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Britain! Britain! Britain!



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 9th 06, 01:53 AM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Britain! Britain! Britain!


-Cyclist talking to cager in traffic: Look into my eyes, look into my
eyes, the eyes, the eyes, not around the eyes, don't look around the
eyes, look into my eyes. You're under!-

(And Nigel Havers can get fkd, read the last two paragraphs about
wonderful Mr White-Van-Man)
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/tra...icle656402.ece

*********************************

Revolution! Britain embraces the bicycle
By Cahal Milmo. Published: 07 June 2006
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/tra...icle656400.ece

Britain is in the grip of a cycling revolution as clogged roads,
concern at global warming caused by air pollution and the quest for
improved fitness persuade millions to opt for pedal power.

After a decade of stagnation in the number of bicycle journeys, new
figures show there has been a dramatic leap in commuters and leisure
cyclists focused on Britain's cities and the burgeoning network of
cycle routes. In London, trips by bike have increased by 50 per cent in
five years to 450,000 per day while figures obtained by The Independent
show use of the National Cycle Network, covering 10,000 miles of urban
and rural pathways, rose last year by 15 per cent to 232 million
journeys.

The explosion in bike use, which campaign groups said was happening
despite "woeful" under-investment by the Government, is generating
increased friction between cyclists and motorists in cities. Last year,
there were 328 cyclists killed or seriously injured on the capital's
roads and more than 20,000 cyclists are injured every year in accidents
across the country.

Transport for London (TfL), which is overseeing the most rapid increase
in bicycle use in Europe, confirmed yesterday that it was planning a
publicity campaign to encourage greater respect between drivers and
cycling commuters as they battle for road space.

Despite the phenomenal growth, Britain remains near the bottom of the
European league of cycle use with just 2 per cent of all journeys made
by bike - beating only Spain, Greece and Portugal. The Netherlands tops
the league with 27 per cent.

But Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity in charge of the
National Cycle Network, said that after many years of steady but
unremarkable growth in Britain, cycling had suddenly taken off. The
proportion of commuters using the cycle network has doubled in recent
years, to 28 per cent, according to previously unpublished figures.

Andrew Cope, director of research and monitoring, said: "This is an
exciting time for cycling and its development in Britain. On
traffic-free routes, particularly in urban areas, we are seeing a very
significant uptake in use.

"Established routes that have been available for a long time where we
expected figures to plateau are just seeing more and more use and new
areas, such as Stoke, are blossoming. Where the facilities are
provided, people tend to follow."

Cycle use now accounts for 28 per cent of all journeys in Cambridge, 19
per cent in York, 15 per cent in Gosport and 12 per cent in Crewe.

Experts said the boom was being driven by a mixture of factors, ranging
from the "feel-good" influence of getting fit and reducing the impact on
the environment to the practical reality that cycling is often a
quicker, cheaper and more pleasant way to get around compared to
private vehicles on jammed roads and overcrowded buses and trains.
Traffic in London now travels at 10mph on average - 2mph slower than it
did in 1906 - while satisfaction levels with public transport stand at
44 per cent for the Tube, 37 per cent for buses and 28 per cent for
trains.

The growth has been led by London, where the July 7 bomb attacks
generated a 20 per cent increase in cycling as commuters abandoned the
Tube.

That "spike" has turned out to be a temporary blip, with most returning
to public transport. But it has been replaced by a steady growth after
investment in cycling increased from £5.5m in 2000 to £24m in 2006-07.
The projected budget for 2009-2010 is £30m, by which time there will be
560 miles of dedicated cycle paths across the capital, compared to 310
miles currently.

A TfL spokesman said: "Cycling is a quick, healthy and convenient way
of getting around London. But it is also the case that the Tube network
is reaching capacity and we can only put so many buses on roads that are
already extremely busy so the future lies in cycling."

In so doing, transport bosses are increasingly aware of the delicate
balance of power on urban roads between drivers angry at cavalier
bikers going through red lights and emission-free cyclists who live in
fear of road-hog motorists. A TfL source said: "We recognise there is
tension out there. We are developing a campaign which will encourage
cyclists to respect the rules of the road and motorists to recognise
the right of cyclists to use the road as much as they do."

But amid burgeoning sales of bicycles and accessories (put at £500m per
annum), campaigners insisted that the cycling revolution is far from
comprehensive and is being starved of Government funding. Despite a
pledge (quietly dropped in 2002) from Labour to quadruple the number of
cyclists between 1996 and 2012, Britain spends just £1 per capita each
year on cycling infrastructure and training. The European average is
£5.

The London Mayor Ken Livingstone has set a target of doubling the
number of cyclists in the capital by 2020. But even if this target is
met, the proportion of bike journeys will have reached just 4 per cent
of all journeys, compared to the Danish capital, Copenhagen, where the
proportion is 30 per cent. When Cycling England, the government body in
charge of implementing the National Cycling Strategy, was set up last
year, it was given an annual budget of £5m, compared to the £70m that
had been requested.

Adam Coffman, senior transport campaigner for CTC, the national
cyclists' advocacy group, said: "Central government cannot take much
credit for the growth in cycling because the money has not been put in.
This has been a movement from the bottom up led from places like London.
The growth is very encouraging but we still lack a cycling culture in
Britain. There is a tendency to think you need to don special clothes
and buy an expensive bike whereas cycling needs to be seen as part of
normal activity - what you do to go to the shops, school or work."

Ed Lehmann, 58: 'You're safer than in a car'

"I usually try to cycle the 13 miles to work each day from where I live
in Oxfordshire," says Ed Lehmann, a chemical engineer from
Stanford-in-the-Vale, who has cycled for 44 years.

"I love it because it gives me the vigour of someone 10 years younger,
and according to one study I read about, it should give me an active
life expectancy 15 years longer than someone who doesn't cycle
regularly. We're a slightly anarchic lot, us cyclists, and love the
freedom granted by a bike in that you don't have to worry about
congestion or bus times or your impact on climate change.

I'm not too concerned about dangers because although it may be hard to
believe, you're safer on a bike than you are in a car."

Alex Crawford, 25: 'Freedom is big appeal'

Alex Crawford, a radio journalist from Camberwell, south London, is a
novice cyclist. "I cycled as a child but then gave up when I went to
university because I was in Durham, so it was hilly and it was just
easier to walk. I'd been meaning to get back into it and the
frustration of not being able to rely on decent public transport, and
the expense of the bus and Tube, was the trigger that made me do it.

After the London bombings, there seemed to be a big growth in the
number of cyclists until it reached a kind of critical mass. That had
the effect of encouraging more people to get on their bikes, because
you feel safer when there's more of you. The freedom you get from
cycling is the biggest appeal, but also it keeps me fit and healthy and
it's good fun, especially the banter with the odd white-van man at the
traffic lights."

Pauline Powlesland: 'I can get to the shops in minutes'

Pauline Powlesland, a psychotherapist from Godalming, Surrey, has been
cycling for nine months. "I began cycling again because I wanted to get
fit but jogging bores me and I don't like the gym, whereas I always
loved the fresh air and freedom you get from the bike. When I was a
young person I used to cycle everywhere.

"I'm really glad I took up cycling again because it's really
convenient. Whereas it would take me 20 minutes to walk to the shops
from where I live, and while it would be expensive to hop on the bus,
instead I can cycle there in just a few minutes.

"I'm wary of the major roads, just from a lack of experience, but I
think that will pass. I've never had an accident, but to begin with I
got a cycling instructor."

Britain is in the grip of a cycling revolution as clogged roads,
concern at global warming caused by air pollution and the quest for
improved fitness persuade millions to opt for pedal power.

After a decade of stagnation in the number of bicycle journeys, new
figures show there has been a dramatic leap in commuters and leisure
cyclists focused on Britain's cities and the burgeoning network of
cycle routes. In London, trips by bike have increased by 50 per cent in
five years to 450,000 per day while figures obtained by The Independent
show use of the National Cycle Network, covering 10,000 miles of urban
and rural pathways, rose last year by 15 per cent to 232 million
journeys.

The explosion in bike use, which campaign groups said was happening
despite "woeful" under-investment by the Government, is generating
increased friction between cyclists and motorists in cities. Last year,
there were 328 cyclists killed or seriously injured on the capital's
roads and more than 20,000 cyclists are injured every year in accidents
across the country.

Transport for London (TfL), which is overseeing the most rapid increase
in bicycle use in Europe, confirmed yesterday that it was planning a
publicity campaign to encourage greater respect between drivers and
cycling commuters as they battle for road space.

Despite the phenomenal growth, Britain remains near the bottom of the
European league of cycle use with just 2 per cent of all journeys made
by bike - beating only Spain, Greece and Portugal. The Netherlands tops
the league with 27 per cent.

But Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity in charge of the
National Cycle Network, said that after many years of steady but
unremarkable growth in Britain, cycling had suddenly taken off. The
proportion of commuters using the cycle network has doubled in recent
years, to 28 per cent, according to previously unpublished figures.

Andrew Cope, director of research and monitoring, said: "This is an
exciting time for cycling and its development in Britain. On
traffic-free routes, particularly in urban areas, we are seeing a very
significant uptake in use.

"Established routes that have been available for a long time where we
expected figures to plateau are just seeing more and more use and new
areas, such as Stoke, are blossoming. Where the facilities are
provided, people tend to follow."

Cycle use now accounts for 28 per cent of all journeys in Cambridge, 19
per cent in York, 15 per cent in Gosport and 12 per cent in Crewe.

Experts said the boom was being driven by a mixture of factors, ranging
from the "feel-good" influence of getting fit and reducing the impact on
the environment to the practical reality that cycling is often a
quicker, cheaper and more pleasant way to get around compared to
private vehicles on jammed roads and overcrowded buses and trains.
Traffic in London now travels at 10mph on average - 2mph slower than it
did in 1906 - while satisfaction levels with public transport stand at
44 per cent for the Tube, 37 per cent for buses and 28 per cent for
trains.

The growth has been led by London, where the July 7 bomb attacks
generated a 20 per cent increase in cycling as commuters abandoned the
Tube.

That "spike" has turned out to be a temporary blip, with most returning
to public transport. But it has been replaced by a steady growth after
investment in cycling increased from £5.5m in 2000 to £24m in 2006-07.
The projected budget for 2009-2010 is £30m, by which time there will be
560 miles of dedicated cycle paths across the capital, compared to 310
miles currently.

A TfL spokesman said: "Cycling is a quick, healthy and convenient way
of getting around London. But it is also the case that the Tube network
is reaching capacity and we can only put so many buses on roads that are
already extremely busy so the future lies in cycling."

In so doing, transport bosses are increasingly aware of the delicate
balance of power on urban roads between drivers angry at cavalier
bikers going through red lights and emission-free cyclists who live in
fear of road-hog motorists. A TfL source said: "We recognise there is
tension out there. We are developing a campaign which will encourage
cyclists to respect the rules of the road and motorists to recognise
the right of cyclists to use the road as much as they do."

But amid burgeoning sales of bicycles and accessories (put at £500m per
annum), campaigners insisted that the cycling revolution is far from
comprehensive and is being starved of Government funding. Despite a
pledge (quietly dropped in 2002) from Labour to quadruple the number of
cyclists between 1996 and 2012, Britain spends just £1 per capita each
year on cycling infrastructure and training. The European average is
£5.

The London Mayor Ken Livingstone has set a target of doubling the
number of cyclists in the capital by 2020. But even if this target is
met, the proportion of bike journeys will have reached just 4 per cent
of all journeys, compared to the Danish capital, Copenhagen, where the
proportion is 30 per cent. When Cycling England, the government body in
charge of implementing the National Cycling Strategy, was set up last
year, it was given an annual budget of £5m, compared to the £70m that
had been requested.

Adam Coffman, senior transport campaigner for CTC, the national
cyclists' advocacy group, said: "Central government cannot take much
credit for the growth in cycling because the money has not been put in.
This has been a movement from the bottom up led from places like London.
The growth is very encouraging but we still lack a cycling culture in
Britain. There is a tendency to think you need to don special clothes
and buy an expensive bike whereas cycling needs to be seen as part of
normal activity - what you do to go to the shops, school or work."

Ed Lehmann, 58: 'You're safer than in a car'

"I usually try to cycle the 13 miles to work each day from where I live
in Oxfordshire," says Ed Lehmann, a chemical engineer from
Stanford-in-the-Vale, who has cycled for 44 years.

"I love it because it gives me the vigour of someone 10 years younger,
and according to one study I read about, it should give me an active
life expectancy 15 years longer than someone who doesn't cycle
regularly. We're a slightly anarchic lot, us cyclists, and love the
freedom granted by a bike in that you don't have to worry about
congestion or bus times or your impact on climate change.

I'm not too concerned about dangers because although it may be hard to
believe, you're safer on a bike than you are in a car."

Alex Crawford, 25: 'Freedom is big appeal'

Alex Crawford, a radio journalist from Camberwell, south London, is a
novice cyclist. "I cycled as a child but then gave up when I went to
university because I was in Durham, so it was hilly and it was just
easier to walk. I'd been meaning to get back into it and the
frustration of not being able to rely on decent public transport, and
the expense of the bus and Tube, was the trigger that made me do it.

After the London bombings, there seemed to be a big growth in the
number of cyclists until it reached a kind of critical mass. That had
the effect of encouraging more people to get on their bikes, because
you feel safer when there's more of you. The freedom you get from
cycling is the biggest appeal, but also it keeps me fit and healthy and
it's good fun, especially the banter with the odd white-van man at the
traffic lights."

Pauline Powlesland: 'I can get to the shops in minutes'

Pauline Powlesland, a psychotherapist from Godalming, Surrey, has been
cycling for nine months. "I began cycling again because I wanted to get
fit but jogging bores me and I don't like the gym, whereas I always
loved the fresh air and freedom you get from the bike. When I was a
young person I used to cycle everywhere.

"I'm really glad I took up cycling again because it's really
convenient. Whereas it would take me 20 minutes to walk to the shops
from where I live, and while it would be expensive to hop on the bus,
instead I can cycle there in just a few minutes.

"I'm wary of the major roads, just from a lack of experience, but I
think that will pass. I've never had an accident, but to begin with I
got a cycling instructor."


--
cfsmtb

Ads
  #2  
Old June 9th 06, 02:07 AM posted to aus.bicycle
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Britain! Britain! Britain!

"cfsmtb" wrote
Cycle use now accounts for 28 per cent of all journeys in Cambridge, 19
per cent in York, 15 per cent in Gosport and 12 per cent in Crewe.

huge snip
Cycle use now accounts for 28 per cent of all journeys in Cambridge, 19
per cent in York, 15 per cent in Gosport and 12 per cent in Crewe.


I got a bit of deja vu by this point. :-)

Theo


  #3  
Old June 9th 06, 11:27 AM posted to aus.bicycle
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Britain! Britain! Britain!


cahmpooter ses nohhhhhhhh!


--
rooman

  #4  
Old June 9th 06, 02:46 PM posted to aus.bicycle
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Britain! Britain! Britain!

On Fri, 9 Jun 2006 10:53:45 +1000, cfsmtb
wrote:

http://news.independent.co.uk/


I love how in the Motoring Section of this paper is
"Robert Hanks: The Cycling Column".
 




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