30 June By Justin Parkinson
At one point last year, almost four times as many journeys as usual were being taken by bike, but usage has gone back to normal levels since then.
The charity Sustrans says cyclists need to feel safer and wants more 20mph zones and more effective cycle lanes.
The government said it had “ambitious plans to boost walking and cycling”.
It promised to set out more details soon.
According to official statistics, road journeys taken by cyclists surged during the first lockdown last year, reaching a high point of 3.84 times the normal level on 5 May.
Why could Stonehenge be stripped of world heritage site status? | The Guardian
Unesco expresses concern that ‘substantial harm’ would be caused by the proposed cut-and-cover road tunnel
Matthew Weaver
Unesco has confirmed that Stonehenge could be stripped of its world heritage site status, over its concern that a road tunnel, backed by the government, would irreversibly damage an area of “outstanding universal value”.
A report to Unesco’s world heritage committee setting out concerns about the £1.7bn A303 road tunnel was approved unchanged on Thursday. Unless the designs for the two-mile (3.3km) tunnel are extended and changed, the committee recommends placing Stonehenge on Unesco’s list of world heritage in danger next year.
Last month the high court was told that a decision by Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, to approve the tunnel last November was unlawful because it did not properly consider damage that would be done to a string of prehistoric sites and many thousands of ancient artefacts.
5 Design Principles for Successful Bicycle Infrastructure – Dutch Cycling Embassy
Terje Gorris 23 June 2020 The famous Dutch CROW Bike Design Manual talks about 5 design principles for bicycle infrastructure: Cohesion, Directness, Safety, Comfort and Attractiveness. The key advantage of the design principles is the transferability. Whether you are in Europe, the America’s, Africa, Asia,Down Under or elsewhere. Whether you are a starting, climbing or champion cycling culture. These design principles apply to each situation! And applying the design principles leads to safe and successful bicycle infrastructur
Endless politicians make grand promises of a green nirvana – Grant Shapps is no different | The Independent
Shapps repeats the fairytale that we will be walking and cycling for almost half of all trips in our cities and towns by 2030. But there was not a penny in his plan to support this
‘It is crucial to remember that all emissions in 2021 demolish the idea of a zero carbon 2050’
Boris Johnson famously wrote two versions of his newspaper column on Brexit. One backed Remain and one backed Brexit. Only the Brexit version got published – the rest is history.
Big rise in UK weekend cycling amid calls for more investment | The Guardian
Laura Laker
Leisure cycling up by 60% in some areas but campaigners say safer routes needed post-pandemic
There has been a boom in weekend cycling over the past two years with new data showing a rise in leisure-time cycling of up to 60% in some parts of the country.
However, weekday cycling numbers in England remain at pre-pandemic levels, prompting campaigners to warn that without investment in safe cycling infrastructure, as traffic volumes return to normal, more people will turn to cars for everyday trips.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps accused of ‘fiddling while the planet burns’ | New Civil Engineer
Rob Horgan
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has been accused of “fiddling while the planet burns”, in response to his road building policy.
The damning indictment was made by campaign group Transport Action Network after the Department for Transport (DfT) unveiled more details about its review of the National Networks Policy Statement (NNPS).
Halfords call on gov to introduce new e-Bike incentives for commuters – Cycle Industry News
Liberty Sheldon 23 July, 2021
Halfords has announced that it is calling on the Government to introduce new incentives to make it easier for people to use an e-Bike for their daily commute.
Research commissioned by the company has showed that six in ten UK workers are not able to work flexibly, meaning that many of them will be returning to full time commuting. Additionally, a surge in cases has seen one in three workers say they are apprehensive about returning to public transport.
Impacts of 2020 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London on Road Traffic Injuries | Published in Findings
:excerptstart Anna Goodman, Jamie Furlong, Anthony A. Laverty, Asa Thomas, Rachel AldredJuly 23, 2021 AESTAbstractWe assessed the impacts of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) implemented in 2020 on road traffic injuries. We used police data from October-December 2018/2019 (pre) compared with the same period in 2020 (post). We found absolute numbers of injuries inside LTNs halved relative to the rest of London (ratio 0.51,… [Read More]
Road planners able to ignore climate change, campaigners claim – BBC News
1 day ago Roger Harrabin
Planners can effectively ignore climate change when they are deciding whether to grant permission for new road schemes, environmentalists have said.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has promised a review of £27bn highways policy which will be completed within two years.
But in the meantime, planners can use existing guidelines.
Campaigners say these ignore the cumulative effects of major road projects.
They say Mr Shapps should be blocking new schemes until a new climate-friendly policy is developed.
Welsh Government issues Active Travel Act guidance – Cycle Industry News
Mark Sutton 20 July, 2021