ADVICE FOR CYCLISTS (from an employer)

[Pete Owens]

Several years ago my employer introduced ANPR barriers. It is a bit of a pain in the neck having to ride on the pavement to avoid them and I have asked for the situation to be resolved on a number of occasions. All it would take is the gap between the barriers to be wide enough to ride through.

Then on Friday this email was circulated:

NOTICE TO CYCLISTS

There has been a series of near miss incidents on the pavement between the entrance barrier and the Reception building where pedestrians have come close to being hit by cyclists either entering or leaving the site and using the pavement to avoid the barrier (see attached photo). I would kindly request that cyclists do not ride on any pavements on any part of the site. At the Reception, cyclists should dismount and walk on the pavement until they are back onto the road.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yes indeed. They put barriers on the road that can only be operated by motor vehicles - and then complain when we ride on the pavement. The word "Pleb" comes to mind.

[brooksby]

OK, yep: that's pretty rubbish and I can imagine your blood is kind of boiling on it.

But doesn't it look like a result of the general attitude toward cycling which doesn't see cycling as a "proper" mode of transport? (eg. cyclists are expected to get off and walk, rather than the council or contractors put proper diversions, etc, in place)

[Psamathe]

Name and shame the employer?

Contact CUK and get them to write to the employer?

Write to the Council and question the access to the site and/or write to Planning Services and question if the access planning rules are being met (i.e. to provide adequate access for e.g. cyclists). contact your councillor and get him/her to contact the company about their discouraging cyclists.

I'd expect as you are not registering any formal complaint in any of the above, your name should be able to be kept out of things so your employer need not be aware who it is raising the issues (ask those you contact to keep your name confidential as you are an employee and the employer may react badly ...)

Ian

[thirdcrank]

To any employer sincerely looking to provide for cyclists in their workforce, I'd say set something up with one of the regular cyclists, preferably somebody in a management or supervisory role within the organisation. They'll help you make decent provision and they'll help make sure that bike parking places are only used by regular riders, rather than long-term storage by somebody who rode to work once, never to try it again.

Win-win.

[Cunobelin]

We had barriers installed at the car park which houses the secure Bike Park Lockers

Quick word with Estates and.....

They popped the end cap off the barrier, hacksawed 2 feet off, reinstalled the end cap

Sorted...... still stops vehicle access, but allows bikes through

[drossall]

Form a cycle user group and make a collective approach? One person may look like a trouble-maker. A section of your workforce making positive suggestions, but unhappy about one particular aspect, may look different.

[Vorpal]

Generally the above advice is good. Find allies.

I would talk to anyone in the organisation that I felt could do something, and might take an interest. Management, HR, other cylists. A BUG or something formed at work (as suggested above) might make more noise than one person.

I've sometimes gotten simple things like that done by simply asking the facilities person nicely.

A couple of other possibilities:
-explain the situation to the HSE manager, and point out that there is a simple fix
-if there is a travel plan for the company, a health promotion specialist, a medical dept., or anywhere else at work where you can get help with a healthy lifestyle, explain the problem to them and see they can help get the gate fixed

[mattsccm]

How far do you cycle after the barrier? Hardly worth the fuss for a few yards is it? 100 yards of barriered pavement might be more frustrating I guess.

[mjr]

How far do you cycle after the barrier? Hardly worth the fuss for a few yards is it? 100 yards of barriered pavement might be more frustrating I guess.

Has anyone ever required motorists to push their cars into the works car park?

I currently can't walk straight but I can ride a bike so I'd be disregarding this instruction and suggestion the employer would face a disability discrimination accusation if they tried disciplinary action... but really, it shouldn't be necessary. Which forms of transport does pretty much every part of government claim to want to encourage? Walking and cycling. If there's any justice, this will be in breach of some planning permission condition, as a non-agreed change to the layout of the access. Look it up, report it and encourage government to act.

[brooksby]

How far do you cycle after the barrier? Hardly worth the fuss for a few yards is it? 100 yards of barriered pavement might be more frustrating I guess.

Has anyone ever required motorists to push their cars into the works car park?

I currently can't walk straight but I can ride a bike so I'd be disregarding this instruction and suggestion the employer would face a disability discrimination accusation if they tried disciplinary action... but really, it shouldn't be necessary. Which forms of transport does pretty much every part of government claim to want to encourage? Walking and cycling. If there's any justice, this will be in breach of some planning permission condition, as a non-agreed change to the layout of the access. Look it up, report it and encourage government to act.

I think that you'll find that the Govt and councils want to encourage cycling without actually doing anything to encourage it and certainly without spending money...

[mjr]

I think that you'll find that the Govt and councils want to encourage cycling without actually doing anything to encourage it and certainly without spending money...

Not actually a bad thing in itself, because I think we'd all love it if it were possible without government having to do anything or spend taxes on it, but at least some (and many on this forum) realise that it's not possible and I'm not sure everyone in government does

[gbnz]

I think that you'll find that the Govt and councils want to encourage cycling without actually doing anything to encourage .

Hmm......my last three employers

1. 2011 Local Government; I was forced to buy a car for the second time in 15 years, rather than use the bus / bike to get to work and around (I had a 1.5 mile cycle journey while at work, on a flat road with near perfect visibility, which was considered too far and unsafe to cycle, a car had to be used). There was shock, when as a senior officer I used a "scrap" car for five years I.e. cheaper than my £500 bike
2. 2005 HMG; I was forced to buy a car for the first time in 9 years.
3. 2002 A small PLC; company director ok'd my binning the company car on the spot and agreed to my being paid a travel allowance instead. Used the bike routinely while at work for site visits etc

Guess which of the three employers didn't have a formal environmental policy

[Cunobelin]

Our Trust has a Chieftain Tank on the roundabout by the entrance to the Park and Ride



As far as I am aware the Parking Office has not used it for enforcement ..... yet

[Cyril Haearn]

No need to spend money encouraging cycling

Better to discourage motoring

Enforcing the traffic law for motons makes money, plenty will lose their licences

Less motoring is not the same as more cycling mind, I do not want even more people cycling

[brooksby]

No need to spend money encouraging cycling

Better to discourage motoring

Enforcing the traffic law for motons makes money, plenty will lose their licences

Less motoring is not the same as more cycling mind, I do not want even more people cycling

Gawd! He's 'aving a go at the motorists!! (I honestly can't see the Govt ever actively discouraging motoring, because certain media outlets would go after them like ... I don't know: some really vicious bitey thing in a bad mood ("war on the motorists" and all that)).