Cities Fit for Cycling - The Times

[gaz]

The times have launched a campaign to improve cycling across the country after one of their reporters was stuck by a lorry only yards away from her workplace, she has been in a comma since.

The 8 point manifesto.

1. Trucks entering a city centre should be required by law to fit censors, audible truck-turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists being thrown under the wheels.
2. The 500 most dangerous road junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors that allow lorry drivers to see cyclists on their near-side.
3. A national audit of cycling to find out how many people cycle in Britain and how cyclists are killed or injured should be held to underpin effective cycle safety.
4. Two per cent of the Highways Agency budget should be earmarked for next generation cycle routes, providing £100 million a year towards world-class cycling infrastructure. Each year cities should be graded on the quality of cycling provision.
5. The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.
6. 20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.
7. Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.
8. Every city, even those without an elected mayor, should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.

Read more, sign the pledge and watch the video >
p.s. I feature in the video, talking about camera use.

 

[BentMikey]

The brief low quality clip at 1:04 is mine.

 

[Spinney]

Also in this thread:
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-times-on-our-side.94826/

 

[PpPete]

I see no video. Is this because I havnt paid my Murdoch for on-line access to what used to be a quality newspaper?
EDIT
Video started - and then stopped again "Lost Connection"

 

[srw]

Hooray! Nothing in there that's particularly controversial. We can argue till the cows come home what "world-class infrastructure" is, but for £100m it won't be anything particularly offensive - and we all know it'll never happen.

 

[summerdays]

Well I've sent off my letter to my MP!

 

[PpPete]

Also - but to try and a bit of "balance" I've asked him, at the same time, to press the local Constabulary to crack down on the large, and seemingly growing, number of "ninjas" round here.

 

[stowie]

I am heartened by the fact that a national newspaper has decided to air this - although the fact that one of their reporters got seriously injured is horrible.

This surely shows a certain sea-change in thinking about cycling? The demands from the Times seem, in the most part, reasoned and coherent. The cycling audit is something that does amaze me. I assume this isn't done currently even at local (eg. London) level? If not, how on earth can policy be implemented and measured?

This is the sort of campaign that can change perceptions. I know that we can argue until everyone is really bored about cycling funding and facilities, "ninja" and vehicular cyclists etc. But this is unimportant at the moment with regards to The Times campaign. The important thing is that a national newspaper - still hugely respected - has seen cycling and cycling safety a big enough issue to run a campaign.

Now I await for the Mail to run a similar campaign....

 

[Fab Foodie]

I am heartened by the fact that a national newspaper has decided to air this - although the fact that one of their reporters got seriously injured is horrible.

This surely shows a certain sea-change in thinking about cycling? The demands from the Times seem, in the most part, reasoned and coherent.

You mean the same 'The Times' than ran the squalid Matthew Parris piece ... oh the irony ...

 

[stowie]

You mean the same 'The Times' than ran the squalid Matthew Parris piece ... oh the irony ...

Yes, but at least they have changed their line for the better. The Parris article was in 2007 - it would be interesting to know if this type of article would be published by the Times these days. Maybe I am in a hopelessly optimistic mood today, but I think this is yet another reason to be hopeful that there is a change in attitude.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Yes, but at least they have changed their line for the better. The Parris article was in 2007 - it would be interesting to know if this type of article would be published by the Times these days. Maybe I am in a hopelessly optimistic mood today, but I think this is yet another reason to be hopeful that there is a change in attitude.

Yep, now it's happened to one of their own, they've seen the light .... how many more eh?

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy that we are slowly seeing a sea change and changing the lazy meedja perception of cycling and cyclist is in IMHO a very big and important step.
Time will tell if this is the moment, I'm still looking for a flying pig ....

 

[dellzeqq]

Yes, but at least they have changed their line for the better. The Parris article was in 2007 - it would be interesting to know if this type of article would be published by the Times these days. Maybe I am in a hopelessly optimistic mood today, but I think this is yet another reason to be hopeful that there is a change in attitude.

I think we all of us have no choice but to be optimistic.

The conversion of the Standard (accepting that this conversion was part of a whole bigger thing after the long-overdue departure of the loathsome Johnson croney Veronica 'Wad'ley, now copping £64k for ten days work at your expense, Stowie) has been remarkable to behold. But, then again, newspapers do conversions. Look at the Mail and Hitler.

In circulation terms the Times is a London paper, and they see London cyclists as young with an above average education and income. The press is awash with Cav, Wiggins and Wiggle. This is a belated marketing move, chasing the Standard and the Grauniad.

 

[Richard Mann]

The cynic in me was wondering if other cycling Tories might quite like to see Boris forced to change his tune. Or be humiliated. Or both.

 

[BSRU]

I'd like some of that money spent on increasing the number of traffic police on our roads enforcing the law.

 

[dellzeqq]

The cynic in me was wondering if other cycling Tories might quite like to see Boris forced to change his tune. Or be humiliated. Or both.

That's a decent question. Look out for a bit of back-stabbing closer to May.

Having said that I think any NI paper puts one thing first, and one thing only - revenue.