He or she does. Because it's not an instant 100% conversion that would result from an overnight reworking of London.Very small gains? You call a factor of 2.5 in 5 years very small?
He or she does. Because it's not an instant 100% conversion that would result from an overnight reworking of London.Very small gains? You call a factor of 2.5 in 5 years very small?
It's very difficult to measure, and very few people bother.
Very small gains? You call a factor of 2.5 in 5 years very small?
Hold on. A moment ago you were hyming the praises of separated and signposted cycle routes, because they'd encourage lots of cycling. What's changed?
...For instance - the results of the survey conducted by TfL show that only 1% of the users of the Cycle Superhighways had started to use their bikes because of it (with the caveat, of course, that the survey respondents were a self-selecting group).
...
Again, as with the Boris Bikes, the CSH aren't even fully completed yet; you can't possibly expect to be able to draw conclusions about their ability to attract new cyclists at such an early stage in their implementation.
I make you right. The LCC's campaign for more cycle parking is a good one, but a lot of employers do nothing to accommodate bikes. Few office buildings have car parks, and, to be fair, space in most offices is at a premium. Hence the popularity of Bromptons, and, also, the hire bike scheme.
And the drawing...........(you can buy the maps from ProMap, but it's cheaper to go to the library and photocopy them)
Indeed, Oxford's main growth in cycle use took place in the late 1970s and 1980s, before there was significant implementation of cycle facilities of any kind.
WGF: I noted you quoted the following:
"Cycling‘s highest modal share in the UK is in Cambridge with 28% followed by York 19% and Oxford 17%."
It is important to note that none of these places have extensive segregated cycle networks; the vast majority of cycle trips take place on normal roads. Indeed, Oxford's main growth in cycle use took place in the late 1970s and 1980s, before there was significant implementation of cycle facilities of any kind. While I can see the attraction of Copenhagen style segregated paths alongside the busiest roads, we are constrained by the practicalities of needing to provide pedestrian space, bus stops, loading bays etc in our urban areas. The busiest cycle route in Oxford is the Cowley Rd, which is also the busiest bus corridor, has lots of shops and cafes needing deliveries etc etc. It is a narrow single carriageway. There simply isn't room for segregated cycle paths, nor indeed for proper width on-road cycle lanes.
I know you've criticised bad cycle facilities, but unfortunately one of the consequences of telling politicians that segregation is the only way to get people to cycle, is that you end up with poor quality segregation, which is a waste of money and worse than useless for existing cyclists.
Stowie, that is a completely exasperating post. The LCC has been pushing town centre redesign for 20 years, for which WalthamForestCrapBlogger gives them no credit whatsoever. There is a cycle/bus lane through the centre of Stratford, and you can thank the LCC for it. There is cycling and bus priority through Shoreditch and you can thank the LCC for that too. There's even cycling priority through the centre of the Vauxhall gyratory, and you can thank the LCC for that. There's also, best yet, the redesign of Brixton town cente in which there is no separation, but the traffic is cleverly managed in order to give pedestrians safer, more congenial space - again the LCC can take a bow for that, although they didn't get all they wanted. The LCC would remove the Tottenham gyratory in its entirety and make the high street two way, probably without any separation - just like Brixton.Putting lines on maps in-between existing architecture isn't the point. In cities which have succeeded in increasing Cycling modal share above a few percent, they have fundamentally altered the streets to accommodate (even, dare I say it, prioritise) public transport and cycling.
And try looking at say, the deeply unpleasant A11 into Stratford, or the A10 Tottenham Hale Gyratory, or Stratford one way system and tell me that there is no room for segregated cycling. These are multi-lane race-tracks where traffic speeds to the next junction and the inevitable hold-up. Removing a lane from these roads is possible and probably wouldn't even affect traffic flow very much.To get "normal" people cycling (and bear in mind the vast majority of Londoners haven't cycled since childhood) these roads need to be attractive to cycle on. Because they are the main roads, so more direct, and they intersect "quiet" routes anyway.
Provide cycling infrastructure on these really difficult roads and link up with on-road cycling where the roads have been redesigned to help cyclists (or at least not make their journeys more difficult). Then non-cyclists will start to cycle.
CrapWalthamForest may be pretty aggressive in his opinions on cycling. He may be pretty negative on many initiatives. He may also be a bit unfair on cycling organisations who face the combined apathy of the general population and government to cycling. But it doesn't mean that he doesn't have a point.
It is a point. I don't know York, but I would say Oxford and Cambridge have a road system that is very tricky by car, but far easier by public transport, cycle or walking. I remember driving in Oxford centre and simply being herded by the road system around a huge diversion when I could have walked more quickly. So maybe these cities have calmed down the streets in this way and provided incentive to cycle or walk. And of course having huge student population probably helps.
If you really want modal share to go up in town you've got to do something about the simply dreadful route signage. Too many times on a Boris or my own folder I've set off only to find myself following little blue signs that disappear at, say, a T junction. Useless. Cycling London's shared use infrastructure as a serious alternative to bus or tube, as it is for me for business use, should not require membership of some gnostic sect in order to navigate.
I now take a garmin with me on trips to town!