Doug said:Oct 3d Sunday Times- Urban cyclists to get a head start on cars
Jonathan Leake and Dipesh Gadher
New road layouts favour bikes
CYCLISTS could be given new rights of way at the expense of
motorists in a multi-million-pound package of measures that has been
drawn up by government advisers.
Urban road layouts would undergo a radical redesign to take space
away from cars in favour of cyclists, under proposals being studied
by ministers.The plans, which would cost £150m a year, include the introduction
of cyclist-only traffic lights to give bikes priority at junctions
turning green earlier than traffic lights for other vehicles and
advanced "stop" lines to offer cyclists more protection from cars.Cycle lanes would be installed wherever space permitted and a round-
the-clock ban on cars would be enforced in bus lanes, which are also
used by cyclists.Existing schemes to encourage pupils to ride to school would be
extended to health workers at hospitals, students travelling to
university and college campuses, and civil servants.Millions of pounds could also be set aside to offer training to
cyclists, particularly teenagers and adults getting on their bikes
for the first time after many years.Full details of the proposals, which have been compiled by the
National Cycling Strategy Board (NCSB), a government quango set up
to promote bike use, have been handed to Alistair Darling, the
transport secretary, and are expected to be published later this
month. The overall aim is to increase cycling fourfold by 2012.Phillip Darnton, chairman of the NCSB and a former chief executive
of Raleigh, the bicycle maker, said: "In 1996 the then government
promised a sharp increase in cycling but nothing has happened. Only
about 1.5% of journeys are by bike. But we have got to get people
out of their cars."Critics believe the government has failed to curb car growth and
make roads safer for bike users.A national target set in 2000 by John Prescott, the deputy prime
minister, to treble the number of cycle journeys over the decade had
to be scrapped earlier this year. However, since the congestion
charge was introduced in London the number of cyclists has increased
by 23% while the volume of cars has declined by 16%.The new proposals could anger motorists who perceive cyclists
as "Lycra louts" who frequently jump red lights and flout other road
laws."Some cyclists have a lot to answer for, but they behave like
outlaws because the law is not catering for them," said
Darnton. "Most cyclists are young males who are a bit more
aggressive. If we made roads friendlier we would get more women and
a wider age range."The NCSB's most important recommendation is the creation of a
national funding scheme, with a single agency appointed to oversee
the creation of urban cycle networks."There's an attitude gap and a skills gap that's missing, rather
than just the money," said Steven Norris, the former Tory transport
minister and a former NCSB chairman.He claimed that Britain lagged "way behind" other European
countries, such as Holland and Switzerland, where cyclists are
routinely given priority at road junctions and roundabouts.A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "The government
fully appreciates the value of cycling for improving health and
reducing congestion and pollution."
About time too!
Deliberately cross-posted.
Brian