#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.82
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 82 | Thursday 21st September 2023 |
Hello and welcome to this week’s edition, where it’s Mobility Week in Europe, a car-free day in Brussels and a day for kids on bikes across the UK and beyond.
DON’T SAY WE DON’T SPOIL YOU
Wales is experiencing its first week with default 20mph limits, as the public adjust, some better than others. The prize for most bizarre response is perhaps the lorry drivers who apparently threatened to protest the move by driving… at 19mph instead.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
BRUSSELS GOES CAR FREE
At least for the day. It’s European Mobility Week this week, an initiative to encourage people to save energy and leave their cars behind. In Brussels that heralds the city’s annual car-free Sunday. Between 09.30 and 19.00 the city centre became ‘Europe’s largest area closed to cars’. There’s some joyful images of streets filled with people, by Jon Stone, if that takes your fancy, here.
IS NEW YORK READY FOR CONGESTION PRICING?
Drivers entering Manhattan will be charged from next spring, but is the Big Apple ready? Two former powerhouses behind New York’s late-noughties people-friendly transformation have questioned whether enough is being done to lure drivers out of their vehicles. While pricing will fund better public transit, the fees won’t start rolling in for a while. Faster buses and bike lanes now, seems to be the cry.
KIDICAL MASS RIDES AGAIN
With schools back, the school run traffic has returned. While some schools are tackling the issue head-on (not an easy task), the Kidical Mass movement also returns this week. The mass rides, from Manchester to Cardiff and beyond, involve lots of kids and their adults, reminding us why safe streets benefit us all - not least the most vulnerable in society.
ROAD CRASH VICTIM SUPPORT SERVICE
Transport for London and police are piloting a victim support service to help people cope following road collisions. Support will take various forms, including caseworkers for families and victims, to navigate the emotional and legal fallout of a road crash. The recent road justice report called for crash victims to be treated as victims of crime, and legal and emotional support is just one facet to achieve that.
SIDE ROAD ZEBRA WIN
The University of Warwick is trialing side road zebra crossings on its campus for the new term. The crossings, minus the traditional Belisha Beacon, are common in Europe to reinforce the priority pedestrians have when crossing side roads. In the UK they are currently not allowed under Department for Transport guidelines, but I am lobbying for them to be.
OTHER HEADLINES
DRINK DRIVING CONTROVERSY
History shows us change is hard. Few would argue now that drink driving should be permitted, but this week, in 1967, thousands protested new laws because of the assumed effect on the economy. The Road Safety Act - which includes a ban on drink driving - was proposed that week. Barbara Castle, who unveiled plans, said: “We know these are tough measures - but we are dealing with a tough problem”.
INTERESTING GRAPH(IC) OF THE WEEK
I’m in the Netherlands this week. One of the biggest fallacies in the discourse on active travel at the moment is that providing choice for people is anti-car. The Netherlands is one of the best countries in the world to drive. Cycling is enabled and popular but car journeys are also more than well catered for.
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Side Road Zebra. These simple zebra crossings, installed at side roads without the Belisha Beacon, are far cheaper to install and reinforce the priority crossing pedestrians should enjoy over turning vehicles. Long under discussion and analysis by the Department for Transport, it is high time we enjoyed the protections they offer here; it’s something pedestrians in Europe have long enjoyed.
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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