Newcastle Cycling Campaign

Consultation response: Concerns about new Grey Street plan only showing one-way cycling

Newcastle City Council are consulting on a permanent scheme for Grey Street, but unlike the current temporary scheme, there is no protected northbound cycleway in their plan and northbound cycling will not be permitted. By not providing two way cycling on the street, we feel this proposal is significantly flawed and undermines all the other very positive changes such as widened pavements and reduced traffic. We have asked for clarification on this plan and have been promised a meeting with officers to discuss the changes. We hope that city leaders will ensure that the scheme outlined in the funding bid,[…]

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2021 Council Elections – Newcastle City Council

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[…]

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Local organisations back Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

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[…]

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Cycle Safari: Elswick and Benwell

It is with great pleasure that this year we were able to start running our cycle safaris again. For those who don’t know what this means – no we are not going looking for lions! But we do hope to spot a few new zebras on our streets. The aim of the safaris is to check out potential routes where we would like to see protected cycle lanes in the future, and to review new infrastructure on some routes previously identified. On 6th July this year we had the pleasure of cycling along the new cycle route on Elswick Road[…]

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Call for new commissioner to tackle ‘woefully underfunded’ walking and cycling in Newcastle

Evening Chronicle – 30 July 2019 Campaigners are calling for a ‘Walking and Cycling Commissioner’ in the North East. A new figurehead could be appointed to spearhead efforts to improve “woefully underfunded” walking, cycling, and public transport infrastructure in the North of Tyne. Campaigners are calling on metro mayor Jamie Driscoll to appoint a new ‘Walking and Cycling Commissioner’ to help tackle the region’s air pollution and climate crisis. Sally Watson, chair of Newcastle Cycling Campaign, said “Walking, cycling and public transport are woefully underfunded, despite being the cleanest and greenest options. In the light of a climate emergency, now declared by[…]

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Bike Life report 2017 – the people have spoken

The people of Newcastle have spoken: “74% of residents support building more protected roadside cycle lanes, even when this could mean less space for other road traffic”   What more does the Council need to hear to build protected cycleways? For the second time, the survey shows overwhelming support for dedicated space for cycling over road space for cars. The general population again made their voice heard. These statistics come at no surprise, as 42% of Newcastle households do not even have a car, and car ownership does not preclude Newcastle citizens demanding better space efficiency, cleaner air and urban environments for all. Cycle[…]

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Chi Onwurah MP’s speech at Newcycling’s 2017 AGM

  “Thank you for the introduction and sorry I was late, delays on the metro, at Jarrow. On Thursday, the day before yesterday, I asked the Undersecretary of State for Transport, I said to him on Saturday I’m going to speak at the Newcastle Cycling Campaign Annual General Meeting, what can I tell the people there about what the government are doing to bring the benefits of cycling to everyone when studies show that the average cyclist is male, white, middle class, under 40, and clad in lycra. Andrew Jones replied “The honourable lady is absolutely right, cycling needs to[…]

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Chi Onwurah MP reports on cycling, women and Africa

Chi Onwurah MP for Newcastle reports from her recent trip to Africa  and gives us her perspective of what it is like to cycle in a local town in Namibia. An account about the social value of cycling, women empowerment and hope for the future: “I recently returned to cycling after a break of two decades, thanks to the encouragement and support of many but especially Newcycling and Super Cycling Councillor Marion Talbot. I am really enjoying getting around the constituency on my bike whenever I can. It is encouraging, but also I suppose slightly depressing, that constituents are generally[…]

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Cllr Ged Bell – quotes

Added 21 October from Bikelife report: “Enabling Newcastle to be the best place it can be, with everyone having access to opportunities, is central to our ongoing success. We want parents and carers to feel safe letting their kids bike to school, and older people to feel able and confident enough to get about on two wheels. By designing space that works for young and old, we are ensuring it works for everyone.” Source Space for Cycling ride, 25 April 2015, Newcastle “I love cycling, I always have done and I will continue to love cycling. What we need to do[…]

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