, and talking! http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/CCCC_streettalk – It was great to hear earlier on in the year, that Cllr Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council, would find another 4C useful. We send thanks to Cllr Nick Forbes for finalising a date with us! The final date has been CONFIRMED as 18 September, for 17:00 meet Civic Centre as usual. We are now in the process of finalising matters, confirming our urban experts for the streettalk element etc! Much to do. (On a different note but in[…]
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