A city unfit for cycling

A city unfit for Cyclists Pt 2


Support The Times's campaign for Cities fit for cycling
http://thetim.es/xsQgeH
At the morning rush London cyclists - and motorists - illustrate what cycling with overcrowded streets and minimal infrastructure means. This may illustrate the benefits of sharing (even white van man shows commendable restraint) but it is unacceptably dangerous and puts a lot of people off cycling. The film comprises clips of cyclists and cars as they move off from the lights westwards across the junction of Grays Inn Road and Theobalds Road. Watch this and compare with
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DMDo9Kmcbk
on commuter cycling in Copenhagen.Boris you've got to try harder! Jan Gehl, we need you! The film comprises clips of cyclists and cars as they move eastwards across the junction of Grays Inn Road and Theobalds Road. Behind the camera is a fork to the right onto Rosebery Avenue so that cars frequently have to move across the path of cyclists.

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In November, Times journalist Mary Bowers was just yards from arriving at work on her bike when she was hit by a lorry. Mary, 27, is still not conscious and is making a slow recovery in hospital.

Tragically, such an accident is far from rare. More than 27,000 cyclists have been killed or seriously injured on British streets in the past 10 years.

On the urban roads of Britain today cyclists need to be fit for cities. Cycling should be both safe and pleasurable. Ministers, mayors and local authorities must build cities that are fit for cycling.

The Times has launched a public campaign and 8-point manifesto calling for cities to be made fit for cyclists:

Lorries entering a city centre should be required by law to fit sensors, audible turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists being thrown under the wheels.
The 500 most dangerous road junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors that allow lorry drivers to see cyclists on their near-side.
A national audit of cycling to find out how many people cycle in Britain and how cyclists are killed or injured should be held to underpin effective cycle safety.
Two per cent of the Highways Agency budget should be earmarked for next generation cycle routes, providing £100 million a year towards world-class cycling infrastructure. Each year cities should be graded on the quality of cycling provision.
The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.
20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.
Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.
Every city, even those without an elected mayor, should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.


http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/contact/
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Give cyclists a head-start at traffic lights’
Rhoda Buchanan and Kaya Burgess
Last updated February 10 2012 12:01AM

Cyclists would have a five-second head-start on other traffic at dangerous junctions and all cycle lanes would be reviewed for safety if Ken Livingstone is re-elected as Mayor of London. Mr Livingstone made his pledge as the Times campaign for safer cycling amassed a total of 25,000 written pledges of support, and more than 1,300 letters were written to MPs urging them to…


http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/