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Derby cyclists strip off to protest scrapping of bus and cycle lane

Council claims that creating a second lane for cars on Friargate will reduce vehicle emissions

Cyclists in Derby yesterday stripped down to their underwear in protest at plans to remove a bus and cycle lane on the East Midlands city’s Friargate and replace it with a lane for cars – publicising the event with a #strippingawayyoursafety hashtag on social media.

Members of the Derby Cycling Group braved temperatures of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) in the protest which took place between 11am and 12 Noon yesterday and concluded outside the headquarters of Derby City Council, which has claimed that the changes will help reduce vehicle emissions.

They were joined by Chris Williamson, the Labour MP for Derby North, who posted pictures of the protest to Twitter. Some 50 people attended, though not all of them stripped off.

Attended a really excellent protest Derby this morning organised by @DerbyCycling & Friends of Friar Gate to call on Derby City Council to halt plans to remove Friar Gate's cycle lane, which would worsen air quality and reduce safety for cyclists.
STOP #strippingawayoursafety pic.twitter.com/v8PxR6MP6G

— Chris Williamson MP #GTTO (@DerbyChrisW) February 16, 2019

In a blog post earlier this month publicising the protest, Derby Cycling Group said: “Derby City Council are planning on degrading and removing cycling infrastructure on Friargate between Brick St and Bridge St.

“The plans will see the removal of a bus/ cycle lane to create space for two lanes of cars.

“The plans will increase the number of cars, increase pollution and increase the danger to road cyclists.”

Tony Roelich, the organisation’s acting chair, told BBC News yesterday: “This is something we have never done before – usually we talk to council officers and councillors and try to get better infrastructure.

“But in this case the situation is quite serious. We don't see any reason why it needs to be done.”

He added: “The protest is symbolic of the stripping away of cyclists' safety and shows how vulnerable riders are.”

Derby City Council has held two consultations into the proposed changes, and cabinet member for leadership, regeneration and public protection, Matthew Holmes, said: “There are often competing needs and views expressed in the city from residents, groups and businesses.

“Where concerns cannot be specifically addressed through the refinement of the preferred option, further consideration is being given to other funding sources to address the issues,” he added.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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10 comments

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antigee | 5 years ago
0 likes

presumably we will hit a tipping point with more and more electric cars and reduced emissions will mean more and more road space being dedicated to cycling ?

Avatar
massive4x4 | 5 years ago
1 like

As someone who cycles through that junction every day:

What they are proposing is removing a 50m long bus lane which cyclists can use. Cars must turn left, buses and bikes may go straight ahead.

https://goo.gl/maps/s87hEAGSVf52

This will allow cars to go through a set of lights in two lanes instead of the current single lane. This will then increase capacity on a junction further up the road as at the moment cars tail back from these lights.

The impact on cyclists will be ~0, if you are coming down Ashbourne Road and intend to go straight on you will need to filter into the outside lane as you currently do but you will be sharing it with the same cars you are already sharing it with for the previous 1 mile.

Cars shouldn't be able to overtake you before you come to the double lane section because of the traffic islands ahead of it.

The only difference will be when the traffic is stationary where instead of going past it in the bus lane you will have to go up the middle, however given British drivers propensity to avoid "pushing in" most will occupy the inner lane anyway.

Until the A52 is by-passed from Ashbourne Road it will always be horrible to cycle down, but of course how do we all feel about road building........

 

Avatar
iandusud | 5 years ago
1 like

Quote "...Derby City Council, which has claimed that the changes will help reduce vehicle emissions."

Who are they trying to fool? Since when did encouraging car usage reduce vehicle emissions? That statement is so disingenuous. How do we allow people like this to govern us? 

Avatar
kingleo replied to iandusud | 5 years ago
1 like

Quote "...Derby City Council, which has claimed that the changes will help reduce vehicle emissions."

Who are they trying to fool? Since when did encouraging car usage reduce vehicle emissions? That statement is so disingenuous. How do we allow people like this to govern us? 

Research in New Zealand showed that pollution is reduced by cycle lanes.

Avatar
matthewn5 replied to kingleo | 5 years ago
0 likes
kingleo wrote:
iandusud wrote:

Quote "...Derby City Council, which has claimed that the changes will help reduce vehicle emissions."

Who are they trying to fool? Since when did encouraging car usage reduce vehicle emissions? That statement is so disingenuous. How do we allow people like this to govern us? 

Research in New Zealand showed that pollution is reduced by cycle lanes.

Pollution was reduced on Lower Thames Street in London after the East West Cycleway was built, too.

And air pollution was much lower on the day of Ride London when all sorts of roads were completely closed.

Avatar
Dropped | 5 years ago
3 likes

Surely the perfect opportunity to debunk the bike lanes cause pollution fallacy: multiple roadside air sampling checks through out the day for seven days prior to conversion of the bike lane, followed by same protocol 2 to 3 months after conversion complete. Compare and contrast!

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burtthebike | 5 years ago
2 likes

Matthew Holmes, said: “There are often competing needs and views expressed in the city from residents, groups and businesses.

“Where concerns cannot be specifically addressed through the refinement of the preferred option, further consideration is being given to other funding sources to address the issues,” he added.

But the competing views of the environment and the planet can go and........

Further consideration of other funding sources=when hell freezes over.

I'll bet that they Hull transport policy, congestion policy, pollution policy, health policy and climate change policy are all totally against this decision, but hey, policies are only decorative, there to fill otherwise empty shelves.

Avatar
Jetmans Dad replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
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burtthebike wrote:

I'll bet that they Hull transport policy, congestion policy, pollution policy, health policy and climate change policy are all totally against this decision, but hey, policies are only decorative, there to fill otherwise empty shelves.

Hull?

Avatar
burtthebike replied to Jetmans Dad | 5 years ago
0 likes
Jetmans Dad wrote:
burtthebike wrote:

I'll bet that they Hull transport policy, congestion policy, pollution policy, health policy and climate change policy are all totally against this decision, but hey, policies are only decorative, there to fill otherwise empty shelves.

Hull?

Brainfade caused by manflu.  Sorry Hull, sorry Derby.

Avatar
mike the bike | 5 years ago
20 likes

 

As somebody said, "Making more lanes for cars is like loosening your belt to cure obesity."

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