Private sector better?... not necessarily when it comes to cycle parking!

Previous posts on this blog have highlighted the need for much better provision of secure cycle parking across Greater Manchester - at both public and private sector locations.  See for example Park that Bike and Cycle parking?... my Kingdom for some cycle parking amongst others!


In the "Greater Manchester - Cycling Progress Report" (GMTU Report 1637) published in January 2011 it was noted that whilst analysis of "cycle trips into most key centres and cycle carriage on trains suggest that there is a continuing increase in cycle usage within Greater Manchester, with the exception of cycle parking in key locations where a slight decrease has occurred since 2008." (See Table 20 above). Trafford came second from bottom in the cycle parking locations rankings.  A poor record that Trafford Council disputes and they have initiated a Borough-wide "cycle parking audit" (of which more in subsequent blog postings).

As part of this cycle parking audit I (re)visited the B&Q facility on Great Stone Road in Old Trafford and was reminded that there is still no cycle parking facilities for customers, although there are over 105 car parking spaces!

I had previously raised the lack of cycle parking at this B&Q store nearly 2 years ago and had pointed out that the B&Q website stated that they "actively promote sustainable transport to our staff and customers" and had introduced Travel Plans which promote "more sustainable travel and transport choices such as cycling, car sharing, walking and using public transport."

A B&Q public relations person responded in February 2010 that "in regards to your query, this store is not one of B&Q’s travel plans stores however it does have a responsible travel guide which promotes similar activities as a travel plan"and "Unfortunately there are no immediate plans to install cycle parking in this store" but that "I have forwarded your request to our Property department to highlight your need as a customer."

When I asked if it was possible to see a copy of the "responsible travel guide" I was informed that this was an internal B&Q document and not publicly available. However, the "One Planet Living at B&Q : Progress against targets in 2009" report stated that responsible travel guides had been "rolled out to all stores to encourage alternatives to private car use".


But it seems unlikely that people will be encouraged to choose alternative travel modes, such as cycling, to visit B&Q stores if there is a total lack of secure and easy to use cycle parking facilities. 

One of the few places where people can lock their bicycles at this B&Q store are the barriers around the shopping trolley area (see photo below). But this is far from ideal as it is awkward to do, can interfere with access to the trolleys, risks damage to your bicycle and does not provide properly secure locking.

 B&Q are certainly not alone within the retail and private sector in failing to provide adequate (any) cycle parking facilities for customers or visitors. There are also questions about what cycle parking requirements (if any) were included in the planning permission granted by Trafford Council and whether such planning requirements are adequately enforced.

(Future blog postings will look at some of the other private sector companies in Trafford that are failing to 'walk the walk' when it comes to encouraging sustainable and active travel. 

Meanwhile if you are a B&Q customer and would like to have proper cycle parking facilities at the Great Stone Road store (or a potential customer who would like to cycle there) then perhaps you would like to drop a (polite) email to: travelplans@b-and-q.co.uk  and let them know your thoughts.

Christmas Crackers!

Ho ho ho... now I know this is supposed to be the season of goodwill and all that...... but this short stretch of cycle lane seems to be even more crackers than normal....


It is to be found on national cycle route 85 at the entrance to Painswick Park in Wythenshawe (see photo below). 








A box of lovely veggie mince pies to anyone who can tell us:

• what purpose this cycle serves

• when it was installed, and

• how much it cost?

.... and may you all have a happy festive season!

More DIY publicity - clean messages!

In June, this blog highlighted some interesting DIY bike publicity that was literally hitting the streets in Australia, United States and elsewhere. 

Now, via those lovely people at Copenhagenize.com, comes a lovely video from Brazil that illustrates how using a simple stencil and cleaning away the dirt on a range of vehicles can leave a powerful message.

Or as the Copenhagenize website puts it: " Fantastic, simple activism from Brazil. The stencil reads, simply, "Bike - not as dirty".

Such stencils are easy and cheap to make with materials that are readily available from your lovely local craft or DIY store or even found in recycling bins!

Whether cleaning the dirt away or using temporary flour and water pastes your campaign messages can be distributed in imaginative and highly visible locations.

This stencil image was created by Manchester Friends of the Earth to help publicise Car-Free day events in September.

The next Car-Free day is on 22nd September 2012... now where did we put those stencil cutters.....

Public Service Announcement #4: Calling All Cycle Mechanics

This just in from Transport for Greater Manchester....

 

Calling All Cycle Mechanics

Dear Sir/Madam,

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), on behalf of Greater Manchester partners, submitted a Key Component bid and was awarded £4.9m from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF).  For more information about the LSTF Commuter Cycling Project please follow this link.

TfGM is now tendering for bike maintenance courses and sessions, as part of this project and we would like to make you aware of how you (or your contacts) can get involved in the delivery of these services.

TfGM wishes to establish a Preferred Supplier List for the provision of:-

- Dr Bike sessions (throughout Greater Manchester)

- Basic Bicycle Maintenance Training carried out at locations throughout Greater Manchester

- Basic Bicycle Maintenance Training carried out at the tenderers’ own premises.

If you are interested in applying for this tender you must;

1.  Register (for free) on the ProContract website   (see link on right hand side of this website to register)

2. When you are sent your log in details, log on to ProContract and use the search facility to find the ‘Dr Bike and Cycle Maintenance Training’ tender and register your interest – you will then have access to the Invitation to Tender (ITT)

3. Complete and return the Invitation to Tender (ITT) – the closing date 12 noon, 16th January 2012

We would be grateful if you could forward this email to any of your contacts who you think may be interested in applying.

If you or your contacts have any further queries or would like to discuss in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact either:-

Indi Lall, Procurement, 

Transport for Greater Manchester, 2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG

Direct line 0161 2441137, Indi.lall@tfgm.com

Or

Anne-Louise Black, Greater Manchester Walking and Cycling Officer

Transport for Greater Manchester, Transport Strategy

2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG

Direct line  0161 244 1616, Anne-Louise.Black@TfGM.com

New E-book: Roads Were Not Built For Cars

Advance notice of a new Ebook by Carlton Reid, due to be released in April 2012.  The promo blurb explains how:

"Many motorists assume roads were built for them; that asphalt is a relatively recent creation designed to speed them along; and that non-motorised road users have lesser rights. None of this is true.

Motorists are the johny-come-latelies of highway history. This fact is explored at length in ‘Roads Were Not Built For Cars’, an exploration of the fascinating history of roads and the part that cyclists helped in saving them. The coming of the railways killed off the coaching trade and almost all rural roads reverted to low-level local use. Cyclists were the first group in a generation to use roads and were the first to push for high-quality sealed surfaces and were the first to lobby for national funding and leadership for roads. Without cyclists, motorists wouldn’t have hit the ground running when it came to places to drive this new form of transport.

‘Roads Were Not Built for Cars’ is a history book, focussing on the 1880s and 1890s, a time when cyclists had political clout, in the UK and especially in America. The book researches the Road Improvements Association – a lobbying group created by the CTC in the 1880s – and the Good Roads movement organised by the League of American Wheelmen in the same period."

Visit the website if you would like to receive notification by email when the E-book is released.

[Disclaimer: This blogger has no connection to the author or publishers of this (e)book and receives no payment for publicising it !  In case anyone was wondering.]

Metrolink...(not) going round the bend !

Back in March this blog posted about the madness of Metrolink's plans to install a series of steps into the Trans Pennine Trail near Sandhurst Road as part of the extension of the tram network to Didsbury.  See Access for All? Metrolink plans to trash the Trans Pennine Trail ... Take action now!

Thankfully, (after a lot of campaigning, emails and lobbying), the then Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authrority (GMITA) instructed Metrolink to change their plans.  See Update: Step away from the Trans-Pennine Trail !

The photograph on the right (taken last week) shows how the old Sandhurst Bridge has been removed and preparations to install a new pedestrian bridge are progressing. The new bridge will have a wider span which will allow sufficient space to have a flat, ground-level Trans-Pennine Trail alongside the tram lines on this part of the route.

Hurrah for that we can hear you saying.....

Unfortunately, it appears that the people responsible for designing and managing this scheme do not yet seem to have a good grasp of what makes a good cycling route.

The photographs on the left show very tight-angled bends in the new Trans-Pennine Trail path.  Now, sometimes depending on the terrain and other factors it is necessary to build in tight turns.  But this is a newly constructed section and there is clearly space to 'soften' the angle of the bends.

Have the designers never seen a copy of Sustrans Greenways guide ?, for example "7. The Design and Construction of ‘Traffic Free’ Sections."
 
This section contains, plenty of really good and practical design and construction advice - what you won't find in these design guides are any right-angle bends in the walking and cycle path designs.  When Sustrans were asked, if there was any guidance for such tight-angle designs, a helpful but rather bemused response was received along the lines of "it seems such an obvious design criteria (not to include) that it is not specifically covered in the Greenway design guide" !

We hope that there is still time to improve the design of the TransPennine Trail, before all works are completed. 

If you would prefer not to have to navigate sharp turns when cycling along - perhaps you would like to drop Councillor Andrew Fender, the Chair of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and (politely) ask him to request Metrolink learn a few basic cycle design rules...

Councillor Fender can be contacted via tfgmc@manchester.gov.uk

On the slow road to nowhere fast....

Avid readers (!) of this blog will remember a post in June discusing the damage caused to cycle lanes and advance stop line (ASL boxes) by contractors working for the utility companies and the seeming reluctance of Manchester City Council to use their statutory powers to require the contractors to repair the damage. See Digging a hole, don't dig there, dig it elsewhere !

An initial Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request attempted to find out when the work (damage) had been carried out and by which contractors.  After a little bit of to-ing and fro-ing, this FoIA request was answered on 4th July (answers in bold).

"You have requested the following information for the Charles Street / Princess Street junction area:

a) When (date) was the work on the highway, which resulted in the damage to the Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs), originally carried out?

The first phase of work was started on 31 January 2010 and completed on 17 February 2011.  No defect was recorded.
The second phase of work was carried out between 12 April to 21 April
b) Which utility company/contractor was authorised to carry out that work?

The work was carried out by Electricity North West - Escalon.
        Escalon Ltd, Duncan Street Yard, Duncan Street, Salford M5 3SQ

c) Were the completed road works inspected by Manchester City Council staff, and if so,

i) on what dates were the inspection(s) undertaken?

No inspection was carried out at the above site at the time of the opening, as no Random Sample sheets had been generated by the Exor computer for this site. Note only 10% of each layer of inspection of all works are generated for inspection by the Exor computer.

ii) What information was recorded as a result of any inspections?

A reported inspection was carried out on this section of carriageway on 28 June.  The information recorded as a defect was: "no temporary lining" each side of the cycle bay prior to permanent reinstatement.
iii) What actions, if any, were initiated as a result of the inspections?

A site meeting has been requested by the inspector with Escalon to discuss the temporary and final reinstatement of the surface and lining."

Only repairing a pothole!

 

So what have we learnt from this response?  The Department for Transport (DfT) document: Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways: Second Edition 2002  Section 6.4.5.4 Coloured Surfacings states that : "Coloured surfacings used to highlight highway features such as speed warnings, bus or cycle lanes, ‘gateways’ etc. shall be permanently reinstated using like materials of equivalent type and similar colour.

It is fairly clear that contractors who work on the roads should be required to reinstate the road to how they found it. However, in this case the works were not inspected after completion - despite causing quite major changes in the road surface at a busy junction.

But the good news was that a "defect" had now been recorded and a "site meeting" requested with the contractor, Escalon.  So far, so good.

Unfortunately, any progress has been a little more elusive. With no progress on repairs visible by mid October, another FoIA request was submitted. The following response was received on 3rd November (answers embolded):

"You requested:

a) What was the date of the site meeting with an Escalon representative?  A meeting has not taken place despite continued requests to the utility company, they have not yet contacted the Manchester City Council.

b) Which personnel were present at the site meeting? N/A

c) What outcomes / actions were identified / recorded from that site meeting? N/A

d) Has a scheduled date been agreed for "the temporary and final reinstatement of the surface and lining." ? No, this is an ongoing defect, we have defected the repair through computer system (central computer system used by all who wish to excavate/carry-out works on the highway).  This defect has been reported to the utility on the following dates: 15/06/2011, 28/06/2011, 25/10/2011.

The third notice (fine) expires on the 7th November and we are unable to action any works ourselves until the said expiry date. Thereafter we will investigate the possibility of carrying out the works and recharging the utility concerned. "

 So....  what I thought was a simple task of asking the Highways Section to request the contractor to repair the damage to the ASL has turned into quite a saga.... never realised it would be so difficult to get a private sector company to provide a quality service.  Doesn't seem to square with the current Government's mantra of 'public sector bad - private sector good'.

I will shortly be asking MCC what the results of the investigation into the "possibility of carrying out the works and recharging the utility concerned" were...... watch this space!

 

Are the wheels beginning to fall off the Localism agenda...?

Earlier this year, Secretary of State for Communities, Eric Pickles, declared that the introduction of the Localism Bill would mean the "era of big government is over" and that it would "reverse the central creep of decades and replace it with local control."

The Pickles hyperbole machine continued claiming that the Localism Bill was "a triumph for democracy over bureaucracy. It will fundamentally shake up the balance of power in this country. It will revitalise local democracy and put power back where it belongs - in the hands of the people."

Which all sounds fantastic until the wheels start to come off.  Lets take the case of the powers contained in Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004... (yes, I know this is probably very sad but stick with it as the example is instructive!)

London boroughs and Transport for London already have the powers to enforce moving traffic contraventions - such as driving in bus lanes, banned turns, and boxed junction infringements. Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 contains the powers which would allow local authorities outside London to take enforcement action against road users who committed such "moving traffic contraventions".

On 15th December 2010, Norman Baker (the Transport Minister) wrote to local councils asking whether they wanted the powers contained in "Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004". The  letter outlined that the: "main powers, therefore, that local authorities outside London do not have that local authorities in London have under locally made legislation is to enforce some moving traffic matters that are there either to give priority to certain road users or to smooth traffic flows and help manage localised congestion and road safety hot spots."

It has been reported that the consultation generated responses from 13 highway authorities, including: Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth, Reading, Salford, Sheffield, and Southampton. All but one authority supported the powers being introduced and most reported that they would use the powers.

In September, the House of Commons transport committee’s report on traffic management, snappily entitled 'Out of the jam: reducing congestion on our roads', on traffic management concluded that: "We can see no reason why Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 should not be fully commenced to enable local authorities to deal more effectively with moving traffic contraventions and we recommend that the Government bring this part of the Act into force, by 2013.” (Paragraph 16) (emphasis added).


So virtually everyone at the local authority level (who responded) wanted the regulations to be extended outside of London and the parliamentary transport committee could see "no reason" why this should not happen.

Unfortunately, it was announced on 18th November 2011, that Norman Baker had decided not to give the the powers to enforce moving traffic contraventions to the local authorities outside of London.  The reason given?  According to TransportExtra who broke the story, Norman Baker told the Local Goverment Association that “I have therefore concluded that there can be no case for devoting scarce resources to this matter at the moment. I am sorry to send what I expect will be a disappointing letter.”

So next time you are cycling in a bus lane and are nearly run over by a car, truck or lorry that shouldn't be driving in the bus lane, or are nearly side-swiped by a car doing an illegal U-turn or you cannot cross the road when the traffic lights are green because vehicles are blocking the yellow box junction.... and get to wondering why your local council aren't doing anything about it.... just remember, they would have liked to do be able to take action against such thoughtless (or downright homicidal) road users but unfortunately, despite Mr Pickles pledge to"reverse the central creep of decades and replace it with local control",  it would seem that central Government still thinks it knows best.

Localism?  Eat your heart out!

and the winner is.....

Congratulations to LC, she of Naturally Cycling Manchester blog fame, for winning the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain’s Summer Poster Competition.

Great photo and caption. More details on the Naturally Cycling Manchester blog.

And another Mancunian, Kat Malin was a runner up.  See Imagine photo below.

This was taken when our local “motorway in the sky” was closed to traffic for maintenance. While angry and frustrated drivers crawled through the city, some members of the local cycling community took to the sky and the gloriously clear motorway. Imagine how wonderful life would be if our roads were always this empty, reserved for a band of cheerful cyclists.
Photo by Kat Malin (Design by Zero)

“Making Manchester a World Class Cycling City” ?

Manchester City Council has recently released a  consultation draft of the Manchester Cycling Strategy  "A Strategy for Cycling in Manchester 2011-2015" to members of the Manchester Cycle Forum for early comment.   The introduction explains how:

"As part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2010 by British Cycling and Manchester City Council, it was agreed that a joint cycling strategy be produced. Once complete, the intention is to bring together in one place the three strands of cycling: “utility” (commuter) cycling; leisure cycling and sports cycling."

The broad vision for the partnership is “Making Manchester a world class cycling city”

The draft strategy document states that to achieve this vision, "the partnership will deliver tangible improvements by making a commitment to:

• Collaboratively develop utility, leisure and sports cycling through a co-ordinated and sustainable cross-city programme

• Build on existing investment and development programmes

• Seek out additional investment to meet existing and future needs and
 

• Learn from others who have set examples of good practice."

The document acknowledges that it has yet to be completed and highlights that  the "sections detailing plans for recreation and sports cycling are still under development but outlines of their content are included."

 

Whilst waiting for a more detailed draft version, (promised towards the end of November) interested parties are invite to bring their comments to the Cycle Forum meeting due to be held on Tuesday 13th December 2011 or send them to cycle.forum@manchester.gov.uk by 24th December 2011.

A message from Tameside Council to the cycling community...

See below for the text of an email recently sent by Tameside Council's Sustainable Travel Officer to members of Tameside Cycle Forum.

Dear Cyclist,

As you are aware the Tameside Cycle Forum has not met for a number of months.  The reasons for this are numerous and includes over a 1,000 staff leaving the authority in recent months, severe and ongoing budget reductions and additional work being taken on by remaining staff.

Part of the budget reductions is a year on year decrease by the Department for Transport funding for structural maintenance money which generally addresses resurfacing and bridge maintenance. Other minor maintenance work funding for elements such as footways repairs and potholes have also been cut. Apart from a small sum of council funded capital works there are no other capital monies available to improve the overall highway infrastructure.

Clearly the Greater Manchester Transport Fund is rolling out Metrolink, and other schemes within the GM area and a comprehensive Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LTSF) bid is being put together led by Transport for Greater Manchester on behalf of all GM districts. A LTSF report is being considered by TfGMC on 11 November 2011.

Please don’t forget if you have any maintenance issues which need to be looked at these can be reported this via the Tameside website at: http://public.tameside.gov.uk/symology/cs_index.asp

However, in respect of the cycle forum, Tameside is to seek views of the other Greater Manchester Districts as to whether they hold such meetings and if so how often and their Terms of Reference. Once this information has been collected, then a decision will be made as to how cycle issues in Tameside should be taken forward.

Michael Hughes, Sustainable Travel Officer 

E-mail:  michael.hughes@tameside.gov.uk



The policy decision to establish Cycle Forums in all of the 10 Greater Manchester local authority areas was adopted in the "The Greater Manchester Cycling Strategy" 2006 and also the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan 2006/07-2010/11 which required local authorites:


"To strengthen partnerships with other public bodies, commercial organisations and voluntary bodies in order to promote and cater for cycling. 

3.8.1 Dialogue with local cyclists and other interested parties through Cycle Forums, which have been established in all councils, should be maintained and improved where necessary. Authorities should also work with local cycling groups, representatives from health authorities, schools, local businesses, the police and the passenger transport providers."  (Policy 8 Partnerships and consultation)

It seems a little strange that Tameside Council are proposing to "seek views of the other Greater Manchester Districts as to whether they hold such meetings and if so how often and their Terms of Reference. Once this information has been collected, then a decision will be made as to how cycle issues in Tameside should be taken forward".


How about asking the cycling (and non-cycling) communities in Tameside whether they would like to have a functioning cycle forum?  


So if you live, or work, in Tameside and have an interest in developing better cycling facilities - perhaps you would like to let the Sustainable Travel officer, or better still, your local councillor know your views on the matter..... just a thought!

New report: Optimising Bike Sharing in European Cities

Whatever your views on bicycle hire, or bike sharing schemes (BSS) it is always useful to have comparative data when considering the benefits (or problems) with such services.

The recently launched OBIS handbook (Optimising Bike Sharing in European Cities) presents interesting facts and figures from bike sharing schemes in ten European countries - Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.

The handbook describes bike share scheme characteristics such as technology, scheme size, service design etc in relation to a range external city  factors.

Not surprisingly, given the title, the handbook authors have a supportive attitude towards bike sharing schemes. 

There is even a handy section entitled "Arguments You’ll Have to Deal With" (page 14) which lists 7 arguments (and responses) which the authors argue are commonly raised when discussing bike share schemes.  These include:

• The city already has a high cycling modal share; people have their own bikes. 
• BSSs are expensive. 
• The city is too small and does not have enough funding options. 
• A BSS will compete with local bike rental companies. 
• The city does not even have proper cycling infrastructure. The BSS a) will compete for funding and b) nobody will use the BSS due to the lack of infrastructure. 
• Cycling is dangerous; a BSS will increase the number of accidents 
• All the trips will be one-way; there will be a distribution problem

For any local authorities or organsiations considering introducing such schemes, the handbook also provides comprehensive advice for the three stages in the lifetime of a Bike Sharing Scheme: Planning, Implementation, Optimisation.

Public Service Announcement #3

The following message just received from Transport for Greater Manchester...

"TfGM is requesting your feedback regarding proposals for cycle parking facilities 

Following our successful bid to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, Transport for Greater Manchester would like to ask for your thoughts regarding additional and improved cycle parking facilities for Manchester City Centre and other towns throughout Greater Manchester.

Your assistance will again take the form of a survey, this time regarding cycle centres and cycle compound cycle parking proposals. These new facilities will be in addition to the cycle parking facilities that are currently in place.

Your feedback will help us to determine the content of proposed cycle centres and compounds in more detail.   Both the survey and information on the proposed cycle parking facilities are available via this link

The survey will be available for completion until Friday 7^th October 2011."

So what are you waiting for.... !

Ignorance you should ignore...

This little snippet appears on the backpage of the latest Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign (GMCC) newsletter.

Penned by Andrew Grimes (byline: Opinions you can't ignore) in the Manchester Evening News.

LET'S GET 'EM OFF THEIR BIKES
"I AM heartened by a survey that claims fewer people are cycling to work. The more fashion-conscious among them - mainly but not  exclusively women - don't like the idea of developing helmet hair styles or of turning up at their desks in a sweaty and smelly condition.  This is good news for all road users, pedestrians not excluded. Anything that smashes the greenie cult of the pestilential peak-hour bike is good for the environment."
(Manchester Evening News, Friday 9th Sept 2011, Page 8) 

No idea what survey he is referring to - as all the research I have seen recently has shown increasing numbers of people cycling, even in Manchester !

So here's the double challenge.....

1) Anyone know why Mr Grimes seems to have such a downer on people who cycle?

2) Suggestions welcome for a more apt byline for his column... in true Blue Peter style here's one we prepared earlier to get you started...  "Ignorance you should ignore".

Policeman shoots racoon, injures cyclist.....

This just in from Road.cc 

"On Sunday morning, a 48-year old cyclist riding his bike near New York state’s Rockefeller State Park was slightly injured by a fragment from, or dislodged by, a bullet fired by a police officer who had been requested to shoot a racoon. Lohud.com reports that the animal was discovered sick or injured by the State Park police who requested one of their colleagues from the nearby town police force be sent to put the creature out of its misery. 

Here in the UK a vet might be considered an appropriately qualified professional to euthanize a sick or injured animal but it seems that in the US the job can be carried out just as effectively by policeman equipped with a .40-calibre handgun. Having despatched the unfortunate critter the officer moved it to the side of the road and returned to his regular patrol duties.

Some time later that morning the cyclist rode up to Sleepy Hollow Police Headquarters (no, we are NOT making this up) and explained that while riding his bike he had heard a gunshot and immediately felt a stinging pain in his leg whereupon he looked down to see a small cut on his left shin.At the time he was situated at a spot about 170ft from the where the racoon came to its sticky end, separated from it by a major four-lane highway, heavy woodland and a fence.The cyclist then rode the two or three miles from the scene of the incident to the police station to report it.Police insisted the man receive medical attention and he was taken to a local hospital where no bullet fragment was found. The local Police Chief, Louis Alagno, said: "It appears to be a freakish accident. The officer took all proper precautions. Thankfully, the bike rider was not seriously hurt." Without a bullet or some other fragment, Alagno said it is impossible to determine exactly what struck the rider."

Hopefully not one of the barriers to encouraging people to cycle in Greater Manchester !

Inactivity..."the silent killer"

On 11th July, the Department for Health (DH) and NHS released a new report on the benefits of physical activity and the risks from inactivity.  The'Start Active, Stay Active - A report on physical activity for health from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers' document  highlights that 

"whatever our age, there is good scientific evidence that being physically active can help us lead healthier and even happier lives. We also know that inactivity is a silent killer."

For adults (19–64 years) the report recommends that (page 7):

1. Adults should aim to be active daily. Over a week, activity should add up to at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of moderate intensity activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more – one way to approach this is to do 30 minutes on at least 5 days a week.
 

2. Alternatively, comparable benefits can be achieved through 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity spread across the week or a combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activity.
 

3. Adults should also undertake physical activity to improve muscle strength on at least two days a week.
 

4. All adults should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

The report recognises the varied benefits that could be achieved by increasing the number of people choosing to cycle and walk and notes that:

"cycling and walking will reduce transport costs, save money and help the environment. Fewer car journeys can reduce traffic, congestion and pollution, improving the health of communities. Other potential benefits linked to physical activity in children and young people include the acquisition of social skills through active play (leadership, teamwork and co-operation), better concentration in school and displacement of anti-social and criminal behaviour." [Page 9]

Also welcome, is the recognition that for most people the "easiest and most acceptable forms of physical activity are those that can be incorporated into everyday life." Such as cycling instead of travelling by car. 

Table 4 below (page 18) shows the amount of calories a person would 'burn' if they cycle at  'moderate' (10-12mph) or 'vigourous' (12-14 mph) speeds for 30 minutes. (Editor... no wonder I am always hungry!).

It is great to see that the Department of Health and NHS are promoting clear guidance on the wide ranging benefits of increasing the numbers of people choosing to walk or cycle. But as the report also recognises (Creating towns and cities for cycling).... "Central to this is the need for cycling to be prioritised as part of local authority transport plans." (Emphasis added).  The challenge now is to translate the clear health (and environmental) benefits into a progressive strategy to improve the active travel (walking and cycling) facilities and culture in Greater Manchester.  The recent successful Local Sustainable Transport Fund bid could help with this, but compared to many European and North American cities - we still have a long way to go.

The Hub - Cycling Knowledge for Professionals.....and hopefully a few campaigners!

Just received an email from Richard Armitage, Chair of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT) new Cycling Forum.

 

"Welcome to The Hub; new home for Cycling England's online resources. These pages are now hosted by The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport - CILT(UK) - as a free source of carefully selected guidance for anyone working to get more people cycling.

This site is currently being created with key resources from the former Cycling England website. Documents are available for download and the catalogue of reference material will be added to on a regular basis."  Visit: http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/cycling

Haven't checked it out yet... but it is good that a new home has been created for the excellent materials produced by Cycling England before they fell foul of the Government's shortsighted and ill-conceived "bonfire of the quangos".

Public Service Announcement #2

Cycling Survey. The Visions for Walking and Cycling is a research project which seeks to assess the potential in the UK for achieving substantial increases in walking and cycling, and in improving the quality of the walking and cycling experience, by 2030. By taking part in this research you will be helping us to better understand your perceptions and experiences about cycling, particularly in terms of what helps and hinders you in cycling, and in how we can improve the physical environment to improve the cycling experience.

Your views will really help us to suggest to government how the cycling infrastructure can be improved - so thank you for your help, it is really appreciated!  Please click this link to take part in our questionnaire:

Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), this research commenced in October 2008 and involves the universities of Leeds, Oxford, East Anglia, Salford and Manchester, in consultation with local walking and cycling groups in four UK cities. It builds upon a growing recognition that walking and cycling can make a considerable contribution to sustainable transport goals, public health and the sociability of communities.

For more details see the Visions 2030 website.

Brompton pods...coming to a train station near you?

On 7th July, South West Trains  launched the UK’s first ‘self-service’ Brompton Bicycle rental scheme at Guildford Station (see photo).  The solar-powered Brompton bike dock has been installed by a partnership between South West Trains and Brompton Bicycle, the folding bike manufacturer

The scheme is designed to "encourage passengers to cycle as part of a fully integrated low carbon journey combining bike and train."

The company offers bikes for hire to South West Trains season ticket holders and the general public. These bikes have no travel restrictions and can be carried on all South West Trains services as long as the folding cycles are stowed as luggage.

The Brompton dock currently holds 50 bikes (but can be expanded up to 80 bikes) in the same area as one car parking space. The dock is a ‘self-contained’ unit entirely powered by solar-panels, manufactured in the UK and is made from 95% of recycling material. Passengers who want to cycle to or from Guildford station and use the dock should register and purchase a smartcard online  for £50 a year. To hire a bike simply swipe the card on a locker door, take the bike, and off you go.  The hire period can be for as short or long as you like, and hire prices go from £4 for a single day hire, to £2 per day for hires of seven days or more, dropping to £1.60 per day if you for hire periods of 23 days and up.


The eagle eyed amongst you may have spotted the small posters, with the slogan "From bike to train with just a snap, click and fold" that have been appearing at Manchester Piccadilly train station advertising a Brompton hire scheme based at Stoke train station.  (See photo).

The Brompton system at Stoke station is reported to be a "manual" system with human operators handing out the Brompton bicycles (and presumably showing some people how to fold/unfold the bikes!).

Now, there are strong rumours that Manchester Piccadilly will soon (!) be getting an automated Brompton docking system  a-la Guildford...... although there appear to be some security concerns as Piccadilly is classed as nationally important transport infrastructure... but hopefully such concerns can be sorted.  More details as they arrive.....

Pete is cycling to Blackpool ! (Sunday 10th July)

On Sunday 10th July, I will be joining an intrepid band of Manchester Friends of the Earth supporters cycling the 55+ miles from Manchester to sunny Blackpool to fundraise for Manchester FoE's and Love Your Bike's campaigning work.

The Love Your Bike campaign is co-ordinated by Manchester FoE so any support you can give will help LYB strengthen our campaigning for better cycling policies, infrastructure and practical support across Greater Manchester.  (See the Love Your Bike website for information on the LYB campaigns)

It would be great if you could join us on the bike ride on Sunday or consider sponsoring me or the Manchester FoE team.  All the Manchester FoE riders will be transported back to Manchester in style aboard a 1940's classic Big Red Bus (bikes downstairs, party upstairs!) so another great reason to join us on the day.

Details of the Manchester to Blackpool cycle ride organized by Bike Events available here.


Update (4th July). This just in from Bike Events

NO BIKES ON TRAINS:Trans Pennine Express, the train operator between Blackpool and Manchester, has informed us that they will not allow any bicycles on their trains on Sunday 10 July – the day of the ride.  Their reason for this is that they have found in previous years that the restricted space available causes friction between cyclists.

Good job we have a big red bus to bring us all back to Manchester then !

Bike Fabulous... cycling with style

Saturday 25th June, 11am - 5pm.

Manchester Arndale, Halle Square

Bike Fabulous 2011 will showcase clothes and accessories designed with cycling in mind, as well as everyday wear perfect for riding your bike and looking great.   The event will feature catwalks shows, demonstrations, competitions, and activities for all ages including the chance keep the music going using just pedal power!

Bike Fabulous began last year and was launched at the end of Bike Week 2010 with the first cycle style show at Manchester Arndale. The event was entirely pedal powered from sound to smoothies, and Saturday shoppers enjoyed the chance to look at a variety of bikes as well as customising their own reflective vests! One lucky visitor won a bike and there were plenty of of other prizes including a pampering day at Lush.

Cycling doesn’t mean sacrificing style for comfort. Bike Fabulous is part of Love Your Bike, a campaign promoting cycling as an attractive, accessible and fun way to get around.

Throughout Saturday 25th June, the event will include:

• Fashion catwalk shows that will feature products designed for cycling in style and high street brands combined for versatile looks. 
• Pedal powered PA system – sign up for a cycling session and help us power the event with green energy. 
• A bicycle magician.
• Dr Bike bicycle maintenance demonstrations.
• Pedal powered Smoothie maker – make a healthy drink and pedal yourself fitter at the same time.
• Craft activities for children to redesign and redecorate hi-vis vests.
• Advice and tips on looking good while you ride – including hair and makeup.
• Enter the prize draw competition for a Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative bicycle worth up to £350.
• Win a private party in Lush for up to 10 people including food & drink and many wonderful Lush treatments…. and much more.

Check www.bikefabulous.org for more details of events and great prizes.  @bikefabulous on Twitter.

Bike Fabulous Needs You!

If anyone would like to sign up for a little pedalling exercise to help power the music/PA system please contact Pete at pete@manchesterfoe.org.uk