There’s no better time for cities to take space away from cars

[Barks]

Please send onto your local councillors and any one else in a position of influence:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/23/2119 ... distancing

[mattsccm]

I hate to say but when, eventually, we get back to near normal there will be a huge binge on all the things banned. Driving will be one of them. Possibly a few new cyclist will keep it up.

[Cyril Haearn]

This is a chance for great change, I shall certainly not be binge driving
One does wonder whether cinemas shall have trouble after being closed a while
..
Is a drop in births to be expected around Christmas?

[The utility cyclist]

Now is the time to stop up strategic parts of the highway network in towns and cities to motor traffic, a perfect opportunity for the best solution to increasing cycling and to make that cycling massively safer. We then only need police and the so called justice system to back up, had far too many idiots steaming along the roads just in 30 zones and treating them as race tracks.
Vans, trucks, saw one delivery vehicle doing about 50 round the estate road, it was bloody ridiculous, private motorists steaming around and not giving way at junctions/rbts.
There's far fewer vehicles but the dangers are no less than before, taking that tarmac back would resolve that so much.

[reohn2]

Now is the time to stop up strategic parts of the highway network in towns and cities to motor traffic, a perfect opportunity for the best solution to increasing cycling and to make that cycling massively safer. We then only need police and the so called justice system to back up, had far too many idiots steaming along the roads just in 30 zones and treating them as race tracks.
Vans, trucks, saw one delivery vehicle doing about 50 round the estate road, it was bloody ridiculous, private motorists steaming around and not giving way at junctions/rbts.
There's far fewer vehicles but the dangers are no less than before, taking that tarmac back would resolve that so much.

I agree wholeheartedly,but the only problem being that it simply won't happen with a capitalist rightwing government in power.

[The utility cyclist]

Now is the time to stop up strategic parts of the highway network in towns and cities to motor traffic, a perfect opportunity for the best solution to increasing cycling and to make that cycling massively safer. We then only need police and the so called justice system to back up, had far too many idiots steaming along the roads just in 30 zones and treating them as race tracks.
Vans, trucks, saw one delivery vehicle doing about 50 round the estate road, it was bloody ridiculous, private motorists steaming around and not giving way at junctions/rbts.
There's far fewer vehicles but the dangers are no less than before, taking that tarmac back would resolve that so much.

I agree wholeheartedly,but the only problem being that it simply won't happen with a capitalist rightwing government in power.

honestly I don't think it matters which party is in power, none of them will take the drastic action that's needed to save lives, not just of people on bikes, but those on foot and in motors, not to mention the premature pollution deaths, obesity related deaths and the massive costs that that causes the NHS.
All I've seen from Labour since the 70s (as far back as I've bothered to look) smacks of motorism, no less in reality than the tories.

[reohn2]

Now is the time to stop up strategic parts of the highway network in towns and cities to motor traffic, a perfect opportunity for the best solution to increasing cycling and to make that cycling massively safer. We then only need police and the so called justice system to back up, had far too many idiots steaming along the roads just in 30 zones and treating them as race tracks.
Vans, trucks, saw one delivery vehicle doing about 50 round the estate road, it was bloody ridiculous, private motorists steaming around and not giving way at junctions/rbts.
There's far fewer vehicles but the dangers are no less than before, taking that tarmac back would resolve that so much.

I agree wholeheartedly,but the only problem being that it simply won't happen with a capitalist rightwing government in power.

honestly I don't think it matters which party is in power, none of them will take the drastic action that's needed to save lives, not just of people on bikes, but those on foot and in motors, not to mention the premature pollution deaths, obesity related deaths and the massive costs that that causes the NHS.
All I've seen from Labour since the 70s (as far back as I've bothered to look) smacks of motorism, no less in reality than the tories.

I can only agree,the country went down the wrong path on transport many years ago,and now is frightened politically of admiting it and changing direction,which has led to the attitude of many that cycling is either a sport/fitness activity or just a nuisance road obstruction due to the ingrained belief that the roads were built exclusively for motors,highway planning has done nothing to dissuade them from that belief.
There are moves afoot for active travel by some councils up and down the country to alter the status quo,but it's a very slow and cash starved operation,the country seems to either ignore or miss the opportunity to change things at every turn.
It's sadly the British way,based and run on an out dated class system that believes you are what you have and in that hierarchy the bicycle,beautiful and practical as it is,comes bottom of the pile to the point of derision by all too many.
Just to add that the Labour party hasn't up until the last election been leftwing since before the Thatcher government

[carpetcleaner]

Once the virus danger has passed people will be just as keen on as before.

Restrictions on car use are a sure way for a political party to lose votes.

[Bmblbzzz]

Good time for it, yes, except of course no new construction work is going to start for the next half year or so, if not longer.
Binge driving after the lockdown? Yes, and before unless we hire some cops.
Nevertheless, many of London's commuter cyclists started in response to previous public transport problems and have kept it up, and I'd expect the same to happen this time.

[Jdsk]

"The UK government is to push ahead with a new wave of traffic reduction schemes to help more people walk and cycle, telling councils that while they must properly consult on new projects, they should also not be derailed by a minority of noisy opponents."
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/13/local-councils-advised-to-push-ahead-with-traffic-reduction-schemes

Jonathan

[squeaker]

This morning's tweet from the DfT. (Much of the video is from here.)

[Jdsk]

New study: "LTNs for all. Mapping the extent of London’s new Low Traffic Neighbourhoods"
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d30896202a18c0001b49180/t/5fb246b254d7bd32ba4cec90/1605519046389/LTNs+for+all.pdf

Guardian coverage:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/16/claim-low-traffic-schemes-only-benefit-better-off-debunked-in-new-study

Jonathan

[John Holiday]

As a National Standards Instructor and Community Speed Watch volunteer, am well aware of hazards of speeding drivers.
Unfortunately, the Police & Judiciary doesn’t treat offenders seriously enough to deter.

[Stevek76]

It's sadly the British way,based and run on an out dated class system that believes you are what you have and in that hierarchy the bicycle,beautiful and practical as it is,comes bottom of the pile to the point of derision by all too many.
Just to add that the Labour party hasn't up until the last election been leftwing since before the Thatcher government

Yes but don't forget that cyclists are also all just wealthy middle class professionals with expensive toys when the argument is convenient

Re lab/con, at least for english policy (transport being devolved and that), while labour were certainly nowhere near as radical as was needed in their time, conservatives have been consistently more car friendly. E.g. the general idea shifted far more towards 'demand management' during the late 90s and 00s and this was reflected in the Highways Agency's remit. They also ran the fuel tax escalator.

The last ten years have been marked by a shift back towards the bad old days of 'predict and provide', large £bns thrown at Highways England to build roads, fuel tax frozen so a real terms drop in cost (while public transport fares continue to increase above inflation) and extra funds for local authority led road building.

There is some difference between the two, but it's not huge and variance in local politics makes it inconsistent as well.


As for the present government, Johnson obviously has some interest in active travel but is out of step with most of his party there so the funding is small and the latest comms seem rather two faced in trying to not upset e.g. MPs in the home counties. It's clear he's lost a great deal of internal political capital over the year.

[mjr]

This morning's tweet from the DfT. (Much of the video is from here.)

Rakish helmet, helmet, helmet, wonky helmet, but anyone on a bike in the video has a helmet even Shapps when he's saying that you don't need special kit

Another missed opportunity. As it says on https://twitter.com/andyschickenhat/sta ... 9978887174 "Wow. 175m. That’s like a quarter of one expensive roundabout, or less than one tenth of a tunnel. At least this isn’t 175m for the whole country. Oh wait........"

It's also claimed in some comments that this is a big cut from the planned £250m.