A while back I met somebody from the transport department at North Yorkshire County Council. She said that they didn't do more for cyclists as the demand wasn't there. A fortnight ago we started a petition to ask NYCC to employ a cycle officer. We now have nearly 300 people signed up, more probably by the time you read this. If we can get 1605 signatures the council have to debate our suggestion rather than fob us off with platitudes as they do at the moment. The same women said anyone could sign a petition but 38 degrees have shown how effective these sort of campaigns can be.
We have had some great support from amongst others Wheel Easy, The Harrogate Cycling Group, Boneshakers, Ride Harrogate Harrogate Nova, The Big Red Bike Co and the Cappucino Cycling Club, not to mention the people that have signed up via twitter and facebook.
All these organisations have asked their members to get behind this campaign and for the first time I think we are now seeing that the women from the council was wrong. It seems that there is consderable demand for better cycling infrastructure and advocacy from local government in Harrogate and North Yorkshire. It also seems that this demand is much bigger than they claim and that we know they are dragging their heels in pushing forward a sustainable transport agenda as they say they want to.
There is still a mini mountain to climb and we need to keep the momentum up but a good start. If anyone out there knows how we can raise the profile of the campaign? Please get in touch at cyclehgt@gmail.com we need all the help we can get.
If you haven't signed our petition and you think a cycling officer would be tax money well spent here is a link to the petition.
Fuck arrogant cyclists and your over-inflated sense of road-ownership.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have a good life, although it may be quite lonely and cold in your bitter land
ReplyDeleteLife is awesome, thanks! There are people who walk, stroll with their dogs, go jogging, drive cars. We all get on great until the tiny cycling minority start bleating about their own pathways at vast public expense. Still they run us off the pavement or expect our pets to jump out of the way as they zoom past with regard for no one but themselves. As we crawl along the road they zip up either side of our cars compromising road safety, expecting an infrastructure that was build for cars not to be of primary use for cyclists.
ReplyDeleteSome motorists are certainly idiots, most are okay though. Some pedestrians are idiots but they rarely cause accidents. The majority of cyclists are a law unto themselves expecting everyone else to get out of their way and make wide and expensive concessions for a lifestyle so few people care about.
'My land' as you call it, was just fine and bitterness-free before your tiny band of piety came along pretending to be bigger and more important than you are.
Is there such a thing as a anti-cycling troll? There is now...
ReplyDeleteI expect then that I will only be able add to your unhappiness as I don't suppose we will agree on pretty much anything, least of all cycling provision or what roads are for.
ReplyDeleteHey you could start a blog to get your views across and see if other people agree with you? Unlike your last comment I don't dislike other road users or even put them in to types. As it happens I drive a car more than I cycle. I just think people who ride bikes deserve better provision, like they get in other countries. Anyway I'm out now, thanks for your comments enjoy your day.
Now Grinton Firestarter here's a thought
ReplyDelete"Who's that trip trapping over my bridge?"
"I'm an allegedly arrogant f***ing cyclist and I'm not trip trapping I'm freewheeling."
Sorry folks not a fan of censorship, but if you want to comment on posts from now on you will have to sign in with some form of account or other to leave comments. We have been getting people wanting vent their spleen on here which is fine but... I think you have a right to a point of view but I'm not sure you should be able to hide behind a cloak of anonymity whilst you express it.
ReplyDeleteEntitlement? Sure. We're entitled to choice, and we're entitled to safety while we exercise that choice. Anon seems to think that he/she is entitled to suppress a minority, one that is defined solely by his/her own preferences and suppositions about, well, everyone. Not an especially wholesome outlook.
ReplyDeleteAs a cyclist (and driver, and walker), I can see that roads are not designed for us. Pavements aren't either. As such I shan't see either as being particularly off limits, but I shall ride with as much care as possible whilst using them. If someone is not riding with care, that's a matter to be dealt with on its merits. True dedicated cycle spaces are a bonus, but how can having someone in place to consider the needs of cyclists be a bad thing? To do so is to have people in place to consider everyone's needs.
Sheesh, we all need to calm down don't we. The majority of pedestrians, cyclists, tricyclists, motorcyclists, motortricyclists, bus drivers, car drivers, lorry drivers etc are courteous users of the road. There is a minority of all the above who behave dangerously etc. But I've never seen anyone with an engine blatantly go through a red light or totally avoid a red light by travelling on the pavement like bicycles do (frequently). Motorcycles are given parking tickets now by HBC from parking in the bicycle parking area in town, which is on the pavement and by a restricted road:
ReplyDelete1) Why provide bicycle parking in an area that neither bike or motorbike is allowed on, only to penalise just the motorbike alone - which are taxed, and taxed as a "bicycle" for that matter? DISCRIMINATION (ie. illegal)
2) Why are these expensive provisions made just for bicycles to park on pavements and exclude motorcycles, when by law, nobody should park there at all?
3) Why do bicyclist go unchallenged from riding on the pavement (ie. illegal) or going through a red light (ie. Illegal), is it because they are untraceable and unaccountable?
I have no problem with bicyclists per se (I am one and I don't break the law), but believe everyone should be treated equally per-capita, and to compare bicycles' political muscle to say that of a car, is ludicrous.
What do you guys want from society, separatism? We all need to share the limited space on our roads courteously, FAIRLY, and the council should think about looking into their so far discriminating and unfair policies.
I like the transport system model Holland has - everyone gets along...
Just my 2 pence...
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ReplyDeleteFair points. Agree we all need to rub along together, but I won't defend the UK status quo either.
ReplyDeleteIn the Uk 3% of urban journey's are by bike in Holland its 25%. They have invested in infrastructure for generations. As a result I found it a nicer place to be a pedestrian, a cyclist and a motorist. I am aways amazed that cyclists get grief when they lobby for provision as they are such a small minority of road users currently and cars do the vast majority of the maiming and killing. It seems to be a bit like having a go at gingers somehow its social acceptable.
I'm not against other road users at all. As I keep saying I drive and walk more than I ride, but to be honest the car lobby has been much more successful at getting provision for its needs than bikes trains and pedestrians have and I would like to change that if only on a very small local level.