Cycling set to be banned from Stevenage town centre

[OldGreyBeard]

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-12597288

[snibgo]

Interesting. It wasn't allowed in my day. At least, we thought it wasn't allowed, and so did the police who regularly told us to get off our bikes.

[hubgearfreak]

Labour councillor John Gardner It is only a small number of people who make life very, very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for both the young and the elderly and maybe even the able-bodied on occasions."

i wonder if he plans to ban all things that are a danger? perhaps he should start with those proven to be a danger?

if you're one of his constituants ask him?

how many injured and killed by cyclists in stevenage?
haw many injured and killed by motorists in stevenage?

[kwackers]

but we seem to have ended up with a situation where you can get closer to the shops by car than you can by bike

[drossall]

I work just outside Stevenage town centre, and I'm just as baffled as Jim Brown. There have been various complaints over the years about town-centre cycling, but everyone has always taken it for granted that there was actually an existing ban. The "pedestrianised" shopping centre has one long "street" with cross-streets. Some side turnings definitely have No Cycling signs.

The cycle stands shown in the illustration to the news item are a long walk from any cycle path.

The town centre is a real obstacle if you happen to be trying to go somewhere else. All routes lead there and then just stop. It's quite hard avoiding it.

Personally, I leave my bike in the shed at work and walk in.

I've never thought that levels of cycling in the town centre were an issue, but of course I'm not elderly. It's not exactly endemic though. Very little chance this new ban will make any difference, I'd have thought.

[[XAP]Bob]

Sounds like another law that will only affect the people it isn't aimed at.

[iviehoff]

I observe that the photo illustrating the comment "you will be able to park your bicycle" shows a not-fit-for-purpose front-wheel-bender type stand that no cyclist in their right mind would use to lock a bicycle in a town like Stevenage.

[snibgo]

I was suprised to see they were still there. Probably grade I listed.

[mark a.]

They're going the other way in Woking, but then Woking is one of the special Cycle Towns. It's being contested at the moment (due to concerns by disabled and vulnerable pedestrians) but hopefully it will stick.

It seems strange for a town to actively choose to ban cycles (although I understand that this Stevenage decision seems to be more confirmation of rules that were already in place), especially if they profess to being cycle friendly.

[sirmy]

Wonder how this fits in with Central Beds Local Transport Plan 3 which says

Promoting healthier lifestyles
The LTP will have an emphasis on sustainable transport including walking and
cycling, promoting healthier lifestyles.

[drossall]

The wheel-benders have been there as long as I remember. The "boulevards" are quite wide. It does give the impression that the original designers intended cyclists to ride up to the stands, or why put them there in the middle, and not at the various edges of the shopping area?

However, as I said, it's no big deal. Any original vision of the designers is long lost, and as far as I know everyone assumes that cycling is banned already. Just as the original vision has been lost elsewhere in the town, and cycle paths now give way at every track and minor side turning, instead of having underpasses.

[OldGreyBeard]

Wonder how this fits in with Central Beds Local Transport Plan 3 which says

Promoting healthier lifestyles
The LTP will have an emphasis on sustainable transport including walking and
cycling, promoting healthier lifestyles.

Stevenage is in Hertfordshire

[megilleland]

Is this an outright ban?

In Hereford we have a restriction on cycling between 10.30am and 4.30pm every day across the main square and several streets. Unfortunately a lot of towns and cities took little heed of advice and suggestions offered over the years by the Dept of Transport and Cycling England. A list of towns and cities and their restrictions is listed here..

In Spain a minister announced last week that they are going to allow cycling on pavements 3 metres wide, but you must stay at least a metre away from shopfronts and entrances. Not sure how that will be enforced?

[Richard Mann]

In Spain a minister announced last week that they are going to allow cycling on pavements 3 metres wide, but you must stay at least a metre away from shopfronts and entrances. Not sure how that will be enforced?

In Ghent they removed all the restrictions entirely - you can cycle wherever you want. I think it's the different culture. If "everyone" cycles, then we can learn to put up with other people. But if it's a minority young-male activity, then you inevitably clamp down on it.

DfT shouldn't give guidance, they should just change the definition of a carriage to exclude bicycles travelling at walking pace.

[kwackers]

In Spain a minister announced last week that they are going to allow cycling on pavements 3 metres wide, but you must stay at least a metre away from shopfronts and entrances. Not sure how that will be enforced?

In Ghent they removed all the restrictions entirely - you can cycle wherever you want. I think it's the different culture. If "everyone" cycles, then we can learn to put up with other people. But if it's a minority young-male activity, then you inevitably clamp down on it.

DfT shouldn't give guidance, they should just change the definition of a carriage to exclude bicycles travelling at walking pace.

+1

I'd love to see people cycling everywhere sensibly.
The first port of call for LA's should be to remove restrictions and only put them back on 'abuse it and lose it' terms.