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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

Your midweek live blog will mostly be compiled by Jack Sexty, with some contributions from Simon MacMichael later this evening
24 June 2020, 14:45
Extinction Rebellion Manchester video reveals pop-up lane was installed in just 20 minutes

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, 14:09
Harrogate resident complains about "motorists becoming alienated"... after admitting to living within six miles of town centre
Bikes in Harrogate (licensed on Flickr under CC BY 2.0 by Tejvan Pettinger)

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.

24 June 2020, 13:30
Trafford Council remove yet another pop-up cycle lane on A56

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. 

24 June 2020, 13:03
24 June 2020, 14:07
Fully internally cabled, Italian steel bike porno anyone?
24 June 2020, 12:48
Elderly driver with failing eyesight admits killing cyclist
edinburgh high court.PNG

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. 

 

24 June 2020, 12:18
Cyclist missing for ten days found 'safe and well'

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. 

24 June 2020, 12:08
Driver admits to killing cyclist in Gwent
Justice (Lonpicman, Wikimedia Commons)

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. 

24 June 2020, 12:00
Cyclist gearing up for 16 hour litter pick across the Peak District
peak district sponsored litter pick - via Alex Waddington.PNG

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.

24 June 2020, 11:52
Scottish cyclists still advised to stay within 5 miles from home as guidance is updated
20190428-Scotland-Inverness-110113.jpg

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. 

24 June 2020, 11:41
Grant Shapps responds to calls for adults to have access to Bikeability

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. 

24 June 2020, 11:04
Extinction Rebellion Manchester says council's inaction on cycle lanes is "perverse"
extinction rebellion pop-up lane manchester 2 - via xr manchester.PNG

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."

24 June 2020, 08:34
Extinction Rebellion step in to link up Manchester pop-up cycle route

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. 

24 June 2020, 08:54
The Segway to Heaven: divisive personal transporter to cease production after 19 years
segway riders pittsburgh - wiki commons

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.  

24 June 2020, 08:14
JD Sports reacquires Go Outdoors just hours after putting it into administration
Go Outdoors

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."

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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19 comments

Avatar
zero_trooper | 3 years ago
6 likes

When Trafford Council say 'traffic', they obvs mean motor traffic and respond accordingly indecision

Avatar
HarrogateSpa | 3 years ago
7 likes

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.

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to HarrogateSpa | 3 years ago
2 likes

HarrogateSpa wrote:

Harrogate: we've already had the debate about bike lanes & pedestrianisation, and the answer was (77% of 15,500 respondents) YES (see article here).

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.

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HarrogateSpa replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
2 likes

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.

Avatar
eburtthebike | 3 years ago
5 likes

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.

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LetsBePartOfThe... replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
2 likes

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. 

 

Avatar
brooksby | 3 years ago
2 likes

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."

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BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
3 likes

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.

Avatar
geomannie 531 | 3 years ago
10 likes

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?

Avatar
eburtthebike replied to geomannie 531 | 3 years ago
6 likes

geomannie 531 wrote:

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?

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.

Avatar
Hirsute replied to geomannie 531 | 3 years ago
1 like

There is Cassie's law https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-33674219

but I agree prison should be considered.

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eburtthebike replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
5 likes

hirsute wrote:

There is Cassie's law https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-33674219

but I agree prison should be considered.

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.

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essexian replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
2 likes

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)

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OldRidgeback | 3 years ago
0 likes

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.

Avatar
mdavidford | 3 years ago
7 likes

Quote:

JD Sports reacquires Go Outdoors just days after putting it into administration

How is that allowed to be a thing? Can I put my house into administration, and then 'reacquire' it without the mortgage?

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nlt_1840 replied to mdavidford | 3 years ago
7 likes

In other news, JD Sports' accountants given lifetime membership of The Magic Circle

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brooksby | 3 years ago
0 likes

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?

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Sriracha replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
0 likes

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.

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fukawitribe replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

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.

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