Nearly There - Good news on Knaresborough Rd we think

The magnificent Gia Margolis met with The Woman From The Council (WFTC) yesterday. It appears the meeting went well. Gia put our proposal forward and the Council have agreed to it in principle. There is some detail design to do and quickly, but looks like some cycle lanes will be coming to a Knaresborough Road near us in August.

I will believe it when I see it and it is too early to consider this a win but things look pretty good at the moment. Thanks for all the support on the petition, Twitter and Facebook it helps give cycling in Harrogate a voice.

Update 3/7/2012

Just had a email from the WFTC conforming what Gia had fedback after the meeting. They will be doing detail designs over the next few days. On a less positive note they are not able to remove or modify the pedestrian refuges currently, something we had asked for.

However NYCC has recently won some funding for sustainable transport and we intend to lobby for some of this to be used to build cycle bypasses around the pedestrian refuges. Something the Cycle Infrastructure Design guide suggests as a a solution to this problem

Image Seanbjack

Harrogate school discourages cycling on grounds of risk

Cycle Harrogate is about promoting cycling as part of a healthy lifestyle. We wrote to a local school recently explaining what we were about and offering to run basic cycle maintenance classes for the pupils. These to run along side the Bike Ability scheme that the school had been running with  pupils, as yet we have had no response. Now the head at the School Mrs Carolyn Sandford has decided that rather than encouraging pupils to ride their bikes to school, she will make it more difficult. In a letter sent to parents she says the following.

...Unfortunately the school does not have a designated place where they (bikes and scooters) can be stored safely. At present the pupils have been accessing the school car park to leave and collect scooters and bikes at the end of the day. This is obviously a safety risk

...If your child is older and comes to school by themselves then we ask for your support in encouraging your child to leave the scooters and bikes at home.

Some thoughts and questions spring to mind as a response to this letter. Is there nowhere that the school could designate as safe cycle parking. A particular area of railings would do?

The school seems to want to promote cycle use via the Bike Ability scheme but then follows this with a letter that seems designed to stop kids using their bikes on the journeys they make the most often.

If the school had been willing to work with us in partnership, we would have been delighted to both investigate funding, and provide design and build skills for a dedicated cycle shelter which would enhance the school and the local community.

We will be getting back in touch with the school and making this offer. We will of course let you know what happens.

A SMALL WIN - The woman from the council says. "Maybe Baby."

The game of  email ping pong that is lobbying over Knaresborough Rd cycle lane provision continues. The Woman from the Council (TWFTC) has now got back in touch with us and we have made another small step in the right direction.

TWFTC has agreed to consider our proposal at a meeting between herself and Gia Margolis in the next few weeks before any re-lining is undertaken. This means something which is good. North Yorkshire County Council are finally showing some willingness to listen and consult with cycling lobbying groups over this issue, something they seemed reluctant to even consider until recently.

Between now and the meeting we will need our new found knowledge of the Cycling Infrastructure Design Guide and the wisdom of team Margolis, To work out what particular pattern of lines would be most favourable to cyclists. We will of course keep you all informed.

image Jepoirrer

The woman from the council says NO

We have had a response from someone somewhat higher up in  NYCC about our Knaresborough Rd proposal via the wonderful Gia Margolis, its not positive. Essentially they argue that the road is not wide enough (according to the guidance) for cycleways which kind of means anything other than a seven lane highway in downtown LA is going to be too narrow and as there are lots of junctions and bus stops, cycle lanes might be effectively more trouble than they are worth.  They accept that cyclists may be poorly provided for on this section of road but basically tough, cars, lorries and pedestrians are more important, on your bike sunshine.

Well seems to me that at this point we have two choices: give up or turn up the heat.
I'm not feeling like giving up and here is why. I cannot accept that on a wide road like the one we are talking about some form of provision for cyclists can't be made so that cycling down Knaresborough Rd can be a pleasant, life affirming pastime rather than one that feels too often feels like that David Attenborough wildlife documentary. With the Cyclist as the wounded Buffalo and the cars and lorries as a pack of Komodo Dragons waiting for an opening to tear them apart. That doesn't seem to represent the kind of town I want to live in.

Having had a cursory glance through the Department of Transports cycle infrastructure design guide (the guidance) it seems like one idea contained in there which does have some merit is the cycle bypass. This is used to bypass pedestrian traffic islands which are part of the pinch point problem on the Knaresborough road.

The Search for a new bike - and some lanes in which to ride it!

In York today to have a look at some great bikes. We went to the super friendly Cycle Heaven and I tried a couple of nice bikes. This a a lovely Gazelle that I zipped around the block on. I definitely recommend this shop over in York. In the afternoon we came back over to Harrogate and I have found the perfect bike for me. The Big Red Bike Co I have ordered a beautiful Pashley Roadster Sovereign:

I cannot wait for this beauty to be delivered. Now all I want is the NYCC to sort out the roads with some cycle lanes so I have designated places to ride it. Come on guys, you know it makes sense . 

Breathe

More great stuff from Copenhagenize.com pointing out that pollution from cars kills ten times more people in Denmark than people who are killed on the roads. More cycling participation aided by better provision will it appears both save lives and reduce congestion.  Glen Donaldson from NYCC has claimed to us that they can't build cycle lanes on the Knaresborough Rd lanes as their road policy needs to ease congestion. Am I missing something here or am I to stupid too understand my council?


Image infocog

Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen

This is a  great blog post from a great blog,  Copenhagennize about cycling in Copenhagen. half a million people do it every day. Forty years ago few people did. Our towns and cities are our fault. All this cycling saves them money and makes it a nicer place to live, are you listening NYCC?

http://www.copenhagenize.com/2012/06/lets-talk-numbers.html

image Michael Coalville-Anderson

Don't try this on Knaresbrough Road!

Dude on a bike transporting a bed , Lira,  North Uganda. This would be ill advised in Harrogate even with designated cycle lanes!

IMPORTANT - Update on Knaresborough Rd

We have just got off the phone to the Highways Department at North Yorkshire County Council. They have investigated the central reservation white lining and have decided it was done too wide when they resurfaced, as we suspected. They plan to re-line in "July".

Currently they don't want to support a cycle path on the grounds of additional cost for signage.

Don't even get me started on them throwing good money after bad but anyway here is where we think the campaign is at:

We now have a potential four week window of opportunity to lobby like loons, to try and get them to postpone the re-line and support the cycleway scheme we propose.

It is now time to try and use whatever leverage we have between us as citizens to embarrass NYCC into doing the right thing.  I don't suppose they will be spending money on a cycleway once they have painted those  central chevrons twice in the same financial year.

We will continue to drive the social media agenda and generate as much local support as we can. You can expect to hear a fair bit from us in the next few weeks.

The worst outcome is that that NYCC  re-line in July. If that happens things will be better than when we started campaigning and we won't have wasted our time or squandered anyones support. All outcomes in excess of that are bonus. We might as well have a go though, I think the existing and future cyclists of Harrogate deserve local government that not only fixes its cock ups but is prepared to actively and creatively consult with its electorate on ways to make Harrogate an even nicer place to live.

Inspiration

Have a look at this video these people are selling clothes in New York City but they are advocates for Cycling too, I like their style.

Cycle Harrogate on Stray Fm

This afternoon Andy Dennis from the Cycle Harrogate group recorded an interview with Stray Fm's Patrick Dunlop. It was a great chance to spread the word about the campaign and to further press for this issue to be taken seriously. You can hear the broadcast hourly from 0700hrs on Wednesday 30th May.

Can you Hear Me?

So left hand, right hand etc. The Radio interview will be happening tomorrow and we will update you with the broadcast date and time, turns outfit is a pre-record and we hadn't realised. Thank you once again to Stray FM for giving Cycle Harrogate the opportunity to spread the word and to empower the good cycling folk of Harrogate.

Black is the new Florescent yellow

I have spent a good proportion of my time on a bike in a mixture of hi-viz yellow and Scothchlite so I look like a christmas tree in car headlights. This has certainly kept me alive but it's not exactly cool is it? In the summer months when dryer weather and lighter nights mean there is less of a need to look like an emergency worker commuting. I try and wear more normal gear and its feels way better. Now if I can just find something natty in flouro orange...

Here is an interesting article from Cycle info that looks at how what you wear tells you about your cycling style (or lack of).

Image Brett Jordan

On the road

This Cycle Harrogate thing started off as a way to try and get cycle paths built up the Knaresborough Rd. That seemed a little selfish, a little self interested, I would benefit sure and it would be there for everyone but what about the cycle provision we already have? Shouldn't we be getting people to use it?

I'm no cycle zealot, I'm not anti-car. I have had some great and memorable journeys in a car; driving the length of the States across a few deserts in a clapped out Dodge, springs imediately to mind. The idea of the car is deeply associated with personal freedom, I get that, but cars don't make sense if you live and work in a town or a city, bikes do. Top Gear peddle the myth of the Open Road. In Top Gear World we are all Jack Kerouac driving on endless empty roads that disappear into the far distance of a blood red sunset. On that road, heading for a better future, discovering what is really happening, we live a life that is more full, more real.

Thing is we don't live in Top Gear World, most of us live an urban commuter life and we can all afford a lot more to eat than Kerouac could when he was spending most of his cash buying the booze and drugs that would help kill him early. The Americana myth is more powerful and evocative than the gritty reality.

That's where we are at with the car. They represent freedom, but a freedom few of us would actually be prepared to sacrifice our comfortable lives to experience for any length of time. The bike as a form of freedom on the other hand might just have a few things going for it:

Bikes are cheap, £200 will buy one that will last longer than you will. If that is you oil the chain, pump the tyres up and spend another ten to twenty quid on it once a year. Shell out five hundred to a thousand pounds and you get something that you really could go round the world on. A grand will buy you a car sure, but you won't be maintaining it for twenty quid a year and you will still need to put petrol in it.

Bikes are quick, not the high speed quick of stomping on the accelerator and getting up to forty on your street, only to brake like Sebastian Vettel as the junction comes up too fast, of the car driver. They are  quick in a tortoise and the hare kind of way. For most journeys around town a bike wins as it won't need to queue in traffic. Slow and steady, even pace, win the race.

The obesity epidemic will not be solved by driving to the gym. Seems obvious but that is what many of us do, I've done my share. What was I thinking paying the price of a decent meal once a month to go somewhere else to exercise because I was driving to work when I lived a cycle ride away?

Bikes have a future in their current form. Cars are maybe ten to twenty years away from needing a big re-think. Oil is going to get suprisingly expensive unless there is a whole lot hidden in places where its going to be easy to get at that we haven't found yet. As to low carbon alternatives there are some interesting developements on the horizon, but what if we already had the power source inside us?

So an idea that came into being around about the same time as the car was being born. The humble often unloved, often scorned bicycle might just be just about to overtake the fast, brash, aspirational-bling of the motor car as the preferred choice around town.

Seems to me Cycle Harrogate should be banging the drum loud for Cycling as well as cycling provision and trying to get as many bums on bike seats as possible.


Dave Prince

Image - Rachael Prince 2000,  Mojave Desert, California (taken from that clapped out Dodge)

Why Cycle?

Why Cycle?

Burn fat not oil

Screaming along flat out is one of the best feelings in the world.

Mark Cavendish Rides a bike.

Free cycle parking in big cities

Its quiet, wildlife doesn't know your coming.

Downhill is a buzz.

Wheelies and track stands.

When it's cold and your hair freezes you feel exhilarated that you could still be bothered.

Its quicker than sitting in traffic, sitting in traffic is rubbish.

So you don't feel guilty about driving to the shops.

Cycle Harrogate Stray Fm

The lovely people at Stray Fm are to give the campaign some airtime on 3pm Monday 28th May to talk about the Knaresborough Road and how we want to help get Harrogate Cycling. Andy Dennis aka @walka2b who some of you may know from his marathon walking exploits, will be being interviewed as his legs it turns out are not just used for walking. Tune in even if you have no interest in what we are about, Andy is usually worth a listen.

100 signatures

Great news on the petition front we have crossed the hundred signtaure line. Much of the thanks for this goes to Malcolm Margolis and his supporters. We have seen a real surge since I spoke to him. Now to keep the momentum up...

Cycling for a Lifetime

Once you learn to ride a bike it opens up so many options. This lad in Aloi camp Northern Uganda was expert at riding the family bike to do his jobs. One day he may even be able to sit on the saddle.

The Great Cycle Boffin

We had a wonderful chat on the phone with Malcolm Margolis last night. Malcolm is driving force behind both Wheel Easy Harrogate's premier leisure cycling club and also a good portion of the impetus behind getting the new Cycleway across the Stray. He and his wife Gia are involved with Sustrans and the Harrogate Cycling Group  I was hoping Malcolm would be able to help and support us and he didn't disappoint.

Malcom  has sent our petition out to his members and we are to meet in the next few weeks and see if we can help each other out. Malcolm is keen to learn about using social media and I think his contacts and experience of bringing about positive change for cyclists  in Harrogate  will be invaluable. All in all a very productive conversation.

Riding a bike should be easy

These aren't my words I wish they were, but they do a way better job of explaining why I think cycle provision is so important than I am able. This article was written by Ben Addy aka @BenjaminAddy who works for Sustrans the cycling charity. It was first published on the website of  Welsh organic clothing makers and full-time cycle nuts Howies. Ben has graceously said that I can reproduce it here. You can find a little more about Ben at the endlessly inspiring Do Lectures. 

 Riding a bike should be easy

Isn’t that what we are told? You learn when you are small and, like an elephant, you never forget. What an amazing deal. Once mastered, you have a gift that lasts a lifetime, and even if you part ways for a period of time it waits patiently for you to return. Once bought, it is the gift that keeps giving – health, entertainment, and convenience. So why isn’t everyone riding a bike? Shouldn’t the streets in every village, town and city hum with the sound of rubber passing over tarmac? You only have to observe parts of cities like London, Bristol, and Cambridge at rush hour to see the potential. Hybrids, racers, fixies, bmx, mountain bikes, single speeds, choppers, Dutch bikes, and cruisers all spinning to and fro.
While cycling numbers have increased by around 20% across Britain over the last decade, we lag behind other European countries. The number of cyclists killed or injured sits around 27,000 for that period. This figure is unacceptable and concerns over safety are the main reason many bikes sit unloved in garden sheds up and down the country. This is a terrible shame since cycling represents the elixir to many of our problems. Regular riding can significantly improve fitness levels (goodbye beer belly) and increase life expectancy (hello happy retirement). By swapping an eight mile round trip commute from car to bike, you save 0.5 tonnes of carbon per year – that’s the equivalent of a short haul flight.
It stands to reason that if we want a country that is synonymous with cycling you need to ensure that it is safe. As a result of much hard work by sustainable transport charities and cycling campaign groups we have seen significant progress. Most recently, the Cycle Safe campaign from The Times – coupled with February’s Parliamentary cycling debate - has helped raise the profile of cycle safety. There is much that can be done to improve junctions, slow speeds in neighbourhoods, and provide better road user training. However, this all requires investment – even a small percentage of the road budget could make a huge difference across the country.
Ultimately, the goal is to get people – young, old, male, female – on bikes for their everyday journeys to places like school, work, and the shops. However, currently around 66% of journeys (two miles or less) are completed in a car. While the number of accidents involving cyclists are a concern, the perceived danger can sometimes outweigh the actual risks. It is important to emphasise that cycling is still a fun, exhilarating, and egalitarian means of getting around. You hear of schools not letting kid’s cycle and adults looking on in horror as you ride past on the way to work. It is important to remember that it’s cycling, not war. Going forward, we need more people on bikes and (much) improved cycle infrastructure to ensure that the fun isn’t taken out of cycling.

Photo Marco Gomes