An end of term report for Local Government for their bikeyness. Well why not?

What follows whist rather tongue in cheek is also pretty accurate...

Andrew Jones Incumbent Tory Mp.

Andrew Jones has generally been helpful. He has always responded to letters from cycle activists and has tried to use what leverage he has to get North Yorkshire Council engaging with Harrogate Cycle Action once more. He has limited effect on local transport planning but he seems to be generally supportive of cycling initiatives and has championed the Tour De France.

Score 8/10 Seems to be working well for his constituents.

County Councillors

Conservatives

Variable results here, a few Conservative  councillors have engaged with Cycle Harrogate and also some Tory County Councillors have been helpful over the Nidderdale Greenway. It would be fair to say though that when I and others have lobbied for a Cycle Officer at area meeting we were was met by fairly overwhelming indifference from mostly middle aged white men who didn't look like they had ridden a bike to the meeting. Mind you if that is what Harrogate elects that's hardly their fault. I have also had a few positive conversations with a few councillors who do seem at least interested in advancing a bike riding agenda in Harrogate

Score 5/10 Some promise but could do better.

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal democrats who also have serving Local Councillors seem to be indifferent to cycling and attempts to lobby them or work with them are either fobbed off or ignored.

Score 1/10 You are letting yourself and your party down.

Labour

A tad unfair really as they have little actual power but I have had a few online dealing with them. Unfortunately whilst they seem keen, nothing ever materialised. I asked for feedback on some questions nothing happened. I was due to speak at a Labour club meeting which they initiated, nothing happened

Score 1/10 Needs to work toward their target or will continue to under perform

North Yorkshire County Council

Some positives. I am told they were supportive over the Nidderdale Greenway and there does seem to be evidence of some local junctions being re-lined in a way that will help cyclists and they recently undertook work on the Beryl Burton Cycle way. They have supported the Tour De France bid.

More negatively since NYCC took control of Harrogate's road cycling infrastructure investment has fragmented and apparently stalled. They have removed the forum for consulting with cyclists. They  have had a complaint about their internal processes upheld. They have refused to appoint a cycling officer. They seem to lack a plan when it comes to spending the LSTF funding. They also have no plan to develop cycle infrastructure and their idea of promoting cycling currently involves handing out puncture repair kits.

Score 4/10 Must do better you have much influence locally and others would follow your lead

Harrogate Borough Council

Harrogate Borough Council are now doing some of the things that are helping make Harrogate a bike town. They have officers in place to both encourage people to ride bikes and get tham trained if they don't know how. They are working with local employers to try and get more people commuting. They have people on the ground making sure the tour De France is delivered and leaves a legacy. Much of the bike infrastructure of Harrogate is down to Harrogate Borough Councils work in the past and they did employ cycling officers.

Score 8/10 good work you are a pleasure to have working for us.

The vision thing - a cycle manifesto for Harrogate

Its getting on for a year since Cycle Harrogate spluttered into the world rolling slowly forward. Its time to try and put some structure into what has been a fairly scattergun campaign to improve the lot of bike riders in our town.

We have had some small victories we have made some difference but nobody would claim this is now an easy place to ride a bike.

Things I know now

1. I have learned a lot about how local government works or sometimes doesn't work in Harrogate. 
2. There is a much bigger demand for cycle infrastructure in Harrogate than the County Council believes at the moment, this demand is being limited by poor car-centric transport planning.
3. People who ride bikes, also drive cars and walk too, there has been too much tribalism in transport planning. 

Things we need

Better signage and "named" cycle routes

The cycle network in Harrogate is actually not too bad in places. Trouble is it is poorly signed, there is no map and there is a huge opportunity for a design led solution and a marketing campaign. This is supposed to be happening now under the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. Money is in place it should be being spent as I write. I am concerned that money isn't being spent due to inertia from North Yorkshire County Council. I have a freedom of information request pending at the moment trying to work out what is happening, as talk is cheap. I am worried as has happened before, that the money won't be spent and could be clawed back by central government.

Provision for commuters on main routes

So far, few if any of the main arterial routes into Harrogate from the edges, do anything significant to make life easier for cyclists. There is no traffic separation, there are few cycle lanes and the needs of cars and HGV's are put before the needs of bikes. This is a big problem and as the heavily congested Knaresborough Road demonstrates you don't fix congestion by making life easier for cars and lorries.

Always consider cyclists when you are changing things

The number of times I have seen works on roads being carried out where for the cost of some paint a more bike friendly junction could have been made, and nothing has been done is beyond counting. We need an undertaking that when any work is carried out on Harrogate's roads the scheme considers how cyclists could be better catered for. Oh and then actually do something.

A cycling officer. 
If money exists and isn't being spent and the needs of bike riders aren't being considered within the Transport Department. It is because nobody needs to think about these things. Local government will continue to fail cyclists until there is an officer within North Yorkshire County Council that is paid to make bike riders lives easier.

More engagement from Councillors on cycle policy
Many Councillors claims that they support cycling but when you get down to specifics and ask questions you get very general answers. I believe money isn't the problem here, but political will. I need to see promises turning in to action. There is big demand for better cycle infrastructure in Harrogate and with a Tour De France coming I want to see changes to the roads of our town rather than warm words. Or we risk looking like we are just in it for our 48 hours in the world's spotlight.

Tell your Story

Howies are a Welsh based clothing company. Last week they made some new cycling stuff  and someone on twitter asked what I thought of it. Not that much I said.

It just looked un-remarkable. Five minutes later Howies are on twitter defending their product pointing out the unique features in their products, conducting a damage limitation exercise on social media. They were right their new tops are seamless (literally), good spec, some reflectiveness and some high quality zips and pockets on them. Thing is I had made my mind up after a quick look as people do and they had missed their chance to tell me all about it, they didn't grab my attention, they didn't tell their story.

Now Howies used to be owned by a man called David Hieatt a former advertising copyrighter turned clothing maker, part time environmental campaigner and a host of other good ideas all rolled up into a brand. He could tell a story. His story's were sometime better than his clothes. He could explain why a product was better for the planet and better for you. He got you thinking. I often used to browse their site for ideas rather than clothes.

One of the reasons cycle Harrogate exists is because of David Hieatt. He is a big one for just doing things, for getting on and ignoring all the negativity the word throws at us. I like his phrase "Done is better than perfect".  Somebody needed to really try and get Harrogate cycling, it might as well be me.

So excuse my often shocking grammar, my poorly constructed sentences and my occasional boring posts. I'm going to keep trying to tell the story of why cycling is so important for us all as a way of getting around. I will whinge on about why we need local government to do more to make it easier for people to ride their bikes, because if I don't maybe nobody else will.

I won't be buying a Howies cycling top, I cycle around in everyday clothes for the most part, I'm fat and forty I would look pretty scary in stretch clothing and my children would laugh or cry. If your looking for a decent cycling top though, you could do worse than look at the Howies ones. They have some interesting features below the surface. Oh and if you ever want a pair of jeans, David Hieatt is running a company making world beating jeans now and he doesn't tell quite so many stories.

Vote for me - The Harogate Cycling Debate

Cycle Harrogate is not aligned to any political party. However we do want to know what the various political parties plan to do about promoting cycling in the Harrogate area as there is both a County Council Election and a Tour De France coming up.

My views on the current performance of North Yorkshire County Council with regard to cycling are a matter of record. I don't think they are doing enough to promote cycling as a sustainable transport choice, I don't think they are even meeting their own stated objectives and I don't think they are meeting national guidance. In fairness to them they work for elected councillors who are voted for by people like me and you. If we don't have elected officials championing cycling why should council officers?

So if any prospective councillors or representatives of political parties would like to answer any of these following questions I will happily publish their responses and won't add my own commentary to them. At least not until after the elections. In that way if you care about cycling and want a County Councillor that does too, we all have an opportunity to know what they think and plan to do if elected.

A version of these questions I asked the County Council recently. As sometimes happens we got no meaningful response.

Update 5/4/2013

We have had our first responses from Don Mackenzie incumbent conservative councillor for Saltergate Division.

Don's responses are in blue

Update 6/4/2013
Jim Clark incumbent for Rossett Ward has sent his responses which are in a different blue and shown second.


1. How as a councillor would you monitor how the County Council is currently spending the Local Sustainable Transport Fund monies provided by central government and how would your interventions  benefit sustainable transport in Harrogate?

"As an active member of the NYCC Harrogate Area Committee and of the Transport Scrutiny Committee I have been fully supportive of sustainable transport initiatives."

 "I am an active member of the NYCC Harrogate Area Committee and I am fully supportive of sustainable transport initiatives and actively promote cycling in my division."

2. How as a councillor would you make sure that the County Council is working with local cycling groups and other interested parties to help make 2014's tour de France a huge success? Further how would you help guarantee a tour legacy now that central government has pledged £10 million to Yorkshire for Tour delivery?

"Bringing The Tour de France to North Yorkshire, and Harrogate in particular, is great news for cycling, in a town which has a rich heritage in that activity. I will play my part in ensuring that this success raises the profile of cycling even further in the borough, and that the legacy will not be lost as soon as the cyclists depart."

"The input of local groups such as Cycle Harrogate is valuable to the council and even more so at this exciting time as we start preparing for the Tour de France in Harrogate.  The potential legacy from this event is something we must seize upon, especially with the help of £10 million from the Government." 

3. In light of recent research finding Skipton Road to be one of the most congested roads in the country outside of London. How would you work to reduce congestion by encouraging modal shift as current transport policies that favour car use by default, appear to be failing?

"Skipton Road west of New Park roundabout is in my division. I know only too well from residents that congestion, especially at peak times, is already bad. Now more houses are proposed for the area. Certainly, a sustainable transport plan must accompany any large-scale housing development. I have played my own part in ensuring that those who wish to cycle have better facilities in which to do so. As Harrogate's Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport (2007-2010) I introduced cycling on the Stray on six dedicated dual-use paths - in the face of much opposition - and served for all those years on the working party for the Bilton - Ripley cyclepath (now the Nidderdale Greenway)."

"There are similar congestion problems on many of our main roads, including Otley Road, part of which is in my division.  It is clear that sustainable transport will have a major part to play in resolving congestion problems. People need to be encouraged, wherever possible, to consider walking, cycling and using public transport before they get in their car. Having contributed to the work on the Nidderdale Greenway and promoting sustainable transport in schools, I am aware there are many things we as councillors can do to help the cycling lobby work towards this modal shift."

4. How as a  councillor would you  work to fulfil national obligations to promote cycling and walking as specified in recent NICE guidelines  These guidelines cite these activities as ways of improving public health and call on councils to actively work to get more people engaging in these activities.

"I will ensure that the needs of cyclists are borne in mind when any decisions on transport-related matters are taken. Public Health is now a function of the County Council (since this week) and our Director of Public Health will no doubt be mindful of the benefits to public wellbeing of cycling. I am currently the Chairman of the NYCC Care and Independence Scrutiny Committee, and my committee is well aware of the importance of healthy lifestyles to the general public."

"The NICE guidelines are clear and I am sure that, now Public Health is a function of the County Council, the Director of Public Health will be considering how they relate to the work the council does.  As Chairman of the Scrutiny of Health Committee I will be working closely with the Director of Public Health and will ensure this matter is firmly on the council’s agenda."

Lets all be excellent with each other - Safe use of the Nidderdale Greenway

The Nidderdale Greenway has been open nearly a week. Yesterday an older person was knocked down by a bike rider  and air lifted to Harrogate Hospital with a broken hip. Worse yet the rider apparently rode off from the scene of the incident.  More from North Yorkshire Police on the incident here.

I wish her a full and speedy recovery I hope justice finds the cyclist if they really did leave the scene.

How could this happen? Well I have a few ideas even though I know nothing of the circumstances of the incident. I also have a few suggestions about how to stop it happening again.

The Nidderdale Greenway is a shared use facilitiy its not a cycleway as some people believe. Bikes, walkers and horses are welcome. For that to work people have to share the route, this means compromise. These types of transport all operate at different speeds. Walkers take many risks when they use a path like this. Bikes are bigger and going faster, horses pose yet another set of risks to both horse riders and other users. I wonder if people have thought this through? Its still better though than going on a road with things with engines.

I saw some poor/risky behaviour on bank holiday monday as I rode the route. This from both cyclists and walkers. Some bike riders rode like they were about to sprint for the line on a stage of the Tour de France. That's way too fast on a route that was really busy with loads of traffic. Young kids walking and on bikes and lots of dogs wandering around not to mention loads of "ordinary" bikes and walkers. I saw some walkers stopping and chatting in groups. They were blocking the path or walking three and four abreast this was no help. I didn't hear enough bike bells being rung or even bike riders saying excuse me. Someone was throwing a stick for a dog up and down the route that's just daft.

I felt there was overly risky behaviour from too many people. I think this is ignorance not stupidity. I figured what the heck, no one got hurt and then it turned out somebody had. I think people don't know what to do and there are no signs at the moment to tell you what is expected. Signs will go up soon I am told. This will help but I don't want any more avoidable accidents so this post is an attempt to get some guidance out there.

On a positive note nearly everybody seemed to be having a good time and that remains the most important thing. This is a leisure route mainly (apologies if you commute on it), but I think we need to educate users so there are as few injuries going forward as possible.

Some common sense stuff for various types of user that might make everyone's life better and longer.

Bike Riders

Take it steady when you approach groups of walkers or horse riders, ring your bell, slow down or say excuse me. They won't hear you as a bike is virtually silent when approaching from behind. Slow down a bit generally. If you want to go out time trialling this is not the place.  Horses particularly can be spooked by bikes, I spooked one once when riding to fast and as it reared over me its front legs flailing I made a rapid mental decision to be more considerate in the future.

Walkers

There are bikes around look out for them, give them some room don't hog the whole route. You are at risk as bikes can go fast and will hurt if they hit you. Most bike riders wear protective gear most walkers don't. You need to be aware of whats going on around you.

Dog Walkers

You have to control your dog and that might mean putting it on a lead when its a really busy day. There of plenty of videos of dogs losing in collisions with bikes on You Tube. I wouldn't want that to be your dog. Your dog can also unseat a horse rider if it spooks it. Horses riders have a really poor safety record when it come to riders being injured or killed after being thrown, they are that bit higher up.

Horse Riders
Your vulnerable as well, you need to make sure your horse is used to both dogs and bikes before you take it on to what is often a busy route. Equally an out of control horse can be a dangerous weapon to other users, make sure you are confident in your ability to control your horse before you set off.

Now there is nothing to difficult or scary there is there? Off you go and enjoy your wonderful new car free route and please, be excellent with each other.

All hail the Nidderdale Greenway - Traffic free cycling from Harrogate to Ripley

We managed to get out as a family today on the recently opened Nidderdale Greenway, Sustrans's excellent new cycle route from Harrogate to Ripley via the old Railway line.

It was fantastic we rode for about 40 mins steadily zooming along on what was today a very busy cycle way. Its is Sustran's usual quality provision and to be honest they didn't have too much to do for most of the way. As the railway route is pretty good quality. Its lovely as it goes over the Nidd Viaduct. As you get out toward Ripley it bobs and weaves a bit through the trees by the banks of the river and then takes you over the main road and across a field and right into Ripley itself.

I made it around about 4 and half miles from Starbeck. We started at the top of the Avenue and I reckon maybe a shade less if you got on at the bottom end of the Asda car park in Harrogate town.

There were lots of people on bikes and loads of people just out for a stroll or walking with their dogs. Everyone rubbing along together and all getting some exercise in a nice car free environment, genius.

I only got one negative comment from another bike rider who said "There are too many ignorant pedestrians around." I thought there was one to many ignorant cyclists.  I wish I'd had the thought quicker I would have told him.

We stopped for ice cream in Ripley (I still don't know what all the fuss is about Ripley ice cream is? Its nothing special). This was a questionably stupid decision as the east wind was now blowing and it, coupled with the ice cream cooled us all down just enough to make the journey back into the headwind a little bit of an endurance test. My four year old was pretty cold by the time we got back but the eldest had done his longest ever cycle ride starting and finishing at his house, brilliant.

All in all a grand day out. Myself and Mrs Cycle Harrogate were eye-ing up the Boars Head whilst we munched ice cream. The next time we get an evening out, it looks like beer and bikes and if you go to the Gardener's Arms on Bilton Lane a mini pub crawl seems possible.

Here are a couple more sketch maps of the route showing where to get on and off the trail