Cycle Towns - Good News?

[MartinC]

Came across this just now while looking for a phone number http://www.yell.com/health/blog/investment-turning-brits-into-bikers/
Are they making a difference or am I being over-optimistic?

 

[summerdays]

I think its good - the more that cycle the more that motorists are used to dealing with cyclists...

 

[rich p]

Brighton becamee a cycling town but the only visible signs of it are 2 new cycle lanes. One is on the seafront, Madeira Drive, which has little or no traffic since it's a dead end and the other is a nightmare. It is between the parked cars and thge pavement and the risk of being doored by a passenger is very high and at each road intersection the cyclist suddenly appears from behind the cars.
In short, I suspect any increase in cycling is purely accidental.

 

[summerdays]

Well I know here that you can get an hours training for free if you are in South Glos part or £5 in Bristol. They have spent money upgrading paths ... there is one that I frequently use now that I didn't use before they upgraded it. There have been various cycle events some of which I've attended. As a result of turning up to those events I now have free rucsac cover, mini tool kit, slap bands, Dr Bike maintenance on the bike, bike tagged - and food. And judging from the number of rucsac covers that I keep seeing the same loads of other people also have received them.

It hasn't made me cycle any more (well apart from to all those events), but I cycle most days anyway. However friends have taken up cycling in this time. Some have had advisors come to their house to help plan routes, or give them advice about bikes (no one has yet knocked on my door though).

Kids in Bristol are receiving free cycle training at both primary and secondary schools.

So its not just paths and bits of paint here.

Not saying that every thing they do is right... recently they changed a junction that used to have cyclists joining a main road during the pedestrian phase at Toucan lights to instead joining them at the same time as traffic wanting to turn across them... but the cycling lobby seems to have finally persuaded them that its insanity and they are going to give the cyclists a few seconds head start!!!

 

[marinyork]

^^ A lot of places have those things whether they are cycling towns or not.

On this sort of topic one of the new schemes here is this http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news2/Free-cycle-loan-for-800.6095029.jp which I'm somewhat sceptical about - it sounds like jobs for the boys to me. You could argue it's either a fantastic scheme or it's a bit dodgy, especially as they are wanting sticking with cycling rates that some people would say are unrealistic.

 

[summerdays]

Well to me we seem to have got those things since getting the cycling city money... and certainly I had to pay for my first child's cycle training whereas the latter ones have been free.

 

[marinyork]

Well to me we seem to have got those things since getting the cycling city money... and certainly I had to pay for my first child's cycle training whereas the latter ones have been free.

If that was the case Bristol Council needed a kick up the arse. It's sad if cycling town money has had to be spent on that but I suppose you could argue it was well spent on some level.

 

[summerdays]

I am hoping that a there is a basic change in the way cycling is seen by the council (and the general public) by the end of it, so that it is included in any decisions that are made.

 

[marinyork]

We all hope for that. Round here Lord Adonis's cycling hubs would be the best candidate for that I'd say - if they are done properly.

I mostly look at new developments and think well that's that then, another opportunity missed for another 30 years.

 

[thomas]

In Woking they have visibly increased the amount of cycle parking in one area and re paved a large stretch of the canal.

I've no idea if it's increased cycling though. I wouldn't say I've really noticed the extra facilities as they're not really the sort of thing I need.

I don't commute into town and I'm happy cycling along with traffic so haven't looked into any of the cycle routes (so don't really know a whole lot about it).

 

[summerdays]

Oh that is another of the other good things... loads of stands - for example along the Gloucester Road which is a long linear shopping area there are now lots of stands and you can usually see the next set from the one you are at.