:excerptstart05/08/20Reported annual walking activity, in terms oftrips made and miles walked, decreased in 2019after increasing in recent years
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods – Injecting A Little Honesty i The Ranty Highwayman
I’ll say from the outset that I am a supporter of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and as a result, I am trying to overcome my confirmation bias when engaging with people who do not support them. However, I don’t think there’s enough honesty coming forth from some of the objectors.
For those who don’t know, low traffic neighbourhoods are areas which maybe take no more than 15 minutes to walk across and from which through-motor traffic has been removed using modal filters to create a system of filtered permeability (I’ve written a whole guide to it for City Infinity). They are an integral part of the Sustainable Safety approach pioneered in the Netherlands and can be seen all over the world.
West Midlands to gain 500-mile cycle network | The Guardian
Starley network to provide vehicle-free routes or lanes separated from traffic
Nazia ParveenTue 11 Aug 2020 16.55 BST
Coventry is famous for its motor industry heritage but long before this, from the 1860s onwards, it was considered England’s bicycle city – and it gained an international reputation for quality engineering and fine craftsmanship.
However, in the late 19th century, with the motoring industry snapping at its heels, this thriving industry, with 450 bicycle makers in the city, slowly began to decline.
Nothing beats mastering a new skill, even if your only witness is a lone fox | The Guardian
Hannah Jane ParkinsonFri 14 Aug 2020 07.00 BST
It is 5am and the roads are silent; the air sharp and steady from the overnight respite. No fumes and clashing horns and rumbling of lorries; no exhaust pipe mushroom clouds in miniature. At 5am, everything is still, and I am alone. These are the only reasons I am out at this hour.
Active Travel England (inspectorate and funding body being set up in 2020) – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Travel_England
Active Travel England
Formation––Announced 28 July 2020; 5 days ago
Type–– Inspectorate
National Cycling and Walking Commissioner––Vacant
Parent organisation––Department for Transport
Active Travel England is an inspectorate and funding body being set up in 2020 by the Government of the United Kingdom
[1] The organisation will be led by the National Cycling and Walking Commissioner.
Pollutionwatch: how lessons from 1920s were forgotten for 50 years | The Guardian
A century ago John Switzer Owens discovered how far pollution could travel, but his research was ignored
Gary FullerThu 13 Aug 2020 21.30 BST
In August 1921, John Switzer Owens had a UK holiday. He went to Holme, Norfolk, and took his latest invention with him. Each day he took his device to the beach to sample the air. He also flung thistledown into the sky and noted its passage over the sand to understand where the wind came from
UK folding bike maker Brompton to launch subscription service | The Guardian
Customers can hire bikes on monthly or annual basis after bike demand rises during pandemic
Julia KolleweWed 12 Aug 2020
New tunnel in Assen – efficient cycling through a continuous grid of high quality routes – David Hembrow
Apr 23, 2020;Youtube
What do the new cycling infrastructure design standards look like? – Cycling Industry News
Mark Sutton, 28 July, 2020; England and Northern Ireland finally have a first set of cycling infrastructure design standards, providing local authorities and planners with a reference point from which to build safe lanes.
Pedal power: UK bike co-ops help cyclists get back in the saddle | The Guardian
Traditional shops are overloaded but there are alternatives – and some take £50 repair vouchers, too