Any chance Highways England could build cycleways for a year?

[BobSweet]

Just thinking aloud. Just consider if Highways England built cycleways for a year instead of roads! Their website reports that "Total spend in 2019–20 £4.5bn" that would make a lot of cycleway mile. OK they have built some terrible cycle facilities near me, but I am sure we could train them.

[Jdsk]

Wouldn't it be great? Now how would you convince the decision makers? I'd go for public health... and job creation.

Jonathan

PS: Currently being rebranded for £7M.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/20/highways-england-rebrand-accused-of-being-an-offensive-waste-of-7m

[atlas_shrugged]

Would be good to start a new organisation called Greenways England.

[reohn2]

Just thinking aloud. Just consider if Highways England built cycleways for a year instead of roads! Their website reports that "Total spend in 2019–20 £4.5bn" that would make a lot of cycleway mile. OK they have built some terrible cycle facilities near me, but I am sure we could train them.

You're on a loser in a backward country.

[Jdsk]

Just thinking aloud. Just consider if Highways England built cycleways for a year instead of roads! Their website reports that "Total spend in 2019–20 £4.5bn" that would make a lot of cycleway mile. OK they have built some terrible cycle facilities near me, but I am sure we could train them.

You're on a loser in a backward country.

But what's the first step that we could take to improve things?

Jonathan

[reohn2]

Just thinking aloud. Just consider if Highways England built cycleways for a year instead of roads! Their website reports that "Total spend in 2019–20 £4.5bn" that would make a lot of cycleway mile. OK they have built some terrible cycle facilities near me, but I am sure we could train them.

You're on a loser in a backward country.

But what's the first step that we could take to improve things?

Jonathan

A complete ban with very few exceptions,on private motor vehicles in town and city centres,with priority given to active travel and public transport.
Rigidly imposed traffic laws for drivers of motor vehicles by a specially trained traffic police force,along with harsher sentencing for offenders,such as much higher fines for speeding and resiting of driving tests for serious and serial offenders and draconian sentencing for driving without licence or insurance etc.
Presumed liability unless proven otherwise
But as I posted,these are pie in the sky changes that will never happen in a backward motorcentric country such as the UK.

[Jdsk]

Thanks

Jonathan

[Steady rider]

I think there was a bill promoting cycling and walking with some percent to be allocated. Assuming start with A/B roads and a cycling Minister.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... rategy.pdf
You need a 2/5/10 year program.

[Jdsk]

You need a 2/5/10 year program.

Yes, it's going to take a long time and it's going to need short-term objectives.

I also think it needs a multimodal transport policy. That makes it even harder but ever are so many interactions...

Jonathan

[Steady rider]

https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default ... _final.pdf

The motion referring to the Highway Code was not discussed, preventing progress.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default ... _final.pdf
again useful motions was rejected and prevented discussions at the AGM

side issues perhaps. a conference could have discussed how better to provide for cycling infrastructure.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 641730410X

[The utility cyclist]

You're on a loser in a backward country.

But what's the first step that we could take to improve things?

Jonathan

A complete ban with very few exceptions,on private motor vehicles in town and city centres,with priority given to active travel and public transport.
Rigidly imposed traffic laws for drivers of motor vehicles by a specially trained traffic police force,along with harsher sentencing for offenders,such as much higher fines for speeding and resiting of driving tests for serious and serial offenders and draconian sentencing for driving without licence or insurance etc.
Presumed liability unless proven otherwise
But as I posted,these are pie in the sky changes that will never happen in a backward motorcentric country such as the UK.

We can't stop all motoring but we can severely restrict and remove parking for all but blue badge holders though we must encourage those with restricted mobility to regain independence and feel they can cycle in some form or another into traditional centres. Stopping through driving of motor traffic would be a start.
We also need to repatriate some of the existing roads or a part lane that lead from residential areas and they be for cycling only, preferably the most direct. And along that cycling road access/egress from side streets be restricted if not stopped up entirely - so lng as there's another end to the street
We need to repatriate parts of roads to retail and industrial, taking back the existing infra is massively cheaper than building something, it'll be wider and more direct with fewer interactions/crossings of motor traffic than segregated.

Highways England could with local highways spend a year converting lanes of motor roads to cycling roads and remove motor parking, outside of the built environment the older roads that continue to be used as rat runs at still insane speed limits could also be stopped up for motorists to be able to go through and have to use the main trunk roads that were built at massive expense for them.

[DaveGos]

I believe the best long term way to improve cycling facilities should be that any new roads or changes to road layouts should have to seriously consider building in proper cycling facilities , most cycle facilities I come across consist purely of paint and thus most is a complete waste of time and money . Its a lot cheaper and better if the cycle facilities are built in, but around my area Shropshire , new roads are being built that scream out for a cycle path ( on a main road very close to a school) new roads have been built on estates with the pathetic 100 ft of lines on the pavement followed by the double white stop and get off indicators, . What little is being built is just not fit for purpose

[The utility cyclist]

I believe the best long term way to improve cycling facilities should be that any new roads or changes to road layouts should have to seriously consider building in proper cycling facilities , most cycle facilities I come across consist purely of paint and thus most is a complete waste of time and money . Its a lot cheaper and better if the cycle facilities are built in, but around my area Shropshire , new roads are being built that scream out for a cycle path ( on a main road very close to a school) new roads have been built on estates with the pathetic 100 ft of lines on the pavement followed by the double white stop and get off indicators, . What little is being built is just not fit for purpose

I couldn't agree less, the default should be consideration for cycle only with restricted access for motoring at certain times if no other routes possible, I don't want 'facilities', I want the road as it stands to be my cycle lane, these are wide, direct and already fully joined up,cycling 'facilities' are none of this.
I don't want built in, I want cycle infra to BE the road itself and consideration for motoring to be made, we completely come at this from the wrong way around, constantly asking for crappy infra to be put in place, even most Dutch lanes aren't wide enough, are exposed to motor traffic at crucial junctures that are known to increase deaths significantly.

[mjr]

[...]road layouts should have to seriously consider building in proper cycling facilities [...]

I couldn't agree less, the default should be consideration for cycle only with restricted access for motoring at certain times if no other routes possible,

[rude word removed] "consider". They already seriously consider both of those: most highways decision-makers seriously consider them too much trouble (especially the trouble they'd get from whining motorists), so they go back to building mini-quasi-motorways like they always have and the cyclists can lump it!

I want them to actually do. Not "consider" or "seriously consider". Until then, splitting ourselves up debating the finer points of Dutch, Danish and fully-separate junction design is almost pointless.

[Steady rider]

I think this divided opinion issue has been the problem for 50 years, leading to Sustrans routes. A good combination of elements are needed, road rules, facilities, attitudes, funding and long term planning and monitoring to standards.