And the AA chap (who is a cyclist too) said nice things about it, as did the RAC IIRC. The ABD are in a minority of one.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
Meanwhile in London
(60 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Yesterday's BBC London story IS on NOW (about 8 minutes long) - but only until 6:30 (and not on some/all? mobiles).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01r28bt/BBC_London_News_07_03_2013
Needs to be available on YouTube or somewhere.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Surely the CTC or some other vehicular cycling group have objected, no?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I think CTC has 'seen the light'.
Actually CTC 'embraced' campaigning, and adopted a less narrow/fundamentalist approach, some years ago.
Individuals' views may differ...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Brian. "Are you the British Drivers Alliance?"
John "F*** **f" We're the Alliance of British Drivers. . The British Drivers Alliance are over there" - points.
Everyone "Splitters!".
Posted 11 years ago # -
What do we want ? Gradual Change. When do we want it ? In due course
(I love the headline...)
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
It It didn't really take 40 years in the NetherlandsIt is true that the Stop de Kindermoord protests occurred forty years ago, but it is not true that it took forty years for the Netherlands to achieve a level of infrastructure which was vastly ahead of what Britain has now.
In fact, in 1981, just eight years after those protests, an article appeared in New Scientist praising what had been achieved and suggesting that the UK should copy.
"
Yeah, incremental is not enough.
One reason I am planning another web site is to look at actual routes and missing links - and places where bikes/peds have to wait 'too long'.
There are plenty of threads on here highlighting/discussing the good/bad/ugly, I hope the new site will be a "record" of what needs to change and tracking any changes.
Even this approach may be too incremental...
I think the QBC and, now, possibilities for Leith Walk have made 'us' (and others) realise more is possible/necessary.
It's not even really about 'us'.
Most people on here can just about cope with the realities of the road.
BUT there's a large element of 'we shouldn't have to' and a bigger factor of 'if more people are going to cycle things have to be MUCH better'.
The fact that a few people started PoP last year is good. The fact that thousands turned out is great. The fact that there is something of a vision in London is great.
It really isn't 'all about cycling/cyclists'. Even if we just want better infrastructure for us (individually) the spin-off of less/slower traffic and more people prepared to walk/cycle can only be good for everyone - apart from the diehard 'motorists' who don't walk/cycle (or have friends/relations who do/want to).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Even diehards can change - a lot of them will cycle too once cycling has become the easiest and quickest way to get about.
Of course some folk really aren't physically capable of it, but most people could manage, especially with a wee electric helper motor.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Wait a minute, the mighty IAM (of Neil Greig fame) have not yet spoken on this matter! The assembled media awaits their pearls of wisdon...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Myths are stubborn wee things. The angry Jack Russells of the thinking mind. The one here is that driving's the fastest and so far it's resisted something as tiny as empirical repeatable unequivocal evidence to the contrary.
Another is that it's always extremely strenuous - this one is bad in hilly Auld Reekie and is temporarily true, for certain values of 'extremely'.
I wonder how long the average time is, in human history, for Tribe A to look over at Tribe B, after they'd stopped throwing their daughters off the Sacred Cliff of Non-specific Deity Appeasement and suffered exactly no increase in natural catastophes, and a 100% reduction in artificial daughter-plummeting ones, and jack it in too.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Myths are stubborn wee things"
Fortunately I don't think there is any desire to drive arising from any religous myth.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@crowriver
From the link chdot posted yesterday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21699623Neil Greig of the Institute of Advanced Motorists welcomed changes to junctions and segregated cycle paths but said: "Any plan must improve safety for all roads and not just cycle superhighways.
"Poor driver and rider behaviour occurs all over the capital and to limit the improvements to main cycling routes does not go far enough."
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Myths are stubborn wee things. ...The one here is that driving's the fastest and so far it's resisted something as tiny as empirical repeatable unequivocal evidence to the contrary."
Ask our neighbours who day after day pop their kids into cars at the same time as we leave our flat, only to arrive at school after us...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Friday afternoon fun with the ABD quiz.
http://www.abd.org.uk/quiz.htm
Sample question (can you guess the answer):
According to Transport Research Laboratory report 323, which road user group is responsible for 84% of accidents which cause serious injury or death to a pedestrian?
a) car drivers
b) cyclists
c) pedestrians
d) lorry driversPosted 11 years ago # -
Some good stuff in here:http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/bike-blog/2013/mar/07/boris-johnson-future-london-cycling]
Including:
"
One of the very best elements of the plan outlined on Thursday morning by Johnson and his transport supremos is the way it emphasises that more cyclists is good for everyone: less road congestion, less smog, more seats on the tube, a city tilted that bit away from motor vehicles and towards human beings, however they might be propelled.
"Posted 11 years ago # -
@PS, I hadn't spotted that. What a remarkably mean spirited response from IAM!
Technically he's right, but the tone...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Ha ha. That ABD website is so primitive, it looks like it was written by a child. The survey was written by the mind of a child too!
LOL.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"more seats on the tube"
That is the simply truth behind some of London's interest in improving cycle infrastructure.
It's a lot cheaper per person/mile than more tube capacity.
Edinburgh doesn't have that economic incentive.
It remains to be seen if the tram (latest) will be full often.
It's hard to believe that the money spent couldn't have been used more beneficially on walk/cycle infrastructure...
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Edinburgh doesn't have that economic incentive."
It is still too easy to drive into Edinburgh, so our public transport is not as in demand as London.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
Cycling Crossrail: First of many bumps in the road"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21716080
"
Westminster Council turned down a cycling superhighway in 2008 due to the very same blue paint we see in the CGI.
"Sounds familiar...
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
Spokes CycleCampaign (@SpokesLothian)
08/03/2013 19:05
#London v #Edinburgh bike cashhttp://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/2013/03/london-v-edinburgh/
#PoP2 @VoleOSpeed @CyclingSurgeon @AndrewDBurns @CyclingEdin @John_Lauder @carltonreid
"
Posted 11 years ago # -
So, on Twitter, I asked Lesley Hinds:
> You said you're scared to cycle in Edinburgh.
> The London plans aim to make cycling safe & easy. Do yours?And she replied:
> Yes
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm sure she believes it.
But incrementally too show.
We need a stepchange.
Posted 11 years ago # -
My contribution: http://deceasedcanine.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/what-difference-between-london-edinburgh.html
hope it's vaguely coherent. written quickly while kids at the park.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"but the Council and its officials need to get their heads around the idea that Active Travel can be a 'vote-winner' "
Yep.
Though 'improving conditions for pedestrians, bus users and cyclists' might play better than AT.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yeah. Totally. That's the point. They see it as this 'worthy' project, rather than as a political selling point.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Hmm, I think I may have tried to reply to you multiple times SRD, as I didn't realise it was moderating comments! Good post.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thanks dave - your posts yesterday inspired me to actually write what I'dbeen thinking about!
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
BikeBiz (@BikeBizOnline)
11/03/2013 10:08
Advocacy was the key to unlocking the Boris billion for London cycling"
Posted 11 years ago # -
Posted 6 years ago #
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