Active Travel England - Boardman

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thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Active Travel England - Boardman

Post by thirdcrank »

I've just seen this

Chris Boardman to lead bid to get more people cycling and walking

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60092864

Hopefully, the right man for the job, but he has a big hill to climb.
ratherbeintobago
Posts: 974
Joined: 5 Dec 2010, 6:31pm

Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by ratherbeintobago »

ATC to be based in York, interestingly, which I believe has had a few issues with the council and active travel. Linky

Also interesting:
  • What happens in GM now - major disconnect between the talk from GMCA and the reality on the ground
  • Whether this is all derailed by Johnson’s increasingly inevitable exit
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by pwa »

The perfect job for Boardman, and the right person for the job. Pity it is only England.
Jdsk
Posts: 24635
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Active Travel England

Post by Jdsk »

The official announcement, with a surprising amount of detail:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/olym ... ravel-body

The vision document: "Gear change: a bold vision for cycling and walking":
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... or-england

Jonathan
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by thirdcrank »

What does the role really involve? I see the job title includes the word "commissioner" which sounds important (and more English than "tsar") but all the previous schemes to promote cycling have foundered because central government has limited powers over local government.

It's imo significant that the job has gone to somebody noted as a cyclist rather than a walker. In the minds of a lot of people, all cyclists want to do is share pavements.
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Active Travel England

Post by Jdsk »

Great to see this happening with such a strong emphasis on health. That's the way to do it.

i've just written to a few people about how that might be maintained against other pressures. A knowledgebase of effects and a research hub should be part of the structure, and both should be evidence-based.

Jonathan
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by thirdcrank »

Does anybody know what's happening to this thread? Posts are disappearing, including my OP (and now one from Jdsk has gone.)
Last edited by thirdcrank on 22 Jan 2022, 9:32am, edited 1 time in total.
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by Jdsk »

There's a lot of detail in the official announcement:
viewtopic.php?p=1667640#p1667640

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by Jdsk »

thirdcrank wrote: 22 Jan 2022, 9:32am Does anybody know what's happening to this thread? Posts are disappearing, including my OP
I hope that the threads are being merged as we type. : - )

Or are you looking at the other one?

Jonathan
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by thirdcrank »

Right. My misunderstanding. Before starting a thread on such an obviously important announcement, I checked to ensure nobody else had already started one. As I was typing further, I didn't check to see if somebody had subsequently started another
ChrisButch
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Joined: 24 Feb 2009, 12:10pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by ChrisButch »

thirdcrank wrote: 22 Jan 2022, 9:29am What does the role really involve? I see the job title includes the word "commissioner" which sounds important (and more English than "tsar") but all the previous schemes to promote cycling have foundered because central government has limited powers over local government.
Possibly the most significant is that Active Travel England will become a statutory consultee on all major planning applications. I've always thought the the missing link in all these things has been a disconnect with the planning system, siince most new local roads are funded not by local or national government, but by developers through Section 106. Time and again in my area the policy aspirations of the local authorities on this subject have been thwarted by the developers of new estates negotiating their way out of any commitment.
Carlton green
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Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Boardman to be Active Travel Commissioner

Post by Carlton green »

pwa wrote: 22 Jan 2022, 8:52am The perfect job for Boardman, and the right person for the job. Pity it is only England.
I wonder why you say that? What does it matter that it’s the perfect job for Boardman and why is he the right person for the job? As far as I can see he’s just a high profile sports cyclist and what appropriate skill set he brings I really don’t know. Just England is a large place and the other ‘home nations’ might well object to having an ‘outsider’, but of course I’d like to see them promoting active travel too.

I wonder where walking fits into all of this active travel plans? Whilst a keen cyclist I suspect that in terms of hours used by the public in active travel by far the most used is and would be by walkers on local journeys. Bikes are ideal for many journeys over say a mile long and they’re three plus times faster than walking. However people do walk to work, do walk children to school, do walk to the shops, do walk for and to recreation and do walk to and between links in public transport.

Whilst cycling is a part of active travel such travel is about more than cycling and our many ‘brothers and sisters’ who walk also need and deserve a Commissioner who will champion their cause.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Active Travel England

Post by Jdsk »

From another thread:
Active travel is about more than cycling and our many ‘brothers and sisters’ who walk also need and deserve a Commissioner who will champion their cause.
This about both cycling and walking:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/olym ... ravel-body

Active Travel England to create safer streets for cycling and walking to boost air quality and help improve the health and wellbeing of the nation.

Just as it should be.

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Active Travel England

Post by Jdsk »

From another thread:
"What does it matter that it’s the perfect job for Boardman and why is he the right person for the job? As far as I can see he’s just a high profile cyclist but what skill set he brings I really don’t know."
Boardman's work in Manchester:
https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk ... -boardman/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Boa ... mmissioner

Jonathan
briansnail
Posts: 809
Joined: 1 Sep 2019, 3:07pm

Chris Boardman ....... Go Go Go

Post by briansnail »

Good news for us all.

Chris Boardman (Olympic champion - as if you did't know) will Head Active Travel England.Hopefully he will get a big chunk of £5.5 million the Government has earmarked for improvements. He is a good choice. Not only is he high profile but he delivers.His track record in getting segregated quieter cycle lanes and other is good.

As cycling UK Tea forum is mostly composed of discussion threads. Imagine your his new deputy Head Honcho. What would you advise him to do? Do NOT keep your answers brief if you can .Remember this is a discussion thread SO DISCUSS.Expand your answers.

Apologies if I do not respond.Responses "bump" up listed posts.This would mean other peoples new postings may get missed.

On 26 - 27 The Union Cyclista Internationale hosted the UCI Mobility and bike forum.The paper was a bit dry and very heavy going.However all the video's are on the UCI site. This is the sort event most of us want to go to (If ever one moved in those circles).One could gatecrash. However the security is probably pretty heavy.The event has also passed.Much safer to watch the video's on the UCI site. They are good.Have a dip.I suspect many will be hooked.This will also help generate good idea's.

The video's on the UCI site faithfully follow the agenda :

1 Mr Chris Boardman : Opening keynote speech.
2 Focus on Sports Tourism and Socio - Economic Impact
3 Focus on Infra structure and urban planning'
4 Focus on sustainability and climate change
5 Tools for selling inclusive cycling and promotion

There was a lunch.This was sadly missed. They always leave out the good bits.Just curious.Chefs are like the cyclists attending.Very good at what they do.

One should always credit sources:This was the BBC online news 22.01.2022

https://www.uci.org/forum-page/21KPmTtT7xSc9cSu8hi8bB
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I ride a Brompton and 100% British Vintage hand built bike
Last edited by briansnail on 22 Jan 2022, 2:29pm, edited 2 times in total.
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