Complaints about misleading newspaper photos of cyclists during lockdown dismissed; Man angry about imaginary cycle lane; The value of ‘removing driver frustration’; Tayside Police (finally!) trial close pass scheme + more
SUMMARY
Scottish Government got consultants to put a monetary value on “removing driver frustration” after A9 dualling project cost-benefit analysis didn’t pan out how it wanted
The Scottish Government is looking to dual 80 miles of single carriageway on the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness.
Is it worth it?
Spice Spotlight reports that analysis of the project set the direct benefits – journey time savings, lower vehicle operating costs and road safety benefits – against the negative environmental impacts.
The expected return is 78p in benefits for every pound spent by the Scottish Government.
You don’t need especially strong aptitude for maths to know that’s not good.
But no matter because the Government then asked consultants to put a monetary value on “removing driver frustration”.
The value of removing driver frustration is assessed as £430m (which is £86m more than the value given to collision reduction).
This little extra means the project would return £1.12 for every pound spent.
You can find information about the method in a paper here.
Tory MP helps force removal of pop-up cycle lane in Reigate after just three days
A pop-up cycle lane in Reigate that was installed at the weekend has been removed following pressure from the Surrey town’s Tory MP.
Crispin Blunt said he was “appalled at the predicted traffic chaos,” and described it as a “nonsensical cycle scheme.”
Incredibly, this pop-up cycle lane in Reigate is being taken out tonight after only a few days, before any realistic assessment can be made. What can we do to ensure the same fate doesn’t befall the Albion Way pop-up cycle lane in Horsham when it goes in? https://t.co/cJqOXbpunX
— Horsham District Cycling Forum (@CycleForumHorsh) July 6, 2020
Tayside Police (finally!) trial close pass scheme after rise in cycling during lockdown
Back in 2017, we reported on a Tayside police officer who delivered a close pass of a cyclist on a blind bend.
When we spoke to the force about the incident and asked why it did not run a close pass operation based on that pioneered by West Midlands Police, a spokesperson told us that, “in light of our collision and road casualty profile we do not consider an operation of this nature to be a high priority at this time.”
It was later reported that an enquiry had been carried out into the close pass. The force said that the officer responsible had been identified and given “appropriate advice.”
Campaigners have long been unhappy about the reluctance to carry out a lose pass operation and in 2019, Dundee councillors called for police to tackle dangerous overtaking. Police again refused.
Chief Superintendent Todd claimed: “There aren’t drivers driving close enough to cause the cyclists to have an accident.”
Todd went on to say that targeting cyclists – such as those running red lights – would have more benefit than targeting drivers “that aren’t causing any accidents.”
Now – finally! – The Courier reports Operation Close Pass is set to be introduced in Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus.
Neil Lumsden, Police Scotland’s north road policing area commander explained: “Since lockdown we have seen a modal shift towards more active travel. This includes an increase in the number of people using our roads for cycling.
“As part of our response to this change, road policing officers across the north will be conducting Operation Close Pass checks in areas including Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus.
“This preventative approach allows for positive engagement and an opportunity to educate and increase driver awareness about the need to give cyclists plenty of space.”
Pop-up lane on Manchester’s A56 will probably be removed when the schools go back
Technically it’s just a ‘review’ in August, but Trafford council has recently been strongly emphasising that the A56 cycle lanes were always intended to be temporary and they have of course already removed a huge great stretch following complaints from motorists.
A Trafford council spokesperson told the MEN: “We took the bold decision to create a temporary cycle lane on the A56 in line with government advice on social distancing and the restricted use of public transport, and made it clear we would keep this under review.
“While we are constantly monitoring the situation it makes sense for the next major review of the temporary cycle lane to take place at the end of the summer when more people will be returning to work following the easing of lockdown and all children are scheduled to be back in school.
“It will be at that time that decisions will be taken as to the future of this temporary cycle lane which will take into account traffic data and a wide range of views and we are not going to prejudge those decisions at this stage.”
The reduction-in-frustration windfall
Following on from this morning’s story about the Scottish Government assigning a value to ‘removing driver frustration’ when costing a road building project.
Video: Awful cycle lane in Kingston
Right @RBKingston that’s it, you had your chance. I was sceptical but I thought I’ll give it a go, keep an open mind. But no. I will never use the cycle lane on London road again. Never. I hope this short video helps explain. Watch till the end. @KingstonCycling any thoughts? pic.twitter.com/MPUtLmYFkk
— Commuting on my bike (@chausseedeforme) July 6, 2020
Massive bike theft from bike hub at Frimley Lodge Park in Surrey
Frimley Bike Hub, a hire centre set in Frimley Lodge Park in Surrey, has had almost all of its bikes stolen.
Thieves broke in between Sunday evening and Monday morning, taking about £20,000 worth of bikes, many of which have barely been used.
Indian driver said he’d take cyclist he hit to hospital but instead dumped him in the road to die
This is one of the grimmest road traffic collision stories we’ve seen.
The Tribune reports that on February 20, 2004, Kamaljit Singh drove into a cyclist in Chandigarh in the north of India.
When a crowd gathered, he put the injured man in his car and said he’d take him to a hospital. However, he instead threw him in the road elsewhere in the city, where he was found dead two days later.
A police officer saw the collision and said Singh had been driving “in a rash and negligent manner.”
This week a court ruled that he had committed culpable homicide not amounting to murder without an intention to cause death but with the knowledge that it was likely to cause death and sentenced him to two years in prison.
It’s not entirely clear what happened in the intervening years beyond a reference to his having “evaded arrest.”
Cyclists: Stay awesome
We spotted this on our walk yesterday. What a lovely message.
I like to wear ‘normal’ clothes on my bike but I could be tempted to get a bib saying ‘drivers stay awesome’ on the back if it helps spread the love. Or just simply ‘people stay awesome’? ❤️We are all people afterall pic.twitter.com/oB7PiXqy7X— Eve Holt (@evefrancisholt) July 6, 2020
Great stickers.
How are the UK’s pop-up bike lanes being received?
We’re acutely aware that we’re hearing a lot more about the bad ones than the good ones.
Like this one, for example.
It would be good to hear a few more success stories.
Today's Paris video
When she was campaigning for reelection, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo promised a bike lane on every street in the French capital.
During lockdown, she called for the building of 400 miles of “corona cycleways” to help people get around without using public transport.
Videos of the transformation have been cropping up frequently on social media.
Here’s another.
Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 7 juillet 2020 à 8h45. pic.twitter.com/mCxWm8t1JX
— Brice Perrin (@briceperrin) July 7, 2020
Man angry about imaginary cycle lane
That’s the westbound carriageway there, where no cycle lanes have yet been installed. Those roadworks are related to a new pedestrian crossing, not cycling. Here’s an ambulance using the new eastbound cyle lane yesterday. pic.twitter.com/YTk0JYxr2H
— Will Bradley (@W_Bradley) July 7, 2020
Yes it is, but it’s the angle where a cycle lane has been built. Your photo doesn’t have a cycle lane in.
— Will Bradley (@W_Bradley) July 7, 2020
Brave Twitter user offers Brian Moore cycling advice
Back when he played rugby union for England, Brian Moore’s nickname was Pitbull.
He has maintained his reputation since he retired.
Some good advice in this thread but the thing that will help the most is losing weight
— Oliver Tobias (@OllyTobias) July 7, 2020
2020 Tour de France sticker album
Last year Panini did a Tour de France sticker album to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the maillot jaune.
Presumably it went well because they’re doing another this year.
Pour patienter jusqu'au 29 août, la collection officielle @Panini_fr est disponible dès aujourd'hui 😍
Coureurs, parcours, villes, cols, points bonus, maillots … Tout est réuni dans une collection de 384 stickers et 44 cartes pour suivre le #TDF2020
➡️ https://t.co/orHbleR2EO pic.twitter.com/jUZxmNzqNr
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 6, 2020
Bike Bath Sportive replaced by Bike Bath 2020 Medal Rides
Due to restrictions around Covid-19, the 9th Bike Bath sportive, which was originally scheduled for July 5, is being replaced by the Bike Bath 2020 Medal Rides.
Seventeen routes are available, covering short, medium, long or extra-long distances across Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire – with the option to start at any point on the route.
Riders will receive route details following registration and can navigate via the new Iconic Events App. They will also receive route notes including local highlights and indications of facilities such as rest rooms, shops, and refreshment opportunities for each route.
Event Manager at Iconic Cycling Events, Jacko Jackson, said that while they were disappointed not to be able to deliver Bike Bath this year, they’d really enjoyed looking back at past routes and adapting them for this year’s Medal Rides.
“We have outlined a three-month window for riders to complete their chosen Bike Bath Medal Rides to ensure that multiple groups of riders will not to be out on the roads at the same time, but we do hope the rides can play a significant role in attracting visitors to the region’s fantastic shops, pubs and cafes this summer.
“Riders will be encouraged to tour Bath at their own pace and make small detours to visit local towns such as Devizes, Tetbury, Stroud and Frome and take in historic landmarks. With this in mind, if you run a café, shop or pub that you’d be keen to advertise is open to our community of cyclists, do get in touch.”
Riders will have the option to celebrate their ride by signing up for a 2020 medal or one from the year of the chosen route – allowing many Bike Bath regular riders to complete their collection.
The Medal Rides will run until September 30.
IPSO dismisses complaints about misleading photos of cyclists during lockdown
Press watchdog the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has dismissed complaints about misleading photographs of cyclists during the coronavirus lockdown.
Images were published in the Mail Online and the Mirror that appeared to show groups of cyclists huddled closely together in London’s Regent’s Park.
The newspapers suggested cyclists were flouting strict social distancing rules, but the photos were taken with a long lens that foreshortens the shot and gives a false impression of proximity.
The Times then did the same with photos of cyclists on Box Hill.
Excellent use of a telephoto lens by @thetimes, misleading image and reporting.
How about a photo of the 6 superbike riders at the top of the hill in conversation about how they don’t care about the rules because they can outrun police?Thx @_D415Y_ for the other perspective pic.twitter.com/ZgznnJrLNT
— Francis Cade (@Francis_Cade) April 6, 2020
Cycling UK lodged a complaint, but IPSO responded to say it wouldn’t investigate as the complaint did not fall into an area covered by the editor’s code of practice.
A subsequent appeal against that decision was also dismissed.
Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, Duncan Dollimore said: “That left us with no option but to write directly to IPSO’s chief executive to express our frustration that supposedly reputable national newspapers can get away with using misleading, inaccurate and potentially damaging images without fear of censure.
“We’ve seen many more people riding bikes since the lockdown which demonstrates there is a clear appetite for people to cycle more given the right environment of safer roads, less traffic and better infrastructure.
“What we don’t want to see is national newspapers demonising people on bikes and making it wrongly appear as if they are somehow acting above the law.
“It’s clear there’s been a manifest failure by IPSO to even consider the evidence and merits of the complaint made, let alone undertake a proper investigation.”
Last month IPSO also rejected complaints about a Rod Liddle column in The Sunday Times where he wrote that he found it “tempting” to “tie piano wire at neck height across the road” to target cyclists.
The regulator said that the article did not infringe the Editors’ Code of Practice.
7 July 2020, 08:28
This country lane is super narrow. But is the driver slowing down? Even slightly?
Near Miss of the Day 437: Van driver speeds along narrow country lane straight at cyclist (includes swearing)
Our regular series featuring close passes from around the country - today it's Hampshire
7 July 2020, 08:28
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Latest Comments
@chrisonabike It'll get a lot more unfit if we don't change our ways. This vote was nothing more than councillors worrying about losing votes. We need to change our ways urgently, for the sake of our health and our survival as well as for economic reasons. In short, the UK needs some tough love. Burnham needs to have the moral courage to force local authorities to make these changes in the same way as the Dutch did in 1973. The then Dutch PM's words are still relevant today:- "The world from before the oil crisis will not return. We will have to adjust to a permanent shift in our way of life and our economic management." We need to change, like it or not.
@60somethingcyclist yes, and a fair amount of that is 3 miles or less, and there are even lots of "one mile or under". But... with any aging and increasingly unfit (in many ways) population 3 miles there and then back seems a big deal. Particularly since the mental model is still "drive or walk" for most. Of course use of "cycles" helps ameliorate several of these issues. But it's a change not only in thought but in "how society works" (where you're expected to get to, carrying what) AND usually the built environment (with high- value items like those shops, schools and hospitals we've increasingly centralised.
@Destroyer666 Silca occupy the super-premium market. Muc-Off, while upmarket, is definitely lower tier. Yes, chemical engineering and R&D are expensive. Still, Muc-Off products simply are not that good compared to many other brands, hence my BS comment earlier.
If you go check the prices for similar stuff made by what I consider the number one in this field, Silca, Muc-Off's is notably cheaper. And you get a brush. Cheap these cleaners still are not But either we are getting ripped off by more companies than just Muc-Off, or the chemicals, research, etc that factor in making these things actually cost more than many seem to understand.
I really wonder how a company as bullshit-loaded as Muc-Off has made it into the mainstream.
"wider pavements" Motorists never complain about wider pavements, do they? smh
trying to sell an expensive product to do an unnecessary thing......cleaning a chain of factory lubricant, fine.....between waxing completely unnecessary...misleading product name, jumping on waxing now its gone more mainstream
Twenty-two quid? Thank heavens it also cleans oil based lubricants!
@froze "Really better wheels are only really necessary if you’re doing some sort of competition riding, otherwise who cares if you save a few watts?" It's also helped me re-kindle a bit of joy and expectation in outdoor riding - my local rides were getting stale, and I was Zwifting more often than going out; new wheels has given me a new reason to go out and ride my loops... a new bike would do the same, but cost a lot more! "The more important thing for just daily riding is whether the wheels can hold up to pounding on the streets, hitting potholes, cracked streets, surviving long rides on chip and seal etc, which is why I don’t have any race type of wheels." I chose the "all-road" variety for just this reason; along with no maximum weight limit - I'm a little over 100kg plus cheap (ie, relatively heavy) bike. Race wheels they are not. Noticeably better than the alloy ones that came on my bike? Yes. "People who don’t race need to use some common sense and not try to impress some wealthy lawyer or engineer riding buddy, save your money and pay off debts instead…I know, that’s not fun, but it is wise." No mortgage, no credit card balance, savings growing, pension up-to-date, car bought/owned outright, phone bought/owned outright, etc etc And I pretty much always ride on my own - the only person who sees my bike regularly is my wife and she cares less than zero about it! A good idea to find out about your audience before dispensing advice ;) I do try to avoid buying unnamed Chinese stuff though, for absolutely all the reasons you've listed, plus environmental concerns and worker H&S/rights/etc concerns, too.
You get seal where you are? You don't know you're born!
26 thoughts on “Complaints about misleading newspaper photos of cyclists during lockdown dismissed; Man angry about imaginary cycle lane; The value of ‘removing driver frustration’; Tayside Police (finally!) trial close pass scheme + more”
I thought you couldn’t make
I thought you couldn’t make this up, but apparently you can. So exactly where do they expect drivers to spend this windfall of being less frustrated?
On board games, obviously
On board games, obviously
That board game is known as
That board game is known as Trouble here in Australia. I’m going to suggest they make a travel version, they can call it Car Trouble
if you get frustrated while
if you get frustrated while driving, stop driving. If you need to drive, then learn to calm down and realise your mode of transportation isn’t the prime choice any more, so expect to be going ever more slowly.
It’s only money – I mean we
It’s only money – I mean we can’t have driver frustration can we?
Driver Frustration: £430m
slightly irritated £272 m
a bit cross now £460 m
twitchey £130m
A pop-up cycle lane in
“A pop-up cycle lane in Reigate that was installed at the weekend has been removed following pressure from the Surrey town’s Tory MP.
Crispin Blunt said…”
Sometimes punchlines just write themselves.
” Trafford council has
” Trafford council has recently been strongly emphasising that the A56 cycle lanes were always intended to be temporary”
So they were always going to be a short-term measure, a token effort.
Well f**k you Trafford council, it’s now clear that you simply don’t give a shit about the safety of people who don’t drive (when 25% of all households in UK don’t own a car). That’s dereliction of duty in my book.
I thought the idea of pop-up
I thought the idea of pop-up lanes was that they were a quick and cheap proof of concept – with the intention that those that worked would be be engineered permanently. Clearly the streets were not going to be garlanded in garish plastic lane dividers for ever.
The notion that they were always intended to be a temporary measure with no possible future in mind makes no sense at all. Why even bother for a few weeks if that is all they ever will or can be?
Sriracha wrote:
Precisely!
Personally I’m all for the
Personally I’m all for the dualling of the A9. It’s the main trunk road to a huge part of Scotland, they ought to make it fit for purpose.
Yes it’s ridiculous that they’ve managed to come up with a £ figure for driver frustration but trust me, there is plenty of frustration on that road! I’m hoping if they do dual it the whole way, it’ll reduce the amount of crashes due to drivers making risky overtakes because they’ve been stuck behind a slow lorry for 50 miles.
Well if you can find an
Well if you can find an example of that ever happening as the result of dualling a road…I’d be surprised.
I don’t have time to properly
I don’t have time to properly research into it, but question 3 here: http://a9road.info/resources/faqs/
“In the 5 years to 2012, over 40% of deaths on single carriageway sections of the A9 involved overtaking”
It’s not too big a jump to suggest that having another lane to allow overtaking will reduce those accidents.
But deaths on the A9 have
But deaths on the A9 have fallen massively since (a) average speed cameras were introduced, and (b) HGVs were allowed to travel at 50mph on the single carriageway sections.
I’d bet on deaths rising again after dualling if the average speed cameras aren’t retained to keep the numpties in check.
Yes, probably. I don’t
Yes, probably. I don’t understand why they’re taking them out again, seems like a waste of money to install them all only to remove them again.
Unless the cameras are not so capable of handling vehicles changing lanes as they try to suggest.
Have you ever driven on the
Have you ever driven on the A9? It definitely needs dualed.
Did some idle sums:
Did some idle sums:
Re the Tayside police : I’ve done some idle sums and a Nissan Micra, which weighs a bit over 1 tonne, driven at 30 mph has considerably more kinetic energy than a full magazine fired from an AK47. Tell the police that ‘Someone missed me by 6 inches’ and I’m thinking you’d get a different response from the police in each case.
“Cycling UK (link is external
“Cycling UK lodged a complaint, but IPSO responded to say it wouldn’t investigate as the complaint did not fall into an area covered by the editor’s code of practice.”
That would be the code of practice written by the newspapers themselves would it? I for one, am astonished that it doesn’t cover misleading, inaccurate and potentially damaging images.
Media regulation in this country is still a joke, after all the deliberately manipulated stories and downright lies, things haven’t really changed. They can still lie, cheat, misinform, make up quotes, lie by comission and omission and publish deliberately misleading pictures. If they were made to be honest, many of them wouldn’t publish anything.
Well done CUK for trying.
I’m afraid the Scottish
I’m afraid the Scottish government’s use of dodgy financial analysis of a road widening scheme is hardly unique. If the cost:benefit analysis was done fairly, and included all the costs, very, very few roads would ever get built again, but the system is geared to making alternatives, especially active travel, the least financially appealing option. For instance, rail schemes count the travel time as wasted for business people, so faster trains look economically beneficial, but as we all know, everyone conducts business on a train, so the analysis is false.
It always used to be that the value of a driver’s time was greater than that of a pedestrian or cyclist, but I’m not sure if that is still true. What is true that active travel schemes have vastly better cost:benefit ratios than any road scheme, so a logical government would be doing all those first, before they even looked at road schemes, but as we all know, even with the current government’s £2bn for active travel, they will still be spending fifty times as much on roads.
Excellent analysis of some recent road schemes here, showing that most of the predicted benefits weren’t realised, the enviromental costs were higher than predicted and motor vehicle travel became more entrenched. https://www.cpre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TfQLZ-ZTheZImpactZofZRoadZProjectsZinZEnglandZ2017.pdf
Reigate bike lane – I hate to
Reigate bike lane – I hate to fall on the side of the car driver (and even more a Tory MP), but I can see their point. Just on from where the video ends the road bends round to the right, the fenced off left side goes on towards Dorking and following round to the right is a level crossing with the slowest moving trains ever as it is right next to the station.
Having commuted between Redhill and Dorking for a number of years I know that when the barriers go down the traffic backs up round that corner and the right hand lane will be stationary. The only thing that keeps traffic moving is that it can filter off towards Dorking. If the left lane is taken out then I can imagine the standstill traffic will get back to Redhill once ‘normal’ is resumed (as was the case when there were roadworks where the cycle lane is).
I’m 100% all for segregated cycleways, but that just isn’t practical. It’ll increase pollution through Reigate as cars are stationary and will hugely stress drivers who will then take it out on any cyclists they see further on. They will see it as the only reason they’re now 20 minutes later than they should be is due to this bike lane.
The stock answer to the
The stock answer to the perception of more stationary cars because of a cycle lane should always be ” well get a bike then and use the lane”
Also if they cannot reduce
Also if they cannot reduce car-usage, and do still need to drive….then at least when they’re stationary, they can all simply turn their engines off. Then they won’t be a cause of increased pollution at all. Hope we don’t keep hearing these same arguments that they have no other choice than to make the planet a worse place.
I like the Edinburgh
I like the Edinburgh animation.
It’s nice to be able to see something positive onece in a while.
Re:Angry Man and Ambulance.
Re:Angry Man and Ambulance.
Not only was he showing the non cycling side but he states he is watching the camera all the time and is not seeing any cyclists. What does he do being as he can literally watch multiple traffic camera all day? Does he suddenly expect a queue of cyclists equivalent to the cars? We have had a Blunt and now an ass today.
He just hates people who use
He just hates people who use cycles. Unfortunately there are a lot of them about. He will find any ‘evidence’, however spurious and inaccurate to blame cycles for any perceived problems, ‘threats’ or failings. The EU used to play a similar role in the mindset of the ignorant.
What’s the problem with the
What’s the problem with the Kingston cycle lane? Looks like a good piece of infra, unfortunately it would be impractical to build bridges or tunnels every time a cycle lane crosses a road so sometimes we have to ride over them. Riding straight across without stopping and checking when an approaching car is intending to turn and is signalling its intentions is the fault of the cyclist, not the lane. The cyclist would probably argue it was his right of way but actually the car has already begun its turn before he begins crossing the road. If the van (incorrectly) crossing the stop line “made me nervous”, why didn’t you slow down, stop if necessary, and check in all directions instead of ploughing straight on through the crossing into the path of an oncoming vehicle? Sorry mate, this one’s on you.
These lanes in Kingston are
These lanes in Kingston are not cycle lanes. Weaving in and out, moving on anmd off footpaths, dodging confused/angry pedestrians, etc, etc. They really are shit. There’s some very good cycling infrastructure in Kingston, like the segregated riverside lane on Portsmouth Road and the clever bits of salmoning near the station, but that stretch of London Road and Surbiton Road are poor and seem to fulfil a brief of “just get the bikes off the road”.
You are more obvious (safer in my book) on the road itself on those sections.