“I am appalled”: Reform UK councillors blast cycle lane plans as “disastrous” despite cycle use increase; Tory MP blasts Labour council’s active travel proposal… for not being ambitious enough; OS Maps track cycle lane data + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Mayor Mamdani speaks out against road violence
Most local mayors don’t attract our attention, especially if they’re governing places across a large pond. But if you’ve been on politically-minded social media it’s been difficult to avoid Zohran Mamdani. He’s the new Mayor of New York City who swept to power against all expectations running a grassroots campaign against titans of the city’s political past.
Sworn into office on New Year’s Day, Mamdani has wasted no time in setting about governing, and has attracted our attention with this clip from a press conference about road infrastructure:
It’s compelling viewing, setting a standard of zero road deaths as a fixed target. Fingers crossed, for everyone’s sake, he succeeds. We’ll leave it with this recent musing from “motornormativity man” Ian Walker.
Can’t help think about this having just skimmed the government’s new road safety strategy
— Prof. Ian Walker (@ianwalker.bsky.social) 7 January 2026 at 16:30
OS Maps gathering cycle lane data
If you were ever a Scout/Guide or merely having to plan a route in a pre-internet age, you’re probably familiar with the Ordnance Survey maps. Roads, tracks and trails are one thing, but now, OS have started collecting data of cycle lanes on those roads.
And, in a nod to the ways of the modern world, they’ve started uploading new data on a month-by-month basis, rather than waiting for every nook and cranny of the country to be covered. Bristol, perhaps unsurprisingly, was among the first parts of the country to be mapped:
The project is aiming to be finished by the end of March but, as useful as it may be for you and me, the project is actually being carried out primarily for the benefit of local authorities. OS say that the project will be used for “asset management – understanding the length and width of current lanes, and connectivity – helping them make the most of investment by infilling infrastructure gaps. They can also use it to plan safer cycle routes by having an understanding of segregation from traffic.”
Lovely stuff, hopefully local authorities will want to fill in the gaps rather than complain of “wasting taxpayer’s money” and so on.
Keep your yellow jerseys, SPOTY prizes, and podcasts – Simon Yates was a proper old-school British bike racer
I’ll be honest, I haven’t quite got over Simon Yates’ sudden retirement yet. One of my favourite riders, as much for his stoicism in a hyper-online era as well as his style of racing and off-beat career trajectory in the Sky era. Thankfully Ryan’s written a rather good thing about it all, and has added plenty of great photos that I can share here:
Road racing is BACK!
Ok, it’s the Australian National Championships. Yes I know it’s just the individual time trials, but the 2026 season is underway! And besides what else do you want me to write about?
On the men’s side, what was expected to be a Jay Vine/Luke Plapp duel for the ages didn’t quite materialise, as the Jayco AlUla man could only finish eighth, 2’44” behind Vine who took his second national TT title. Rounding out the podium were Oliver Bleddyn, a rider who I’m tempted to make my year’s mission to work out if he uses an English or Welsh pronunciation of his name, and Kelland O’Brien.
On the women’s side, Felicity Wilson-Haffenden pipped defending champion Brodie Chapman to the title by just three seconds. It’s a first professional victory for 20-year-old Wilson-Haffenden after a promising junior career that saw her crowned junior World Time Trial Champion in Stirling, where I managed to capture this slightly terrible photo…
There has technically been some racing down under, with the National Criterium championships taking place this morning and the road races this weekend, but we’ll presume you’re more interested in the Tour Down Under and the World Tour season proper. In which case, only eight more days to go!
Cyclocross star told by doctors to stop cycling completely after blood flow problems force early retirement
A rather heartbreaking story broke yesterday afternoon that Eli Iserbyt has been ordered to stop cycling both competitively and recreationally on medical advice. You can read why and watch the former European Champion’s emotional video at the link below:
Final World Tour kit reveal...
The last team to reveal their kit for 2026 is Team Picnic PostNL and, frankly, it’s not worth the wait…
New year, same us! ??♂️??♀️
Our distinctive Keep Challenging stripes ?? remain prominent, so we should be nice and easy to spot in the peloton!
Just a few minor tweaks ?
See more photos on our website: https://t.co/5AONLxPk4D#KeepChallenging pic.twitter.com/DCZ4641j44
— Team Picnic PostNL (@picnicpostnl) January 9, 2026
Mind you, stable sponsors, big Oscar Onley compensation money…it’s certainly not all doom and gloom.
The team have also shed light on their rider programs. Casper Van Uden will return to the Giro d’Italia where he won a stage last year, whilst Pavel Bittner will target the classics and the Tour de France. Scunthorpe’s Max Poole will once again carry the weight of general classification at the Giro, heightened by Onley’s departure and an 11th place finish last year.
Tory MP blasts Labour council for downgrading cycle lane proposals
It’s reassuring to know that active travel is not always a strictly party-political issue. Remember when a Reform-led council championed the opening of a new cycle lane in Corby?
Well, we now have news of a Tory MP criticising Labour-run Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for its cycle lane proposal… for not being ambitious enough.
Teesside Live reported that the cycle lane in Eaglescliffe would “connect into the existing National Cycle Network route 14 at the A66 junction and with the new Teeslink development to the south. It includes the creation of a shared footway-cycleway and a segregated footway and cycle track between Elton Interchange and the new Eaglescliffe Train Station western car park.” The work is due to be completed by the autumn.
But Matt Vickers MP says the £20 million project, for which he claims to have secured the funding from the Conservative government’s Levelling Up scheme in 2021, will offer “less than half the value” of the original proposal, which links Hartburn, Yarm, Eaglescliffe and Durham Lane Business Park. He also claims that trees have been unnecessarily felled, causing “a permanent environmental cost”. The council dispute that last point, saying the vegetation clearance was necessary for the work being delivered.
Maybe cycling-related politics isn’t so toxic after all…
Ambulance service to trial using e-bikes to respond to medical emergencies
Could an electric bike be the ultimate rapid response unit? Some people in Milton Keynes think so…
> Ambulance service to trial using e-bikes to respond to medical emergencies
Evenepoel's new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 unveiled
There’s only so much cycle lane stuff you can fit in your head in one day, so instead let’s offer some aesthetically pleasing light relief, by staring at Remco Evenepoel’s new bike.
Plenty of gold trim, and even a golden cassette, as befits a double Olympic champion. Naturally…
Cyclist injured after “aggressive” road rage driver brake checks group – for riding two abreast towards oncoming traffic
Today’s sentencing story concerns an “aggressive, impatient” driver pleading guilty to causing bodily injury by wilful misconduct or neglect. His punishment? 150 hours unpaid work.
Read more:
"The past two years in the team have been s**t" says Fabio Jakobsen
Remember we reported on Picnic’s new (old) kit and rider schedules earlier? Well one name we didn’t mention was their highest paid rider, sprint star Fabio Jakobsen. Not least because the past two years have been ones to forget for the Dutchman.
His 2025 season was disrupted due to iliac artery surgery in his legs and abdomen and the recovery looks to still be a very long process as he enters the final twelve months of his contract. In a media round-table at the team’s training camp in Calpe, Spain, Jakobsen has opened up on his difficulties.
“It’s no excuses, but the past two years in the team have been shit,” said Jakobsen, as reported by Daniel Benson and Domestique among others.
“No results, one win, it’s not why I came here. Then, at least there was a diagnosis as to why I couldn’t sprint for wins in the end. Relief is the wrong word, but at least you can understand why and how.
“Luckily, the medical world has advanced to the point where you can cut a piece out, stitch it back together, and the blood flow is normal again. You’re off the bike for five weeks, and then you’re slowly building up for another five to ten weeks, so it’s more than three months that you’re without proper training.
As he looks ahead though, the 29-year old did have a pretty good line on the intensity of elite sport.
“The only thing that you realise as you get older is that nothing is permanent and top sport can be unhealthy or sometimes detrimental for your health, but nowadays we can fix that. The condition that I have now is partly bad luck but also self-caused because we’re doing abnormal things with six- seven hour training rides, and Grand Tours. We’re bodybuilders of the cardiovascular system, so every now and then there’s a rider who is going to push the limits.”
And it should be said, if anyone can overcome adversity, it’s Jakobsen.
And, since we’re on the topic, it’s another chance to share my favourite Fabio Jakobsen memory, when he battled the time limit on Peyragudes in 2022.
Rapha to shut Manchester clubhouse and half of its American branches – week before unveiling new USA Cycling team kit
It’s not exactly been a smooth-sailing year for the British brand…
"I am appalled": Reform UK councillors blast new cycle lane plans as "disastrous" despite increases in cycle users
Remember the story of the Solihull cycle lane upgrades (past my old school incidentally) that appeared to be cautiously welcomed by the council?
Well, signs are brewing that opposition to the full-throated plans are mounting, but let’s recap.
Temporary ‘orca kerbs’, which enable road users to weave across the cycle lane, are to be replaced by a fully segregating permanent kerb. And, Solihull Council say the proposals are entirely funded from the West Midlands Combined Authority and its Active Travel Fund rather than the council directly. You can view photos of the proposed design here:
On this occasion, I’ll spare the selection box of Facebook comments rage here, masochists among you know where to find them in any event. But I will share what Reform UK’s Solihull councillors have to say on the matter.
Cllrs Michael Gough, Samantha Gethen and Alan Feeney are all ex-Conservatives who defected to Reform in September. Incidentally, the Conservatives have been in charge of the council for all but two years this century, and 40 of the last 50 years. Included in their agenda are pledges to “expose and cut council waste” and “campaign for safer communities and stronger policing”. But seemingly they don’t see this safety investment as worthy of its support.
“I am appalled that Solihull’s Conservative-led council is set to press ahead with plans to make permanent the disastrous Blossomfield Road cycle lane” Cllr Gough writes.
“Residents warned it would cause severe congestion, and they were right: the bi-directional lane has made overtaking buses almost impossible, creating daily gridlock on one of Solihull’s busiest roads.
“The council often claims this is externally funded, but it is still public money – and that is not a good enough reason to plough ahead regardless of what residents think or the chaos it has caused.”
Then came the classic quote for the bingo card: “I am not necessarily against cycle lanes, however, this particular one is a great example of how not to do it.”
The statement also links to the current consultation that is open for the next month, urging residents to express their opposition. It’s all rather tiring…
Still, my home town making the news is any excuse to share one of my favourite headlines, from 2019:
> Solihull councillors agree to ride cycle route and discover it’s rubbish
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The anticyclist exaggerates the disadvantages of cycle lanes beyond belief; it's like they imagine the worst-case scenario and then make it even worse. The Netherlands and Belgium have no problem with cycle paths.
@DrG82 just wait 'till you hear about the "blanket" 30mph limits it was replacing, or those "NSL" signs that just got stuck up everywhere else by default...
@Clem Fandango from that last observation I conclude that the only way to protect drivers from delays by being forced to stop and argue the toss with cyclists, or even being falsely accused by cyclists of various driving offenses is: - traffic lights at regular intervals along all roads, which should turn red whenever a cyclist approaches, alerting drivers there is a (RLJ) cyclist in front. - lights at every junction which default to all-ways red, unless they are briefly reset to green by a cyclist passing (and obviously riding through on red).
Um, yes, that's how evidence works. Perhaps you meant they're not *proof*, which would be true. But they are the best evidence we have.
These stats aren't evidence, they show correlation. Without isolating the variables they don't actually say that much about the impact of the change. Speed limits are an ineffective tool when the problem is drivers not driving in an appropriate manner for the conditions and environment. Those drivers weren't following the speed limit and/or paying sufficient attention anyway! If that is the problem and you don't deal with it, but you want to keep reducing injuries/fatalities, you have to keep dropping speed limits until you prohibit road use entirely. The solution is driving standards improvement (education) and enforcement. In wider terms but more importantly it's better city and road design, and reducing commuting distances by reforming the housing market (to an easily exchanged basic human need - shelter, not primarily an asset with massive financial inertia to change) But that's expensive, in £, time, administration, politics.
@OnYerBike I also find Zwift is a best bet if you want a very easy recovery ride on a windy day. A lot of my cycling is on the fens, where wind is a huge factor, making it difficult to keep power at a low level. An indoor ride on a flat course like Tempus Fugit or similar is perfect - as long as I ride to my power level and don't try to catch other riders.
Bet that Patrick Stewart was a menace - running red(shift) lights at warp speed, and then appearing out of nowhere...
@DrG82 - on the other hand not doing it would merely have been a waste of life.
@Rapha Nadal I believe there other platforms such as TrainerRoad that would let you do that, although you'd need both the (standard) Zwift subscription and a subscription to TrainerRoad on top, which comes to a higher total. I know Zwift does now let you sync with Garmin etc. so it does "know" about your outside bike rides, although it's unclear how thoroughly integrated this is (e.g. if you manually recreate the recommended workout outside, is that recognized as being equivalent training?) That said, whilst in general I much prefer riding outside, indoor training does have distinct advantages for structured training - you can just focus on hitting the target power and not have to worry about traffic/traffic lights/potholes/hills etc.
17 thoughts on ““I am appalled”: Reform UK councillors blast cycle lane plans as “disastrous” despite cycle use increase; Tory MP blasts Labour council’s active travel proposal… for not being ambitious enough; OS Maps track cycle lane data + more on the live blog”
“Reform UK Party Ltd/Reform
“Reform UK Party Ltd/Reform 2025 Ltd” councillors:
“”Residents warned it would cause severe congestion, and they were right: the bi-directional lane has made overtaking buses almost impossible, creating daily gridlock on one of Solihull’s busiest roads.”
Presumably before the cycle lanes were put in, the roads were free flowing akin to the misleading visuals/narrative seen in car adverts?
And can the stats for motorist journey times be provided for before and after to confirm their statements?
Cllr Guff wrote:
A quick look at Street View shows the lie that this is. The only way you could overtake buses previously is if they stop (in the nominal, sub-standard cycle lane) and a motorist then overtakes in the hatched central area. That’s all overlooking the fact that, you could easily overtake a bus if there is nothing oncoming, then and now. In other words, it is the oncoming traffic preventing overtakes, not the road layout. In fact, while it isn’t an offence to drive in a hatched area with broken-line border, it is discouraged. Now, it is less discouraged!
And, of course, the gridlock comprises motor vehicles. The cause of gridlock is people chossing to drive when there are buses (in whose way they sit*), cycling and walking which all clearly provide faster routing. They’re not stuck in traffic: they are the traffic.
(* for any given modal split on a combined urban road, driving will be faster than getting a bus. But buses in a public/active-focused transport system are generally faster than cars in a car-centric system.)
I can provide the anecdata
I can provide the anecdata for that having used that road for 30+ years
The issue is the traffic lights at Widney Lane and now Dingle Lane. There’s normally a queue at both, what happens inbetween is irrelevant. If a bus stops and you can’t get round it just means you join the queue later. The difference is that you’ve not risked a cyclists life in doing it!
I’m not sure that putting kerbs in will make it better though as on many occasions I’ve ridden through the posts as it’s not been possible to join at the end by Widney Lane due to the traffic. At Dingle Lane you have to dismount, walk down the pavement, beg to cross Dingle Lane, walk down the pavement and join the next bit. Or go through the posts and rejoin traffic through the lights….
Too much traffic is the cause
Too much traffic is the cause of traffic congestion, not some cycle lanes.
Can’t we just apply a US Govt
Can’t we just apply a US Govt type approach to the Road Safety review & standards going forward?
Plod: “why did you shoot the driver of that SUV multiple times Mr Cyclist?”
Cyclist: “Weaponised his vehicle innit officer”
Plod: “fair play – on your way, nothing to see here”
We already have a version of
We already have a version of that, except it goes:
Plod: “Why did you swerve your SUV into that cyclist, causing them life-threatening injuries?”
Driver: “I found their presence intimidating and threatening to me inside my giant metal box, didn’t I officer”
Plod: “Fair enough – carry on”
Prosecutor: “why did you run
Prosecutor: “why did you run straight over them from behind on a straight road?”
Driver: “well they were obviously trying to stop me getting away”.
Jury: “That seems reasonable…”
Given Trump directs Kristi
Given Trump directs Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem (of DHS) who directs ICE…
Could this be relevant?
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/23/464129029/donald-trump-i-could-shoot-somebody-and-i-wouldnt-lose-any-voters
Stop covering Deform!
Stop covering Deform!
The in-house rule is that the
The in-house rule is that the Live Blog must start with a rage bait item.
It is good to hear a
It is good to hear a politician (Zohran Mamdani) say “… killed by a reckless driver…”
Rather than the usual “… killed by a car…”.
(Though of course, I’m not happy about the death itself.)
I hope he succeeds.
Are there any other parties,
Are there any other parties, like Conservative and Reform UK Ltd that simply argue against the oppostion, no matter the topic, even if they are contradicting their own party’s normal position?
Who wants an allegedly
Who wants an allegedly slippery cycle lane?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly5nr7rdd1o
It’s in north Bristol near UWE – I haven’t tried it myself.
Edit: I was confused, it’s South Bristol and referring to Frenchay UWE.
Pffft. Anyone remember the
Pffft. Anyone remember the original Enormo-Slip™ blue paint they used on CS7 (& other routes). Forget icy conditions, it was a battle to stay upright if there was even the lightest drizzle in the air. I seem to remember there being several offs in Stockwell & Oval in particular.
Admittedly, the regular oil & diesel spills from other vehicles probably didn’t help, but whoever signed off on the paint purchase was a menace / Daily Heil reader.
What is it with these cycle
What is it with these cycle paths (appears to be that, not a cycle lane)?
They’re a trip hazard to people walking across them, because people don’t look where they’re going.
They’re a slip hazard to cyclists, because it gets slippery sometimes. And also a hazard to cyclists not looking where they’re going:
I’m all for properly designed infra (and maintenence where eg. cycle infra has been routed under a bunch of trees, because eg. we put it where we can not where it would best be).
But – at least in the article picture – this looks like a reasonable example, with different coloured areas for cyclists and pedestrians and a small height difference. Just like works fine every day in NL.
I guess it’s just “*change?!” ?
Can we use the OS data to
Can we use the OS data to detect and shame the use of murder strips? it sounds like it given the measurements they are collecting.
Is NYC the next 15-minute
Is NYC the next 15-minute city where people on universal revenue can walk and cycle about freely and safely?