“If they can’t park outside, they can’t stop here”: Cycle lane has “killed” village, local businesses claim (despite project adding 80 off-street spaces); Scottish minister calls helmets “individual choice” amid tabloid questions + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"How exactly is a disabled person supposed to access this bridge?": Campaigners call on council to remove "unlawful, discriminatory" barriers from National Cycle Route
Just when you thought you’d seen every questionable barrier design to prevent “anti-social behaviour” on cycle routes…
"Look at the countries that have been getting this right for decades and you see people cycling to work to school to go to the shops in their normal clothes": Scottish minister calls helmets an "individual choice" amid tabloid questions
Scotland’s active travel minister, and Green Party leader, Patrick Harvie has once again defended his views on cycle helmets to the Scottish Sun. The tabloid has previously pounced on Harvie’s belief that helmets should remain an “individual choice” and not a necessity. The saga even reached the bizarre stage of Harvie rejecting the newspaper’s gift of a helmet last year.
Now, speaking at the opening of the City Centre West-East Link cycle route in Edinburgh, Harvie again answered questions on why he was seen riding along the infrastructure without a helmet.
“I know helmets are a touchstone issue for some people,” he said. “Actually, they are not a matter of law, it is a matter of individual choice. I support people to make the choice that is right for them.
“Particularly when people are learning to ride a bike for the first time that is a really important time to look after your safety and to be thinking about whether you want to wear a helmet or not and that is quite advisable when you are learning to ride in those early years — it’s not an extreme sport.
“As we see more and more people cycling we want to make sure that it is safe, accessible and that it is a completely normal activity, it is not an extreme sport, it’s a normal thing for people to do. Look at the countries that have been getting this right for decades and you see people cycling to work to school to go to the shops in their normal clothes. That is the cycling culture I think we should be aiming for.”
Active Travel England and National Highways to work in tandem in agreement Chris Boardman calls "win-win for everyone"
Active Travel England and National Highways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise stronger collaborative working. National Highways is the body responsible for operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A-roads in England, while Active Travel England, led by Chris Boardman, is the government’s executive agency responsible for making walking, wheeling and cycling “the preferred choice for everyone to get around in England”.
Boardman met with National Highways chief executive Nick Harris as the two parties committed to improve both organisations’ alignment as part of a closer working relationship that will see data and guidance shared, opportunities for joint working and helping ensure maximum value from investment.
“ATE is teaming up with National Highways to make sure people can enjoy safe and pleasant journeys to work, school or the shops under their own steam. In turn they will reap the health benefits, save money and make more sustainable travel choices – it’s win-win for everyone,” Boardman said.
This is promising. If @NationalHways were to work to achieve betterment for active travel in every project, it would be transformative, especially in more rural areas. https://t.co/OlrZWuhYvY
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) March 21, 2024
Likewise, Harris said he is “very pleased” to be working more closely with ATE. He added: “National Highways is developing ‘an approach to active travel’ which will set our role, vision and priorities for active travel during the next roads period. This MOU signing is an opportunity to publicly demonstrate our commitment to active travel.”
Through its Designated Funds programme, National Highways has invested £70 million in active travel schemes and is set to deliver an additional £22 million by the end of 2025.
GOTCHA! Ah, wait a second, it's a glove...
It’s my glove. Nice try, Robert. Also, there’s no law against holding a phone whilst cycling, btw. https://t.co/lvKALrN2xv
— CyclingMikey the Unspeakable (@MikeyCycling) March 20, 2024
New report suggests flourishing town centres that perform best are not dependent on cars, with retail sales increasing by an average of 30% following active travel projects
Here’s an interesting, and timely considering the story from Rochdale, new report from Create Streets, the think tank whose founding chair Nicholas Boys Smith is a government adviser.
A report by the organisation, supported by Cycling UK, outlined the significant economic benefits that can come from improving active travel provision. The Move Free report found that following projects to improve pedestrian, cycling or public transport access to shops, retail sales increase by an average of 30 per cent.
“Cars are great. Cars are awful. Cars can boost liberty. Cars can destroy it. Cars can help the economy. Cars can undermine it. It is largely a question of where. They add most value in areas of lowest density. They add least and do most harm in areas of higher density,” Nicholas Boys Smith said.
“When it comes to freeing up our streets, our advice to decision-makers is; add choice and let people decide with their hearts and heads; think about place not just about movement; and find gradualist ‘win-win’ processes for improving places with the consent, even with the active leadership, of local neighbourhoods.”
Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK’s chief executive added: “For some of us, and for some journeys, driving is necessary, but by providing other transport options and enabling other ways of getting around, driving also becomes easier for those who still need to drive, as the roads are freed up.
“We’re urging the government to strengthen national planning policy to ensure new developments don’t get planning permission unless sustainable transport options, including walking and cycling, are included.”
One normal day of professional cycling. That's all I ask for. Will never happen...
The internet being a strange place, exhibit 1,356,208…
Tiberi liked this post…. Bro wtf pic.twitter.com/DhEqXm85za
— Thomas Harvey 🚲 (@_ThomasHarvey_) March 21, 2024
Or in full…
It’s an old tweet but the like does appear to have come from Antonio Tiberi’s account. It’s the one Bahrain Victorious tag for his race results and appearances anyway. We’ve dropped the team a message to see if they’ve got anything to add, but if you need any further reading on one of the most bizarre stories of 2023…
British road cycling championships to return to Tees Valley and North Yorkshire
After a successful previous iteration last year, British Cycling has announced that the national road championships will once again take place in the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire.
The event will kick off with the time-trial events in North Yorkshire on 19 June, with the circuit races taking place in Darlington town centre which played host to two Tour of Britain stages in 2008 and 2009, and finally concluding with the road races in Saltburn (no, not the mansion from the weird 2023 movie) on 23 June.
Last year’s national men’s road race champion, Fred Wright said ahead of the announcement: “To win my first elite national road title on Saltburn Bank was incredibly special and it has been such a privilege to wear the national jersey in the pro peloton. It meant a huge amount to win last year and I can’t wait to head back to the seaside and battle it out against the best riders in the country with some amazing crowds.”
Reigning women’s national road race champion Georgi added: “Winning my second national title last year on Saltburn Bank was just amazing, and wearing the national jersey on the world stage is so special. Women’s racing at the minute is so exciting and we had such a good battle last year. I can’t wait to race in front of home crowds again and try and retain my jersey once again!”
The races coming back to North Yorkshire means that the region is set to host the races after the 2019 UCI World Championships, which proved to be unpopular with some locals, with even Tour de Yorkshire’s organiser claiming that the Worlds in Harrogate were the “catalyst for ill feeling” and raised concerns about hosting cycling events.
"Hell hath no fury like a cyclist with a GoPro", says Judge Mark Hamill
Search your feelings, judge. You can’t do this. I feel the conflict with you. Let go of your hate…
I know it’s not April Fools yet, but why does it feel like that already? As Dan said earlier, one normal day as a cycling journalist…
Not so long ago, in a court far, far away… It is a period of culture war. Rebel cyclists, striking with their helmet cams, have won another victory against the Motorists’ Empire.
Gah! I said I’ll try! Okay, with some seriousness now, District Judge Mark Hamill speaking at the Ards Magistrates Court when Joy Shannon of Inishargy Road, Kircubbin, admitted driving without due care and attention at Portaferry Road near Newtownards last year, said: “Hell hath no fury like a cyclist with a GoPro”.
A prosecutor said that a cyclist equipped with lights and recording equipment said the defendant, driving an Alfa Romeo, had overtaken approaching a bend, crossing over to the opposite lane and there were two drivers approaching who had to take evasive action, according to a post shared on Facebook by Courts NI.
Shannon admitted driving and had told police she could not fully recall the incident. The defence lawyer said the defendant had acted “out of exasperation” as she had been “stuck behind a cyclist” during rush hour. When shown the footage, the defendant was “disappointed” at “how her exasperation had manifested itself in overtaking in a way that she shouldn’t. She is normally a very careful driver but there was a tailback behind the cyclist”.
Well, at least you can take some respite knowing that Shannon was found guilty and was given three penalty points and a £200 fine. Oh, and the rebels win at the end, so stay strong. May the force be with you.
Careless driver jailed for 10 months and given two-year driving ban for seriously injuring two cyclists
Police have released footage of a careless driver smashing into two female cyclists at a roundabout, causing the victims “life-changing injuries”. The motorist, Zahin Ali, has been jailed for 10 months and was also sentenced to a two-year driving ban at Reading Crown Court on Monday.
Is now the best time ever to buy a bike? What cycling industry turbulence and deep discounting could mean for you
As the bike industry is getting back on its feet after a miserable couple of years, inventory levels are plentiful and significant discounts seem far easier to come by – we’ve asked the industry experts for their take on the current situation
"If they can't park outside, they can't stop here": Cycle lane has "killed" village, local businesses claim (despite project adding 80 off-street spaces)
Business owners in the Rochdale village of Castleton have claimed sales are down 50 per cent and the area has been “killed” by the installation of a new cycle lane as part of a £4.4 million road improvements scheme.
The council told the BBC it is “too early to judge the success”, some locals infuriated by the fact the road space which was scrapped to make way for the infrastructure was on-street parking, that despite the scheme also seeing 80 new off-street spaces created.
However, business owners believe it has “killed” passing trade, the owner of a local chippy saying customers used to “pull up, order the food, get back into the car, and away they go” but there is apparently now “nowhere to park”… except the 80 newly created spaces, presumably?
“It’s supposed to get better but I can’t see it, to be honest,” Mark Foster of the New Bridge chip shop said, suggesting trade had decreased by a “drastic” 50 per cent.
Likewise, the owner of the Mini Market vape shop, said half their business had “gone” as “if they can’t park outside, they can’t stop here”… except at the, you guessed it, 80 off-street spaces?
“If it keeps going like this all of us will have to close down,” Rahand Mahmud said. The BBC also heard from residents who called it a “total waste of money” and claimed that the project has “killed” the village.
The council did stick up for it (a bit), saying it would be part of a wider “fully connected routes” project that would link as part of two transport hubs and allow cyclists to make “longer journeys”.
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And how are those attracted/paid for? Through bigger audiences. There are 53 million black people in the USA, and around 1.2 billion in Africa. How much extra sponsorship and TV coverage do you think women's racing might get if there were a few black US and African women competing? That's not, in your idiotic phrase, "wokeism", it's good sound commercial common sense.
@chrisonabike I don't know how they would get confused - one's called Jack and one's called Nigel.
There is so much depressing deja vu here. The defence factors taken from the usual tick box list : "poor lighting", "dark clothes", "didn't see him" etc. The usual rehabilitation path comments : "full of remorse". The common previous : "drugs, and alcohol", "no licence" etc. Even your comments about the tipper truck industry ring a bell. Look up the 1957 British film "Hell Drivers", if you haven't seen it. It must have have been inspired by events of the time. I did wonder why Renshaw had been on remand. Was he a flight risk?
The cycle path at that point is (part of) the main road, not the side road.
Its not fucking careless if you drive a vehicle and don't check your mirrors. Its fucking dangerous and its fucking deadly. How on earth are we still dealing with this bollocks. Everything about this is maddening. The fact he tried to weasel out of it and blame the cyclist. The fact hes avoided prison. The fact he was still driving after such a long history of dangerous driving. The fact he is still only banned for 12 months despite killing someone due to his inability to drive safely.
The tipper truck industry is an absolute Wild West. Scandal ridden, partly because of the complete lack of regulatory oversight and the pay-by-the-load system which incentives dodgy driving. I hope there is an investigation into the firm’s recruitment process and a corporate manslaughter charge. We urgently need a HSE investigation into the whole industry
Perhaps they're confusing the writer with a certain - ahem - new poster?
My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Zinovly Savyulak.
Sounds like a recommendation to me - after all, who'd want their writing to be emotionally empty?
I think MM's point is more fatally flawed than that - people *do* complain about inequality in running. There might be less inequality than in cycling, but there's still an over-representation of white people and barriers to participation.
60 thoughts on ““If they can’t park outside, they can’t stop here”: Cycle lane has “killed” village, local businesses claim (despite project adding 80 off-street spaces); Scottish minister calls helmets “individual choice” amid tabloid questions + more on the live blog”
In the middle of construction
In the middle of construction projects, through traffic is always affected. How some people can’t see that once a project is finished you can start gathering data to see how good or bad a scheme is, is beyond me.
or even read the data that
or even read the data that already exists.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/11/16/cyclists-spend-40-more-in-londons-shops-than-motorists/?sh=6a8a08c1641e
I have sypmathy for
I have sypmathy for businesses affected by road works, and some take longer than they ought to, and I do think susbantial and lengthy works ought to come with rates relief. Complaining about it seems to be the standard approach – possibly in the hope of compensation, garner sympthy from locals who will make extra effort to support them through adversity, or to simply advertise that they are still open.
Nevertheless, some people are entirely unrealistic and don’t stop to think that their house, their street, the building in which they operate all had to be built at some point, presumably causing disruption to someone else.
Then there are those who think that they’ve said something clever by pointing out not many cyclists are using the 50m stretch of new cycle path that is book ended by road works.
I’d be interested to know how far away this 80 new spaces are. The chip shop owner clearly thinks his customers are too lazy to walk that far, and he might be right. Perhaps lobbying for some cycle hoops by his shop would help?
FionaJJ wrote:
I’d be interested to know how far away this 80 new spaces are. The chip shop owner clearly thinks his customers are too lazy to walk that far, and he might be right. Perhaps lobbying for some cycle hoops by his shop would help?
— FionaJJ
If I was cycling past a good chippy with easy cycle parking I would have to try hard not to stop, that’s for sure.
Like this one?
Like this one?
Not to be passed by lightly,
Not to be passed by lightly, despite poor bike parking.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief
If your premises are affected by local disruption
You may get a temporary reduction in your business rates if your premises are affected by severe local disruption (like flooding, or nearby building work or roadworks).
FionaJJ wrote:
I suspect he is. And not just about walking. Lots of people can’t be bothered to think differently or laterally about lots of things. So if they can’t do what they (think they) always did, they may just not bother, especially if it’s not an essential activity or there’s an easy alternative.
Drivers regularly park on the
Drivers regularly park on the bit with yellow arrows because walking 20m is beyond them. They don’t care about the obstruction they cause. (chippie opposite)
Ah – but that’s “justing”* so
Ah – but that’s “justing”* so totally legit!
Is there a Heisenberg Legal Uncertainty principle (in popular understanding)? So that you can break the law (“bend the rules”) a little over a long period (e.g. “only a few mph between friends”), or you can tear it up completely but only for a very short time?
* “I’m just popping in to …”
Maybe the people of castleton
Maybe the people of castleton are preparing lifestyle changes – less chippy and vaping, more cycling. Or maybe trade has dropped 50% because the price of chippy has probably doubled in the past few years and people are cutting back.
To define Castleton as
To define Castleton as socioeconomically deprived and an ageing population would be quite an understatement.
The predominant lifestyle change occurring there is broadly from independent living to dead, which I suggest is having more of a steady effect on the patronage of a chippy.
to define Castleton as a
to define Castleton as a village is certainly a new one for me.
When they said village I
When they said village I thought they were talking about the one in Derbyshire!
haha. Some nice cycle paths
haha. Some nice cycle paths through there would be lovely… along with a winch up Winnat’s Pass of course.
I’ve often thought the old,
I’ve often thought the old, knackered road could have a small amount of money spent on it to restore cycle access. It would be pretty cheap and easy to do tbh.
There is a road near me that
There is a road near me that was recently dug up for some distance by a utility company. When they finished they left mud and debris over the road for just over 2km.
I reported this to Essex highways saying it was a skid risk (especially to those on 2 wheels). It’s also a breach of s148 of the 1980 highways act.
“We have now closed this enquiry and we plan no further action.”
Why can’t they force the utility company to make the road good?
It also means that I can’t go that way as the risk of a puncture is high and it would be hazardous when wet.
Still, we’ve got 2p off NI.
Regulation of any utility is
Regulation of any utility is now a farce. 60% of the remit of water utilities is the handling and treatment of sewerage and they can’t be trusted to not literally dump our raw shit without even looking at it.
Why can’t they force the
Why can’t they force the utility company to make the road good?
Ineffective local Authority procedures are one option. But never underestimate the amount of low level corruption via brown paper envelopes, bottles of booze and other sweeteners that goes on in that particular industry.
This is cycling
This is cycling infrastructure in a nutshell unfortunately. It will put people off going somewhere if they can’t park 2m away from their destination. We aren’t a nation of overweight, unfit messes for no reason. There is a reason deliveroo and its like are absolutely booming. The prices are at least 50% higher than fetching the items yourself, arrive tepid a lot of the time and I know far too many people that deliveroo things from less than a mile away.
Changing the way people travel will take decades and have massive push back for much of it. Ultimately it will be a good thing because if we keep on down the road we travel now the NHS will be gone in the next 20 years and the country will be a horrible mess.
mctrials23 wrote:
Head of hammer, meet nail.
Also, a lot of food based businesses that are struggling aren’t moving to using these convenient services either so are losing out on trade that way too. Kind of ironic, really.
“New report suggests
“New report suggests flourishing town centres that perform best are not dependent on cars, with retail sales increasing by an average of 30% following active travel projects”
It’s almost as if an active travel method with about 1/10th of the running costs of cars gve people extra disposable income, and not being trapped in a metal box allows people to browse and peruse with little to no inconvenience. Who knew?
“and not being trapped in a
“and not being trapped in a metal box”
I read that as “and not being trapped in a mental box”.
I suppose both are equally valid.
I thought National Highways
I thought National Highways only dealt with designated trunk roads ? Ie motorways and major A roads, it was local county councils (or whatever equiv in your area is managing them) that dealt with everything else.
So how will this be that transformative especially in rural areas as Adam Tranter claims?
If new major roads require
If new major roads or all subsequent upgrade projects require associated cycle paths, we might get more worthwhile long distance infra than is provided by the notional cycle network
Ignoring the politics around
Ignoring the politics around building new major roads, National Highways were already funded by government to include active travel for new roads.
The scam was always they really only upgrade existing major roads, so don’t fall foul on not doing anything with it
And fine if this memo of understanding between them and ATE changes that, great, I look forward to a cycle lane next to the A14.
But it still doesn’t answer how this is transformative for rural areas. ?
National Highways don’t deal with roads in rural areas, because they aren’t major national infrastructure routes.
Generally agree, but I wonder
Generally agree, but I wonder if the importance of this is getting a foot in the door to slowly change the mindset of even “the big road builders”? Now I doubt they’ll be rushing to build new Hovenrings tomorrow. But perhaps simply having “the bike people” turning up to some of your meetings might eventually modify the culture? Granted – only in conjunction with some rather striking changes in national political priorities and funding…
For “barrier” – while there might be few crying out for 10 mile sections of cycle path along the A-whatever (although sometimes there might), there will certainly be occasions where we build massive new roads BUT you could make it less of a pain in the backside for non-motorised users to cross them / avoid severing useful connections. Particularly when they lay out a “strategic” route through that countryside.
Perhaps National Highways
Perhaps National Highways will be compelled to consider how work on their network, whether it be maintenance or expansion, affects the local road network around it.
For example, if temporarily closing a trunk road or motorway would place a great deal more traffic on a route frequented by many people who cycle, measures must be undertaken to keep those cyclists safe.
Yeah I wouldn’t count a
Yeah I wouldn’t count a chippie and a vape shop as the most representative of businesses… even if it would be sad to have the former closing down (the other not so much).
Sounds grim… “They’ve torn
Sounds grim… “They’ve torn the heart out of this place. First it was the vape shop, then Bargain Booze, then by one the 4 takeaways went … now the petrol station’s shut it’s literally uninhabitable”.
If there’s still a nail bar
If there’s still a nail bar and a tanning salon, it’s viable. Alternatively, perhaps matcha and fresh pasta still available would be enough for survival.
Ah – the other side of it –
Ah – the other side of it – perhaps for those coming to grief in the aisles of Decathlon? “We were driven out! The cafe can no longer manage an organic macadamia latte and there are no decent cello teachers for miles.”
The cycle lane is also part
The cycle lane is also part of a massive scheme to make Castleton town centre a bit nicer, which it needs.
marmotte27 wrote:
I would suspect that the frequenters of those two establishments are ideal candidates for the extra bit of exercise involved in walking from the 80 space parking area…
marmotte27 wrote:
Wierd one isn’t it? It’s well known that chippies across the country are going bust at an unprecedented rate due to unsustainable price rises in the midst of a cost of living crisis… but none of that applies to thisone shop, it’s definitely just the bike lane?
I really do have a lot of sympathy for them, but I don’t think they’ve thought this through.
The average chippy and vape
The average chippy and vape shop customer are precisely the people who would benefit from a short walk round the corenr to the 80-space car park. Not that they would recognise that.
You’ve not been to Castleton,
You’ve not been to Castleton, then.
A chippie, a vape shop, and an offy about covers it.
There are no parking
There are no parking restrictions on the road that goes up the side of the chipper.
http://www.google.com/maps/@53.592415,-2.1798215,3a,43.2y,42.87h,90.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s5GdYB9u8JNbys6qPvWrvZA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
If its a decent chippy,
If its a decent chippy, customers will happily park up and walk to it.
If its not too good, you’ll think of *any* excuse not to go there.
No parking out front just makes that choice easier.
lets face it, they will just
lets face it, they will just park in the bike lane to go to the chippy anyway, most of the business will be in the evening any ay when the chances of a traffic warden are even lower than the during the day
NSL – check
NSL – check
Blind bend – check
Chevron sign – check
Likelihood of oncoming vehicles at 50 mph – high probability
Overtake !
There was a cyclist in front
There was a cyclist in front m’lord 😉
It’s a First bus – they have
It’s a First bus – they have to get to every red traffic light first or they wouldn’t live up to their name! Even if they squash you on the way.
Cycle lane has “killed”
Cycle lane has “killed” village, local businesses claim
Definitely the cycle lane and not the recession, people living on the edge, just surviving, not able to pay utility bills: no, no, no, no, no. It’s the cycle lane.
Meanwhile, in completely unrelated news:
New report suggests flourishing town centres that perform best are not dependent on cars, with retail sales increasing by an average of 30% following active travel projects
If the Castleton business owners had any sense, they’d be demanding bike racks outside their shops.
The vape hop has gone out of
The vape hop has gone out of business because of the cycle lane, well there’s yet another good reason to put in more cycle lanes.
Another fkn joke
Another fkn joke
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/24199102.lorry-driver-killed-cyclist-glasgow-sentenced-court/
A terrible joke at that.
A terrible joke at that.
Active Travel England and
Active Travel England and National Highways to work in tandem in agreement Chris Boardman calls “win-win for everyone”
I do hope that’s in writing and is cast iron, bullet proof and watertight. NH don’t exactly fill me with confidence, but I hope that this works well.
Unfortunately, an MoU doesn’t
Unfortunately, an MoU doesn’t really mean anything and certainly won’t include commitments to specific action.
See also Tory twats signing MoUs with individual US states and pretending that they’re trade deals.
I wouldn’t put any stock in
I wouldn’t put any stock in what the deviant Paddy Harvie says.
He is lower than a snake’s belly.
dubwise wrote:
How do you report homophobic abuse on this website?
Use the email in get in touch
Use the email in get in touch at the bottom of the page.
IanGlasgow wrote:
Wait until 1st April and you can report me for a hate crime lol.
If you followed Scottish politics then you would understand the comment. Have you ever tried to report Harvie and his colleagues for the vile comments about our womenfolk?
In my experience, many of
In my experience, many of these Greater Manchester “villages” are wall to wall roadside parking where one would struggle to get a shop front parking space easily at almost any time of the day. The roads are rammed with parked cars for miles.
Castleton shopkeepers – “it’s
Castleton shopkeepers – “it’s nothing to do with a cost of living crisis, it’s these stupid cycle lanes”.
The place is a horrid traffic sewer, the cycleways are a huge improvement.
Never underestimate a
Never underestimate a motorist’s lack of will to walk anywhere. My local chip shop is at the base of a hill by a junction and so there are a lot of double yellows around it. There’s ample parking just metres away, up the hill. Do motorists pay the blindest bit of notice to the double yellows? Do they hell. They all park illegally so they can walk the minimum distance possible to get their chips. Same with the place further up town. There they will happily block in other parked cars if there are no spaces and snarl the road up at busy times. But cycle lanes!
ooblyboo wrote:
That’s because they have been sold the idea that everything should be designed and built to accomodate them. That driving elevates you, gives you a form of privilege (as well as security). SUVs and trucks are the ultimate expression of this. Their size is someone else’s problem.
That’s why drive-through burgers, coffee etc are unbelievably popular. It’s why they think they can stop wherever they like, including on the pavement or cycle lane, a few might put their hazard flashers on (but most don’t) and nip into the shop for a newspaper etc when there are designated parking spots just 30 metres away. It’s often why those cursed painted cycle ‘lanes’ stop at random points and there is an arrow pointing to the pavement.
But it’s too much effort to reverse into a parking space, in the same way that it’s too difficult to reverse into a driveway or side road (despite Highway Code rules 200, 201 & 202) so lots of people think “I’ll reverse into the road without looking properly, I’ll just do it slowly and they’ll surely stop”.
Simon E wrote:
Don’t forget that cars are for grown-ups and bikes are children’s toys.
belugabob wrote:
…— belugabob Don’t forget that cars are for grown-ups and bikes are children’s toys.— Simon E
Totally this. Cars = responsibility, earning money, carrying important things (tools / household goods / shopping / kids), looking after people… they’re a tool – but also a marker of “adult status” and indeed used to signal social rank.
Cycles = you can’t carry things, or people, or go anywhere with your kids, they’re “recreational” or “sporty” or “for kids”, in the “real world” people need to travel long distances – even within cities and besides you have to waste time putting on your special cycling gear and still end up too hot / wet / cold or merely sweaty…
Motor vehicles give you a lot of flexibility of course. You can often find a way to achieve something with one. And of course for a couple of generations we have literally build the environment around them.
…but we have also build our mental model of “transport” around them. This feeds a kind of circular logic starting from the assumption “to achieve X you need a car”. But that’s merely a default option – not even necessarily the best one for you this trip. Never mind society as a whole.
Then it’s “we have to drive” and finally “thus cycling is optional – you chose to cycle! You could have driven (which must always be an option because some have to drive). Thus your cycle trip cannot have been necessary!”
cycling is optional – you
cycling is optional – you chose to cycle!
That’s certainly the opinion of Blackpool Police: ‘if you don’t like conditions on the road, choose another mode of transport’