youreport2014 – Newcastle Cycling Campaign

YouReport – air quality

29th January 2015 NewCycling Uncategorized

A member and Gosforth resident had a good look at air quality, zooming in from the EU and national situation to the subject’s relevance to Gosforth High Street – one of Newcastle Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) (1). This youReport article rightly argues that air pollution caused by motor traffic should be recognised as a serious public health crisis, and as such must be adequately addressed, as were open sewers and smoking in the recent and more distant past. As a campaign group we hope that an alliance with partnering organisations will get the subject of air quality a due[…]

Gosforth meeting – a member’s letter

2nd December 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

Alistair Ford, a member who lives in Gosforth, has written to the Gosforth Councillors following the Town Hall Meeting. Here is his robust and forward-thinking letter. To facilitate communication, we would be delighted to post the Councillors’ reply. Dear councillors, I am writing to you regarding the ‘Gosforth Town Meeting’ which I attended last week. I would like to congratulate you all on calling such a meeting, and providing an opportunity for the people of Gosforth to get together and discuss issues which are important to them. I thought it was excellent to hear a range of views and for[…]

Gosforth Town Hall Meeting – member’s action

29th November 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

Here is Bill, a Gosforth resident, reporting on the Town Hall Meeting held on Thursday 27th November. Shown below, is the question he posed to the Councillors and audience. The public meeting had been called by Councillors of East and West Gosforth and Parklands wards to discuss ‘controversial’ issues. Over 200 people attended, and debated transport plans for Gosforth, including the High Street, Salter’s Road and Hollywood junctions, amongst more general aspects of mobility, accessibility, liveability and quality of life. I was extremely disappointed with the approach taken by the seven Gosforth Councillors present who were very much against improvements for cyclist and pedestrians. The latest round of consultation carried[…]

A cycleway in Bondy, France

18th October 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

Following Nantes, Armelle now sends a photo from Bondy – one of the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located about seven miles from the centre of Paris. She says: “Bondy is an impoverished suburb which suffered the riots in the autumn of 2005, yet finds the funds and the will to develop cycle paths to the RER station and tram line (opened in 2006) connecting a string of disconnected towns. Here mobility – physical, geographical and social – is the key to any political approach.” Whilst we cannot comment on the (completeness of the) local network… deriving a[…]

Jeannie’s question

2nd October 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

Jeannie: I have got a question. So I want to ride my bike but it’s kind of difficult. There is a lot of roundabouts. I cannot really go on to the pavement as I get shouted at. So I can’t really do anything; and I am kind of stuck. Where can I ride my bike to school? Cllr Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council replies: Good morning everybody. First of all, can I say a huge thank you for coming along today. I think it’s been absolutely magnificent to have such a brilliant turnout of people showing that cycling[…]

Helsinki Cycling Strategy

18th September 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

Mima, one of our members, just got back from Helsinki, her hometown. She was pleasantly surprised to see more people cycling in the finish capital, a trend she had already noticed over the last few years. In her online investigation, she came across the City Cycling Strategy 2013 – an ambitious programme building on a steady increase in cycling since the early 2000s. Helsinki’s modal share target, 15% by 2020, is not too dissimilar to Newcastle’s ambition of 12% by 2022. Helsinki is planning to treble its annual cycle budget, investing an astonishing €33 (£27) per person per annum (pppa)[…]

Cycling in Nantes, France

29th August 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

Our member Armelle, who lives with her young family in Jesmond, has contacted us again. She previously reported back from Copenhagen, home of urbanist Jan Gehl, now she’s sending inspiring stuff from Nantes in France telling the story and journey of the VeloCity 2015 host. Nantes is ranking in 5th place in the prestigious Copenhagnize index: So you’re talking the talk, Nantes. You’re also starting to walk the walk but what will define the liveability of the city is how far you’re willing to go. Your goal of 15% modal share is great and you’re on your way. Dear friends,[…]

Campaigners workshop in Leeds – a member reflects

4th June 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

Patrick, Sally and Katja attended the Space for Cycling Campaigners workshop in Leeds. Patrick sums it up here. In May, a healthy North East contingent made the train bound for Leeds and the recent Space for Cycling campaigners conference. Space for Cycling is a campaign theme which started in London, by the London Cycling Campaign, but has resonated nationally and was launched by CTC and local campaign groups at the conference. It’s a great way of communicating the sometimes fuzzy and disparate needs of people on bikes into themes that decision-makers can recognise, and act upon. The six themes of[…]

Historical cycling in Newcastle – a member’s observation

4th May 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

You may remember George reporting back from Dublin in last year’s yourReport series. The space for cycling that Dublin managed to make through roadspace re-allocation (and not being so far away from Newcastle like many of the other more “exotic” locations) won the Committee’s thumbs-up. George contacted us again, as he’s now stumbled across some great historical clips and photos showing Newcastle’s cycling past. Some people say “There is no history of cycling in Newcastle”. Newcastle has never been in York’s league, but I remember loads of bike shops on and around Shields Road in the 1960’s, so there must[…]

Pedalling on Parliament – a member’s story

16th April 2014 NewCycling Uncategorized

The Pedal on Parliament movement is now in its third year. Last year 4,000 people pedalled on the Scottish Parliament to tell the politicians that they want a cycle-friendly Scotland. Since then, apart from little changes, Scotland is a long way away from achieving that – so they are doing it again. One of our members pedalled with them last year. Here’s the story. On 19 May last year we pedalled over to Central Station to catch the 9.15 train to Edinburgh and show our support for Scotland’s Pedal on Parliament. Riding through Edinburgh to get to the start of[…]