XR Manchester installed pop-up cycle lane “in 20 minutes”; Trafford Council remove ANOTHER pop-up cycle lane; Driver who admitted killing cyclist remanded in custody; Shapps considering Bikeability for adults + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
JD Sports reacquires Go Outdoors just hours after putting it into administration
We reported earlier this week that Go Outdoors were looking to appoint administrators; and less than 24 hours after Deloitte were called in, Go Outdoors’ owners JD Sports have took it back for £56.5 million, off.road.cc reports.
The move will involve restructuring to make the business viable, although JD Sports say they will look to save most of the 2,400 jobs and 67 stores as staff are transferred over to the new company. The JD Sports Fashion CEO Peter Cowgill said: “As a consequence of Covid-19, Go Outdoors was no longer viable as previously structured and would have absorbed capital at an unsustainable rate for the foreseeable future.
“Having investigated all available options for the business, we firmly believe that this restructuring will provide Go Outdoors with a platform from which it can progress whilst remaining a member of the group. Most importantly, we are pleased that it will protect the maximum number of jobs possible.
“We look forward to having positive conversations with landlords and agreeing new flexible lease contracts which reflect the widely reported challenges of reduced consumer footfall.”
The Segway to Heaven: divisive personal transporter to cease production after 19 years
The company behind the Segway PT will stop producing the two-wheeler next month, after the company revealed that it now accounts for just 1.5% of revenue. Prone to crashes and proving rather awkward to ride, with the pilot needing to tilt it forward to make it move, the Segway PT was sadly never the mobility revolution its inventor Dean Kamen envisioned, and the company will now focus on their e-scooters, one-wheelers, e-skates and robotics products going forward.
Extinction Rebellion step in to link up Manchester pop-up cycle route
Congrats to @XR_MCR for doing what @ManCityCouncil wouldn’t.
The A56 popup cycle lanes are now extended from the trafford border to the deansgate Interchange Cycleways, so you can now get to the city centre in safety from Sale, 5 miles away! pic.twitter.com/suFNMJCvCp
— bicycles, beans, beer 🚴🌱🍻Ⓥ (@MCRCycleSam) June 24, 2020
After we reported that yesterday that Trafford Council had removed a section of pop-up cycle lane installed on the A56 following complaints from drivers about ‘congestion’, it seems that the environmental group’s Manchester branch have took matters into their own hands by linking up a section on the border between Trafford and Manchester City Centre. According to the tweet above, it now means there’s a fully segregated cycle route into the city from Sale, which is five miles southwest of Manchester.
This morning a group of local residents from @XR_MCR took matters into their own hands to create a lane to link the A56 pop-up lane from Trafford over the border into Manchester and on to safety. Just 300 yards or so – but bizarrely ignored for last 3 weeks by @ManCityCouncil https://t.co/0Dg3jOOvlZ pic.twitter.com/PwYkd8PIZJ
— Claire Stocks (@stocksyatlarge) June 24, 2020
Extinction Rebellion Manchester says council's inaction on cycle lanes is "perverse"
A press release from XR Manchester shared with road.cc has confirmed that the group were responsible for the new section of cycle lane that links up Trafford’s pop-up infrastructure with the city centre. They said:
“MCC’s unwillingness is perverse given that other boroughs in the region have already put in place their pop up lanes.
“Trafford’s pop up scheme along the A56 finishes at the MCC border just 300m from the end of Deansgate. People using this lane are being put at risk by the lack of provision in this last stretch. Millions of pounds of funding is on the table from the Central Government to enable councils to fund their schemes.
“Their inaction is also potentially illegal, as it ignores statutory guidance from the government to prioritise cycling infrastructure causing Lord Berkeley in the House of Lords to say that Greater Manchester’s plan “has one big hole in the middle, because Manchester City Council will not cooperate.”
Grant Shapps responds to calls for adults to have access to Bikeability
All children will be able to access #Bikeability (formerly known as Cycling Proficiency) says @grantshapps but would like to extend this to all adults who might not have been on a bike for a while, and “is actively looking at this to achieve”
— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) June 24, 2020
We reported earlier this month that experts were calling for Bikeability – which is currently the name for the free cycle training scheme delivered in schools – to be extended to adults; and this morning the Transport Secretary has said he is “actively looking” to make this happen. We’ll have more on all of Shapps’ announcements on cycling made to the Transport Committee later today.
Scottish cyclists still advised to stay within 5 miles from home as guidance is updated
As Scotland moves into phase two of its route map through the pandemic, the guidance is still tighter than England but more people can now take part in non-contact sport outdoors. While Scots are still advised to stay within 5 miles of their homes for leisure purposes, it’s now possible to meet up with people from a maximum of two other households per day, with a maximum group size of eight people.
More people are now able to take part in outdoor non-contact sport as Scottish sport moves into phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s route map through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out more about phase 2 guidance 👇#PlayingOurParthttps://t.co/hEZA82fzVw pic.twitter.com/EaD9KscBFu
— sportscotland (@sportscotland) June 22, 2020
Cyclist gearing up for 16 hour litter pick across the Peak District
Alex Waddington of Stockport will ride armed with a folding litter picker, plastic gloves and a stash of rubbish bags, riding across the Peaks and bagging as much litter as he can. He’ll take in the brutal Holme Moss climb to start his day, and will ride over 100 miles in total while making plenty of stops to bag trash.
Mr Waddington hopes to raise £2,500 for the Peak District National Park Foundation – the fundraising link for his ‘Spin and Bin’ can be found here.
Driver admits to killing cyclist in Gwent
The South Wales Argus reports that 38-year-old Craig Howick has pleaded guilty to causing the death of 47-year-old Alex Roberts by careless driving at Cardiff Crown Court.
After the incident on a country road in Gwent, police arrested one man on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle dangerously and failing to stop after a collision, and one man of causing causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop after a collision. They were both released under investigation, before Howick was charged. Mr Roberts died in hospital on 21st September 2019, six weeks after the incident.
Howick will be remanded in custody until his trial on 4th January 2021.
Cyclist missing for ten days found 'safe and well'
MISSING PERSON – TRACED
We are pleased to confirm that John Glynn has been traced safe and well. We would like to thank the public for their assistance.
— EdinburghPolice (@EdinPolNE) June 23, 2020
John Glynn was last seen on 12th June before he was found, and extra concerns were raised because his bike was also missing from his flat. The police have now thanked members of the public who assisted them in tracing the 38-year-old.
Elderly driver with failing eyesight admits killing cyclist
84-year-old John Johnstone was warned by an optometrist he must not drive because he had cataracts in both eyes; but months later, he killed Hanno Garbe, 57, while driving home from a vehicle body repair shop on the B9152 near to Loch Alvie, reports STV News.
Johnstone failed a roadside eye test after hitting Mr Garbe, and was only able to read a registration plate at a distance of 4.8 metres; the minimum requirement is 20 metres.
Johnstone admitted admitted causing the death of Mr Garbe, and he will be sentenced next month.
Trafford Council remove yet another pop-up cycle lane on A56
Today we have moved the A56 pop-up cycle lane back from Ashfield Road in Sale to the junction of Dane Road to help traffic flow.
Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/QSnSqK8fOj pic.twitter.com/SlNI4naS6B
— Trafford Council (@TraffordCouncil) June 24, 2020
After announcing the removal of a section of cycle lane on the A56 yesterday due to complaints about traffic, today Trafford Council have pushed back another part from the Ashfield Road junction to the Dane Road junction in Sale, which they say is to “help traffic flow.”
Trafford Council Leader Andrew Western insisting that the decision was made because traffic in Sale had become “unmanageable”, adding: “We had followed Government advice to re-designate road space for walking and cycling and the scheme progressed with only minimal disruption to traffic in the initial stages. This has now changed so we have listened to people’s opinions and acted accordingly.”
Clearly they haven’t listened to everyone, as many of the comments under Trafford Council’s posts on Twitter and Facebook have been furious.
‘people’s opinions’ is not data, there is no evidence to back up the decision you have made.
This is not acceptable.
This is putting people’s lives in danger on the basis of ‘opinions’.
— Caroline 🚲🎧🐈🎬🔭🇪🇺🐝 (@caroline_MCR_) June 24, 2020
Just to reiterate. You are absolutely pathetic. We know where you stand when it comes to the health and well-being of the people who live in your council.
— Mike (@mikeinmcr) June 24, 2020
Such a poor decision.
It’s almost guaranteed to result in both lanes now being full of polluting motor vehicles.
— Brewtopia 🌎☕️ (@buildbrewtopia) June 24, 2020
Harrogate resident complains about "motorists becoming alienated"... after admitting to living within six miles of town centre
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Our ‘Missing the Point of the Day Award’ goes to the writer of a letter to the Yorkshire Post, who says she lives within six miles of Harrogate town centre, but is not happy about new cycle lanes and pedestrianisation that is designed to make the place less polluted and more pleasant to live in.
“I have been fortunate to have lived within a six-mile radius of Harrogate all my life”, writes Patricia Perry. “The motorist seems to have become alienated in favour of plans for pedestrianisation, cycle lanes, complex traffic flows and elimination of town-centre parking.
“Surely now is the time for our political leaders from all parties to meet and comprehensively discuss putting alternative schemes in place? They all know how vitally important it is to protect businesses in our lovely town, which is the envy of visitors from the UK and abroad.”
Harrogate has previous with ill feeling towards cycling, having turned down the chance to host a stage of next year’s Tour de Yorkshire following a huge fallout over the effect of the 2019 Road World Championships on the town’s residents and businesses. One of the main areas of controversy was the condition that parts of The Stray, a 200-acre public park, was left in after the event, much of which took place under severe weather conditions including torrential rain on the final day which forced organisers to close the Fan Zone there on safety grounds.
Extinction Rebellion Manchester video reveals pop-up lane was installed in just 20 minutes
This morning, local activists did what Manchester City Council failed to do in 12 weeks, in 20minutes! #SafeStreetsSaveLives#BuildBackBetter@ClimateEmergMcr @GlobalJustManc @McrClimate @RisingUpMcr pic.twitter.com/voPaFCUaVs
— Extinction Rebellion Manchester (@XR_MCR) June 24, 2020
XR Manchester have followed up a press release on their installing of a 300 metre stretch of pop-up cycle lane in central Manchester by releasing a short video showing how they did it.
They also added: “Safe cycling provisions is about social justice as much as anything. The majority of Manchester residents do not have access to a car and should be able to feel safe cycling through the city.”
24 June 2020, 08:22
24 June 2020, 08:22
An update to the lead story from Monday's live blog
West Midlands drops cycling ambassador Shanaze Reade - but doesn't give reasons
West Midlands is left without a cycling ambassador, as confusion reigns over cycling star's contract renewal - and campaigners say the region needs a cycling champion
24 June 2020, 08:22
24 June 2020, 08:22
Fully internally cabled, Italian steel bike porno anyone?
Officina Battaglin launches first steel frame with fully internal cable routing
The €4,000 fully custom steel frame hides all the cabling inside the headtube
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Latest Comments
@jackcycles I'm not sure my grandchildren got that memo. Cycling should not be just for hardened road warriors.
Chrisonabike There are a number of police forces in England and Wales that are using portable testing equipment already... How effective it is another matter, I haven't looked into the results of failing (I would hope they just seize and crush the motorbike without any faff but I am sure there are appeal processes, promises not to use them on public roads etc).
Woah there - a precision-engineered European-made product, with unparalleled adaptability, is somehow a ‘rip off’? Compared to what - Temu? As per the article, most quality through-axles go for £50-60+, but aren’t adaptable and don’t provide any stand or trailer capability. If you want to balance your £3-4-5k suspension or carbon bike, or bikepacking setup on a budget product subject to highly focused stresses, fair play. Cycling’s a broad church.
@eburtthebike I've found Spanish drivers to be almost entirely excellent around cyclists.
I agree, the study was made after cycle paths that had been introduced in Berlin during the 70’s and 80’s caused a big increase in cycling deaths. It is an interesting study for cyclists to read in order to know what dangers exist at badly designed junctions. Here in Paris we have very few bi-directional paths. The ones I have cycled on have no building entrances or courtyards (so no cars crossing the path) and every junction is traffic lights to prevent accidents.
We have enough regulation. They're running a motorbike without insurance/registration and possibly without a licence, and the punishment for being caught with all that is pretty severe already. The problem is lack of enforcement.
In my experience with anything less than one of those serious mid-bike two-foot kickstands, a wall / tree / hedge is the better option, or the bike will sometimes show you the alternative and lie down by itself. Maybe I've got panniers that are just too large and the wrong balance of (too much) cargo though? And of course Edinburgh streets are great at funneling gusts of wind...
I agree there's a clear legal line * but I do see something here. Like much tech it's entirely opaque from the outside (without even invoking things like the VW emissions cheating).** I know in NL they have trialled semi-portable "test stations" to check max motor speeds. However with the latest "but there's no money" crisis I can't see that over here. Indeed it's hard to see the police being motivated to do any more roads policing, with this even further down the priority list. Hope I'm wrong... While I guess many of us *would* be fine with EAPCs as a means to attract "non-cyclists" ... perhaps there's an "attractive nuisance" element to this? We're ushering people into an apparently effortless, easy and minimal consequence mobility mode without the "learning experience" of managing a lighter, unpowered machine on roads. And it's still (busy) *roads* where the new power-assisted riders will often find themselves. Not like in more advanced countries where people usually cycle in much safer and more controlled environments. OTOH we should always balance such concerns against "but cars and full-power ICE motorbikes now" though! Number plates, licences and insurance aren't necessarily mitigating that well... * As soon as there are laws games will be played. How long can you be above the "continuous rate power" for? Can we have *multiple* legal motors on one machine? ** Is the power / speed actually regulated by software, and how long will that keep a child armed with the internet from unlocking it?
And maybe a planning obligation to have traffic Marshalls controlling access out of the site not obstructing the path and restricting it if cyclists are likely to be obstructed …one can hope
I'll stick to my low rider with Karrimor Kalahari dry bag panniers and Karrimor Kalahari barbag thanks.
19 thoughts on “XR Manchester installed pop-up cycle lane “in 20 minutes”; Trafford Council remove ANOTHER pop-up cycle lane; Driver who admitted killing cyclist remanded in custody; Shapps considering Bikeability for adults + more on the live blog”
I have to admit I’ve only set
I have to admit I’ve only set foot in a Go Outdoors once, months ago (maybe September last year?). I was amazed at how empty it was – a huge shop unit, with enough stock to make a unit half the size look well stocked. Perhaps they overshot on where they chose to place their stores?
I do like Go Outdoors, but
I do like Go Outdoors, but yes, never see many people in there. We used to also have an Ultimate Outdoors, their name proved to be prophetic. These big box “outdoors” stores seem to have a hard time. Maybe Decathlon is to tough a competitor.
Been to the Bristol one quite
Been to the Bristol one quite a bit – there’s typically been a decent number of people there on those occassions but, as you say, it’s a massive unit. The tent section I can almost understand (although it’s been underused last couple of times) but a lot of the other sections are … “generous” I think would be fair. Hope they don’t disappear, some decent stuff and brands (their Calibre off-road line is great), and generally very good prices.
Quote:
How is that allowed to be a thing? Can I put my house into administration, and then ‘reacquire’ it without the mortgage?
In other news, JD Sports’
In other news, JD Sports’ accountants given lifetime membership of The Magic Circle
Some years back when I was
Some years back when I was staying in a nice hotel at a big family bash, I took advantage of the chance for a Segway ‘safari’ along some countryside tracks with my sons. Yes, Segways look silly and yes, they’re expensive. But they are fun to operate.
That said, you can get a decent MTB for a lot less and it’ll be a lot more capable off-road.
The killing of a cyclist by a
The killing of a cyclist by a vision impaired driver, who knew that they shouldn’t drive, is chilling. As much as I am not a vindictive person, I think that despite his age, the driver must suffer a very serious penalty. Prison must be considered.
Additionally, why is it that having been told that he was unfit to drive, did he still have a licence? Why cannot the optometrist inform DVLA to have a licence revoked?
geomannie 531 wrote:
This has been a problem for many years, at least thirty, where people are told by their optician that they shouldn’t drive, but carry on regardless. Successive governments have known about this and failed to take action. Still, as soon as the review of road traffic laws reports, I’m sure the government will address the issue.
There is Cassie’s law https:/
There is Cassie’s law https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-33674219
but I agree prison should be considered.
hirsute wrote:
An excellent law, but only applies to drivers failing a very simple sight test admininstered by the police. It should also apply to drivers failing a comprehensive sight test administered by a qualified optician.
Perhaps if a person fails a
Perhaps if a person fails a sight test then the optician should be legally required to inform the DVLC. I believe (although am happy to be corrected) that GP’s do so for some illnesses: my brothers diabetes was reported and he lost his licence (he was a terrible driver so no loss there)
Anyone seen this story yet?
Anyone seen this story yet?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53136450
“The Reverend Jonathan Evens, a vicar at St Martins-in-the-Field in Trafalgar Square, said the changes could “affect the sustainability of our churches”.
…
Mr Evens has requested a meeting with Mr Khan and asked that those travelling to worship are given an exemption from the congestion charge.”
It must be repeated that it
It must be repeated that it is a Govt condition to TfL that the Congestion Charge is increased (without wishing to be too cynical – not that the Govt is trying to inflict electoral damage on the Labour mayor?) So write to the Govt not the mayor.
If you really have to clog up central London with your motor vehicle and fill the air with fumes then pay for it. The majority of residents in Inner London do NOT own a car. Tourists do not drive around in cars. Road space is a premium resource in Central London.
It is clear from Cllr Weston
It is clear from Cllr Weston’s quote in the press release that they don’t have any data, only opinions:
“Since the easing of lockdown, the traffic situation in Sale was becoming unmanageable so we have taken the decision to pull back the cycle lanes to Dane Road. We had followed Government advice to re-designate road space for walking and cycling and the scheme progressed with only minimal disruption to traffic in the initial stages. This has now changed so we have listened to people’s opinions and acted accordingly.”
Couple of things spring to mind: should council policy be decided by the opinion of a group of people with a very large conflict of interest? and how many of these people were there?
Perhaps the local cycling campaigns can organise a larger number of people to send their cllrs very clear, explicit opinions of the opposite view, and demand that the cycle lane be reinstated immediately; after all, that seems to be the way Trafford council works.
Also, the very point is that
Also, the very point is that redesignation of the available road space WILL necessarily and purposely put a squeeze upon motorists. The idea is that ( where practical and allowing for those with particular mobility requirements ) everybody reduces their motoring: ie walk, cycle, work from home. Not willfully sit in self-imposed traffic jams with internal combustion engine still running, and later fire off complaints about finding oneself polluting the planet even more these days due to being stuck in heavy traffic.
Read the memo. Reduce the motoring. Join the cyclists and walkers if you are able to.
Harrogate: we’ve already had
Harrogate: we’ve already had the debate about bike lanes & pedestrianisation, and the answer was (77% of 15,500 respondents) YES (see article here).
There are a few people who want to keep all the space for cars, and they seem to be trying to overturn the survey results by writing to the papers. We won’t let them.
HarrogateSpa wrote:
Yes, but a lot of those votes were from cyclists, so they count a less than drivers’ votes. Maybe the 77% should be writing to their councillors.
The frustrating thing about
The frustrating thing about Patricia Perry’s arguments is that no one is going to stop her driving into town.
When protected bike routes are provided there will be a new option, which will allow children and young people to travel independently and safely. A small pedestrianised area in the town centre will be more pleasant and useful for all of us than a car park.
When Trafford Council say
When Trafford Council say ‘traffic’, they obvs mean motor traffic and respond accordingly