Reclaim Motorways for Cyclists!

The M32 Cycling Club



Image from On the Level: Car Free Blog

I still think there should be cycle lanes down the side of the M32, along with a 30 mph speed limit and speed cameras.

--------------------------------------------------
cycling, cycle lane, cycle path, cycle track, bristol

What Pavements are for...

Keep death off the roads, drive on the pavements...



and park in the contraflow cycle lane...



...a normal Monday in Croydon.
--------------------------------------------------
cycle lane, croydon

Why Cycle Campaign Groups Become Weak

Have a listen to Bristol: Cycling City broadcast on Radio 4 today.

In 2008 Bristol won the bid to be the demonstration 'Cycling City' for the rest of the country, despite having lots of hills, narrow roads and a huge level of car dependency.

A year into the launch of Cycling City, Miles Warde bikes round Bristol to find out how the initiative is working on the streets, where the 22.8 million pounds that has been ringfenced for the project is going, and the chances of reaching the highly ambitious target of doubling the number of cyclists in the area within three years.

He hears from a range of cyclists, some of the people responsible for the budget, and a couple of cycling visionaries who sense that a better world is within our grasp.

Pay attention to who is the representative of Bristol Cycling Campaign on the Cycling City Project. The thing is that Veronica isn't just a cyclist, she's a professional cycle trainer, and her work is part funded by the council. Veronica can hardly express negative opinions of the orgainisation that funds her work! Many years ago I wrote an article in the Bristol Cycle Campaign newsletter that was very critical of the poor quality work being done by the then Avon Cycle Project team. The council's main cycling officer was very embarrassed, as he was also a member of the cycle campaign and thought he had some influence over the group. He resigned from the cycle campaign leaving us free to take a harder line with the council.

And so the once radical Bristol Cycling Campaign has, like Cyclebag before it, become professionalised, whilst many of the true radicals have moved to Bath, leaving me to ask whether this is simply the normal pattern of life. Conditions for cycling in Bristol have got worse in the 10 years since I left the city, and Bristol City Council simply do not care. Much of the Cycling City project money is being wasted on projects which have little or nothing to do with cycling and will have no measurable impact.

Still, one old soldier of cycle campaigning has re-emerged as a continual thorn in the side of council crap and complacency - Chris Hutt. Perhaps it's time Bristol had a new radical cycle campaign - time for Cyclebag II?

Edit

On second thoughts I seem to remember the name Cyclebag becoming a flag of convenience for Chris Hutt long after the group had died and been replaced by BCC, which is one of the problems with Croydon Cycling Campaign. Any new radical group needs to steer well clear of what's gone before and strike out in a new direction.

Also sadly we are not getting any younger and some of the true radicals are no longer with us :(

--------------------------------------------------
cycling, cycle lane, cycle path, cycle track, bristol

New Artwork on South Croydon's Roads

Some fresh council graffiti in the area, this one is a left turn only, shame I always want to turn right here - lots more to follow.




View Larger Map

Satellite Image

--------------------------------------------------
cycling, cycle lane, croydon

Motorbikes are a danger to walkers and cyclists

Especially when ridden by Boris's mate.

Mayor's transport czar held after hitting man in motorbike crash



--------------------------------------------------