MPs talking the talk - Brilliant

[Bonefishblues]

Personally I already feel a sea-change in the wind of public discourse about, and media attention to, the car and its many harmful effects. It might be pollution or pedestrian-squashing in London, or the final acceptance of climate change, that is the catalyst or trigger but I believe that there's a growing weight of opinion that a curb of the car is overdue, advantageous or even essential.

And I repeat - cycling infrastructure, even if someone is willing to pay post-brexit and amidst continuing austerity-in-practice, does not solve the hundred other problems and harms caused by the car over and above a relatively few murdered or maimed cyclists. Fundamental social ills need fundamental cures, not a bit of tinkering ineffectively with the odd symptom.

Cugel

I like it when you're not mischievous. Wise words here.

[reohn2]

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Change to such attitudes can and has occurred. Personally I already feel a sea-change in the wind of public discourse about, and media attention to, the car and it's many harmful effects. It might be pollution or pedestrian-squashing in London, or the final acceptance of climate change, that is the catalyst or trigger but I believe that there's a growing weight of opinion that a curb of the car is overdue, advantageous or even essential........

Cugel

I sincerely hope you're right but from a personal POV I'm not seeing it.The anticycling lobby is as vociferous as ever whilst the present day motorist is looking forward to personal electric cars as an answer and not other means of moving their weak bloated carcasses the few mile to the shopping centres and malls to buy crap.
The problem is a total lack of integrated public transport with,dare I say it,an electric scooter for the last half mile or so,or a pedelec for the couple of miles or less to the train station,to work or the local shops.

The urban conurbation where I live is two miles from the nearest train station there is no bus service to it from where I live,the streets for 600m around that station from 7am to 7pm are clogged solid with cars all using it despite the building of two car parks one of which is multi storey.
No one is doing anything to alleviate that huge problem,and the worst of it is it's happening all over the country to greater or lesser extent.
I'm aware Rome wasn't built in a day but AFAICS Rome is still waiting for the builders to turn up where the UK's infrastucture for active travel and public transport is concerned
That said Manchester with a forward looking mayor in Andy Burnham and the most active travel advocate in Chris Boardman seem to be swimming against the tide,yet still making progress against poor central government funding and silly intractable laws such as the latest prohibiting of zebra crossings being painted at junctions without all the associated infrastructure to go with it making the cost out of the question.
What with the relaxing of car parking practically any and everywhere,it seems to me that central government is doing it's best to keep people IN their cars rather than encouraging them to get out of them!