View Full Version : Council tax and budget in Barnet
I've just received a booklet from my local council,
explaining in some detail why I should count myself lucky
for paying more council tax this year, and all the exciting
ways my money will be spent, including a special access fund
for disabled budgerigars and the preservation of a piece of
pavement S.T. Coleridge was sick over once (no, in case
someone is wondering, I made these up: but it's revealing
that you wondered for a second, isn't it?). I counted the
times the word "cycling" and its derivatives appeared in the
booklet, then I counted them again, just in case I'd made
some mistake, but the result was still zero.
Now, there is an email address at the end of the booklet,
for "suggestions and questions", and I have 2 questions for
the group:
1) Is it worth it? I mean, is the mailbox symlinked to
/dev/null, or is there a slight chance that a human
being, or at least a councillor, will read my email?
2) What kind of cycle-friendly initiatives/structures/road
improvements are easiest to set up? My two personal
favorites, speed bumps with integral landmines, and the
weekly public flogging of bus drivers (not those guilty
of something: all of them, on general principles) are
apparently illegal or impractical in this country, and it
appears the majority of cyclists find cycle lanes more a
liability than an asset. What's left, then?
Eugenio
P.S. To all owners of disabled budgerigars: I didn't mean to
offend you, it was just an example, and I admire your
dedication and spirit of sacrifice. Honest.
Have you read the latest issue of 'Barnet First'? There were
several points within that made me want to SCREAM!
I live in Brent (just - Barnet frontier is <1/4 mile, as is
Harrow) so comments tend to go elsewhere.
Jeremy Parker might have some ideas.
Secure cycle parking and better traffic law enforcement
would be a start...
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
"Eugenio Mastroviti" <eugeniom@gointernet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.03.16.15.29.55.462567@gointernet.co.uk...
> I've just received a booklet from my local council,
> explaining in some detail why I should count myself lucky
> for paying more council tax this year, and all the
> exciting ways my money will be spent, including a special
> access fund for disabled budgerigars and the preservation
> of a piece of pavement S.T. Coleridge was sick over once
> (no, in case someone is wondering, I made these up: but
> it's revealing that you wondered for a second, isn't
> it?). I counted the times the word "cycling" and its
> derivatives appeared in the booklet, then I counted them
> again, just in case I'd made some mistake, but the result
> was still zero.
>
> Now, there is an email address at the end of the booklet,
> for "suggestions and questions", and I have 2 questions
> for the group:
>
> 1) Is it worth it? I mean, is the mailbox symlinked to
> /dev/null, or is there a slight chance that a human
> being, or at least a councillor, will read my email?
Looks like Mike Freestone is your man: http://www.barnet.g- (http://www.barnet.g-/)
ov.uk/local_democracy/how_we_work/highways2.php3
2) What kind of cycle-friendly initiatives/structures/road
improvements are easiest to set up? My two personal
favorites, speed bumps with integral landmines, and the
weekly public flogging of bus drivers (not those guilty
of something: all of them, on general principles) are
apparently illegal or impractical in this country, and it
appears the majority of cyclists find cycle lanes more a
liability than an asset. What's left, then?
20 mph zones, homezones, ASLs, off road cycle tracks, speed
humps, cul de sacs open for cyclists, more Sheffield stand
racks, more bus lanes, cutting dual carrigeways in half,
better traffic light detector strips in the road, bike
lockers at the station etc.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net (http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/)
"Simon Mason" <simon@simonmason.karoo.co.uk>typed
> 20 mph zones, homezones, ASLs, off road cycle tracks,
> speed humps, cul de sacs open for cyclists, more Sheffield
> stand racks, more bus lanes, cutting dual carrigeways in
> half, better traffic light detector strips in the road,
> bike lockers at the station etc.
Barnet is busy tearing out speed humps...
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
"Helen Deborah Vecht" <helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2004031617442485140@zetnet.co.uk...
> "Simon Mason" <simon@simonmason.karoo.co.uk>typed
>
>
> > 20 mph zones, homezones, ASLs, off road cycle tracks,
> > speed humps, cul
de
> > sacs open for cyclists, more Sheffield stand racks, more
> > bus lanes,
cutting
> > dual carrigeways in half, better traffic light detector
> > strips in the
road,
> > bike lockers at the station etc.
>
> Barnet is busy tearing out speed humps...
Oh dear :-( Hull City Council is now installing its 120th
20 mph zone and residents want even more. Maybe the Merc
driving middle classes have too much sway in Barnet
council :-)
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net (http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/)
"Helen Deborah Vecht" <helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2004031617442485140@zetnet.co.uk...
> "Simon Mason" <simon@simonmason.karoo.co.uk>typed
>
>
> > 20 mph zones, homezones, ASLs, off road cycle tracks,
> > speed humps, cul
de
> > sacs open for cyclists, more Sheffield stand racks, more
> > bus lanes,
cutting
> > dual carrigeways in half, better traffic light detector
> > strips in the
road,
> > bike lockers at the station etc.
>
> Barnet is busy tearing out speed humps...
>
Good. I wish they'd take them out in Haringey too.
Rich
"Simon Mason" <simon@simonmason.karoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:hmWdnQbGNK7Tq8rdSa8jmw@karoo.co.uk...
>
snip
> and it appears the majority of cyclists find cycle lanes
> more a liability than an asset. What's left, then?
>
> 20 mph zones, homezones, ASLs, off road cycle tracks,
> speed humps,
I don't agree that speed humps are useful for cyclists at
all. They are quite literally a pain in the bum - and the
spine, and the wrists. They are more unpleasant to go over
on a bike than in a car. As a cyclist, I hate them, as a
driver, I merely detest them. In a car it is no effort to
speed up and slow down as required, as a cyclist it is. As a
cyclist I get held up behind cars approaching bumps and
harassed by them immediately after as they want to
accelerate quickly before the next bump comes. And all for
what? Just extra pollution and noise in most cases. They
certainly don't do anything useful in my residential area,
where the main limiting factor on speed is two-way traffic
and a road that is too narrow for cars to pass in both
directions without pausing for gaps between parked cars.
Having just received my council tax bill for this year, if
there was any chance of saving any money by voting for
someone who pledged not to spend one more penny on such
'traffic calming' measures I'd gladly do it.
Rich
Richard Goodman wrote:
> Good. I wish they'd take them out in Haringey too.
>
> Rich
Likewise in Lewisham. There's a road I use sometimes in New
Cross Gate which is beautifully surfaced and avoids the A2,
but is clearly being used as a rat run, as on Monday I went
hurtling down it as usual only to be launched skywards by a
kerb-to-kerb Lump. Bah!
--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
"Simon Brooke" <simon@jasmine.org.uk> wrote in message news:nutji1-b
> Face it, if your council is spending zero on cycling, this
> is an unqualified Good Thing. Council-built cycling
> 'facilities' are at best neutral, and many are actively
> dangerous.
It depends. Hull is now only behind Oxbridge as a "cycle
city". The fairies did not wave a magic wand to make this
happen. Our council spent millions on cycling and now 11.5
% commute by bike as against 2% average. I for one am
grateful they did.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net (http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/)
"Richard Goodman" <rich@NOSPAM.rsk.homechoice.co.uk> wrote in message
news:405825fa@news1.homechoice.co.uk...
> > and it appears the majority of cyclists find cycle lanes
> > more a liability than an asset. What's left, then?
> >
> > 20 mph zones, homezones, ASLs, off road cycle tracks,
> > speed humps,
>
> I don't agree that speed humps are useful for cyclists at
> all. They are quite literally a pain in the bum - and the
> spine, and the wrists. They
are
> more unpleasant to go over on a bike than in a car. As a
> cyclist, I hate them, as a driver, I merely detest them.
> In a car it is no effort to
speed
> up and slow down as required, as a cyclist it is. As a
> cyclist I get
held
> up behind cars approaching bumps and harassed by them
> immediately after as they want to accelerate quickly
> before the next bump comes. And all for what? Just extra
> pollution and noise in most cases. They certainly don't do
> anything useful in my residential area, where the main
> limiting factor
on
> speed is two-way traffic and a road that is too narrow for
> cars to pass in both directions without pausing for gaps
> between parked cars.
Depends on their design -ours specifically have cut outs
for cycles and I'd rather be hit by a car doing 20 mph than
40 mph. The more the merrier I say. They've changed our
city for the better - our ped and cyclist injury rates have
been slashed dramatically and are at an all time low even
given the increase in traffic.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net (http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/) Simon
"Simon Mason" <simon@simonmason.karoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3b2dnW8nzoI1qMXdSa8jmw@karoo.co.uk...
> Depends on their design -ours specifically have cut outs
> for cycles.....
The cutouts are usually where the road planners would
like us to be rather than what is the safest road
position to be in.
I would avoid any road with humps even if meant going
further as they are a menace to cyclists.
"Richard Goodman" <rich@NOSPAM.rsk.homechoice.co.uk> wrote in message news:<405825fa@news1.homechoice.co.uk>...
> I don't agree that speed humps are useful for cyclists at
> all. They are quite literally a pain in the bum - and the
> spine, and the wrists. They are more unpleasant to go over
> on a bike than in a car. As a cyclist, I hate them, as a
> driver, I merely detest them. In a car it is no effort to
> speed up and slow down as required, as a cyclist it is. As
> a cyclist I get held up behind cars approaching bumps and
> harassed by them immediately after as they want to
> accelerate quickly before the next bump comes. And all for
> what? Just extra pollution and noise in most cases. They
> certainly don't do anything useful in my residential area,
> where the main limiting factor on speed is two-way traffic
> and a road that is too narrow for cars to pass in both
> directions without pausing for gaps between parked cars.
Furthermore, a significant minority of motorists ignore the
speed bumps anyway and simply whack them at whatever speed
they feel like doing at that moment. Presumably a number of
them subsequently have mysterious accidents when their
suspension unaccountably collapses in a bend.
--
Dave...
Dave Kahn wrote:
> Furthermore, a significant minority of motorists ignore
> the speed bumps anyway and simply whack them at whatever
> speed they feel like doing at that moment. Presumably a
> number of them subsequently have mysterious accidents when
> their suspension unaccountably collapses in a bend.
Which are, of course, attributed to the existence of sp++d
c+m+r+s...
Not that they are likely to care, with their motorcars being
presents from grateful employers.
--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
Simon Brooke wrote:
> Face it, if your council is spending zero on cycling, this
> is an unqualified Good Thing. Council-built cycling
> 'facilities' are at best neutral, and many are actively
> dangerous.
...Like the narrow green cycle lanes on the extreme outside
of roundabouts. Barnet has some of these but I suppose it
would cost money to get rid of them.
~PB
In article <57db8bde.0403170754.1df354e8@posting.google.com>, Dave Kahn wrote:
>
>Furthermore, a significant minority of motorists ignore the
>speed bumps anyway and simply whack them at whatever speed
>they feel like doing at that moment. Presumably a number of
>them subsequently have mysterious accidents when their
>suspension unaccountably collapses in a bend.
Round here the worst offenders take care to use big heavy
vehicles with long suspension travel designed to travel over
bigger bumps off-road without problems. Added bonus feature
being scarier when deliberately driving at pedestrians or
cyclists....
Ah yes, Barnet, home of Brian Coleman, Cabinet Member for
the Environment. That's transport, and parks (and their bike
paths) and planning (and how to cross the North Circular
Road at the Brent Cross/Cricklewood regeneration scheme). I
wonder if Brian Coleman will influence his fellow Tory Steve
Norris, Tory candidate for Mayor of London, and chair of the
National Cycling Strategy Board. Small hope for influence
the other way.
What I said in my last letter to the Barnet Times, it made
the Mar 11th issue, was that Barnet should put in enough
bike racks at the E. Finchley tube station to match the
great increase in cyclists using
it.
The worst thing Barnet has done is cancelling bike
education. this is certainly a disaster, two disasters,
actually, since it got canelled in two steps, adult
education in the spring, and children's education in
the autumn.
Cancelling bike education might increase your council tax,
not decrease it. Education has not been quite cancelled. The
bike trainer will go round the schools giving road safety
lectures. I think Banrnet has to pay for that, since
classroom lectures are generally regarded as useless, so
they can't get a subsidy. Proper bike education, however, is
getting essentially unlimited subsidies now, from tranpsort
for London, and Barnet won't get any of that.
Nobody cares about bike education though. What's causing all
the fuss is removing the bike lanes on the A1000, Finchley
High Road. Hurrah!!!! I'm glad to see them go. The trouble
is, I can't tell anyone why I think they are so bad. If I
told Brian Coleman why I don't like bike lanes, he would
immediately put them back, being the ultimate pro motorist.
Jeremy Parker
---------------------------------
"Helen Deborah Vecht" <helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in
message news:2004031617033385140@zetnet.co.uk...
> Have you read the latest issue of 'Barnet First'?
> There were
several
> points within that made me want to SCREAM!
>
> I live in Brent (just - Barnet frontier is <1/4 mile, as
> is Harrow)
so
> comments tend to go elsewhere.
>
> Jeremy Parker might have some ideas.
>
> Secure cycle parking and better traffic law enforcement
> would be a
start...
>
> --
> Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
"Pete Biggs" <pcurrant{remove_dried_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message news:<c3a3o4$25q5fr$1@ID-144931.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> Simon Brooke wrote:
> > Face it, if your council is spending zero on cycling,
> > this is an unqualified Good Thing. Council-built cycling
> > 'facilities' are at best neutral, and many are actively
> > dangerous.
>
> ...Like the narrow green cycle lanes on the extreme
> outside of roundabouts.
Deathtraps for those who try to use them, provokers of
motorist aggression for those who don't.
--
Dave...
"Dave Kahn" <dkahn400@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:57db8bde.0403180319.6d069c1f@posting.google.com...
> "Pete Biggs" <pcurrant{remove_dried_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote
> in message
news:<c3a3o4$25q5fr$1@ID-144931.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> > Simon Brooke wrote:
> > > Face it, if your council is spending zero on cycling,
> > > this is an unqualified Good Thing. Council-built
> > > cycling 'facilities' are at best neutral, and many are
> > > actively dangerous.
> >
> > ...Like the narrow green cycle lanes on the extreme
> > outside of roundabouts.
>
> Deathtraps for those who try to use them, provokers of
> motorist aggression for those who don't.
I've never seen these - they sound lethal!
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net (http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/)
Simon Mason wrote:
>> "Pete Biggs" <pcurrant{remove_dried_fruit}@biggs.tc>
>> wrote in message
> news:<c3a3o4$25q5fr$1@ID-144931.news.uni-berlin.de>...
>>> Simon Brooke wrote:
>>>> Face it, if your council is spending zero on cycling,
>>>> this is an unqualified Good Thing. Council-built
>>>> cycling 'facilities' are at best neutral, and many are
>>>> actively dangerous.
>>>
>>> ...Like the narrow green cycle lanes on the extreme
>>> outside of roundabouts.
>>
>> Deathtraps for those who try to use them, provokers of
>> motorist aggression for those who don't.
>
> I've never seen these - they sound lethal!
Must be the worst kind of cycling farcility of the lot.
There's a small picture of a red one on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/3ffqj
Newer cycle lanes are green, and the roundabouts with them
I've seen in Barnet are smaller, with narrower cycle lanes!
It somehow seems even worse on the smaller roundabouts
because the bends are tighter and the lane is *entirely* well-
off the line that you would normally take, for any
manoeuvre.
~PB
"Simon Mason" <simon@simonmason.karoo.co.uk>typed
> "Dave Kahn" <dkahn400@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:57db8bde.0403180319.6d069c1f@posting.google.com...
> > "Pete Biggs" <pcurrant{remove_dried_fruit}@biggs.tc>
> > wrote in message
> news:<c3a3o4$25q5fr$1@ID-144931.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> > > Simon Brooke wrote:
> > > > Face it, if your council is spending zero on
> > > > cycling, this is an unqualified Good Thing. Council-
> > > > built cycling 'facilities' are at best neutral, and
> > > > many are actively dangerous.
> > >
> > > ...Like the narrow green cycle lanes on the extreme
> > > outside of roundabouts.
> >
> > Deathtraps for those who try to use them, provokers of
> > motorist aggression for those who don't.
> I've never seen these - they sound lethal!
There is one about a mile from here (in LB Barnet). I can
take a photo if you like.
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
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