Browsing Archive: June, 2011

Building UK Cycle Infrastructure - Where it all goes wrong

Posted by Tom Bailey on Wednesday, June 29, 2011,

A few months ago I became embroiled in the design of a section of Newcastle Council's new "red" cycle route which runs through the city centre to the Tyne Bridge. The experience left me very disillusioned with the way that this sort of stuff is done, but at the same time convinced that the solution to getting things improved lies at a political level not in arguing with junior council officers on the ground. This gets technical but bare with me.

The "red" route is pretty low quality and...

The Newcastle 4 C's bike ride

Posted by Tom Bailey on Thursday, June 23, 2011,

I've always been slightly unclear about what the "4C"'s bit means something like Council Chiefs City Cycle ride or something like that. Anyway it happened last night, I went along and a BBC "Man on the Telly" (who's name I forget, sorry) was there so it should make tonight's TV news Up North.

The idea started out as a ride between the Town Halls of Newcastle and Gateshead organised by Newcastle Cycle Campaign. Over time the idea of going to Gateshead got dropped and it settled down into a ...

Cycling to School

Posted by Isobel Bailey on Thursday, June 23, 2011,

I have cycled to school today and it was wet but it was still fun! I like cycling to school a bit.

Warburtons - its got their name on it

Posted by Tom Bailey on Tuesday, June 21, 2011,

One would think that a company that runs a fleet of very distinctive branded trucks, and uses the slogan "We care because our name's on it" would ensure high driving standards. Surprisingly I often see Warburtons trucks parked on double yellow lines and exhibiting what some might call a general "drive it like you stole it" approach to using the highway.

Take this morning for example. Warburtons truck PL03 CUV overtook me by passing to the right of a traffic island on the approach to a ...

Parliament - The worst place to cycle in Britain?

Posted by Tom Bailey on Monday, June 13, 2011,

Last night I cycled across London on my way from meeting an old friend for a few beers to Victoria Coach Station (many thanks to Karl McCracken for the Brompton loan). Aside from a few wrong turns in Whitehall which I suspect took me far too close to Downing Street for comfort I went through Parliament Square past the Palace of Westminster.

I was expecting Parliament Square to be a car sodden mess that in any civilised country would be pedestrianised. But what really shocked me was that sinc...
Continue reading ...