Travelling Light (2)

This is how it's gone so far:

Friday night, had to carry a carton of grated cheese on the carrier. Tricky.

Tuesday, went swimming. Carying towel, trunks, goggles etc, again a bit tricky.
Seem to be having trouble keeping a lock in the right place.

Getting up the hill a bit easier - priceless!

Travelling light

I'm quite well known for cycling round with 20kg of crap in my panniers. On a typical day the contents might include:-

Small saw & Secateurs (for doing sustrans-type maintenance on cycle routes)
Pump, bell spanner, multitool, spare inner tube, puncture repair kit (belt and braces approach)
D-lock
Waterproof trousers, overshoes.
Sandwich box
spare pair of shoes, socks.
spare lights


...etc etc.

However, recently, having moved up to Greystones Heights I'm starting to question why I carry all this stuff. We have a heavily fortified bike shed at work so why do I need a lock? (for going out at lunchtimes, duh - but I could keep a lock at work anyway. )

If I got a puncture or other breakdown on the commute, wouldn't I just walk home?

I could buy a sandwich at lunchtime...etc etc.

So yesterday, having lugged #139's worth of fireworks up to work from the fireworks shop, I thought , well sod it, I'm going to come back down in the c*r to get this anyway, so I might as well leave the panniers behind as well, and I have to say the ride home was a lot more pleasant.

This morning I just used the top box for sarnies and rain legs, so I'm cutting down!

We'll see how it goes...
leave the panniers

Back on the bike!

Got the all-clear from the doc to start cycling again on Sept 4th. So that lunchtime, popped home and had my first ride for a month back to the office. This was notable for (i) number of cars in ASL's at red lights (ii) asian students walking out in the road while looking the other way- not a good idea!

That evening was the Sheffield Friday Night ride - Hidden Hillsborough. Mick who's imported this idea from London took us for a run up to the Birley stone near Grenoside, and then up the other side through to Loxley for a pub visit before heading back to Kelham Island. Mick has craftily scheduled the rides to be close to the full moon, and we were treated to beautiful, slightly pre-harvest moon as we crossed over to Loxley. I'm doing the next FNR, on the 2nd of October, on the topic of snickets, gennels and tracklements - why not come along?























Friday night riders check the view at the Birley Stone

The next day saw myself & the missus head up to Harrogate to join in the Sustrans
trailblazine ride for the Roses route - the next proposed Coast to Coast ride, joining the famous c2c and the trans-pennine trail. This route starts at Morecambe and will end at Bridlington.
If I hadn't broken my toe we would have joined the ride at Settle on the Friday, but we Settled
for Harrogate instead. So we caught the Northern Rail "fast" service to Leeds - normally no problem getting bikes on this train - and ran into Tony Gore, (big-T at Riding High) who was on his way to Scotland for a ride with his Airnimal in a bag. We continued to Ilkley and had a very pleasant ride over to Harrogate, climbing up to the Moors and passing the ominous domes of Menwith Hill.






















Windfarm with Menwith in the background.

We found the Sustrans gang enjoying Pizza in Harrogate, and arranged to meet
the next morning. We followed the Beryl Burton way between Harrogate and Knaresborough - a bit in need of TLC I thought - stopped for coffee by the Nidd, had an exquisite run along the river and made our way through to York, where a Green Fair was in progress and lunch was provided by the council. From what we saw the route will be very attractive to tourists, and hopefully the improvements that will be needed to bring it up to scratch will benefit local cyclists too. Having a couple of hours to spare we also sampled Route 65 to the north of York, along with the York-Selby route one of my favourites. Caught the train back to Sheffield with no problems (Despite having the wrong tickets!) and had a quick turnaround to go to Oxford for a training course. (I suppose I should mention that in the meantime, Sustrans rangers were gathering to prepare work for a new walking and cycling route through Beeley Woods)

Although the course (PRINCE2) was quite intensive, I did get a few opportunities to stroll around Oxford, and what a pleasant place it is - demonstrating that if a town is plesant to cyclle in it will be pleasant and loveable for everyone. The riverside path was buzzing with walkers, cyclists (inluding the inevitable sculling coaches) and joggers, while the road were also busy with cyclists. Oxford has implemented a default 20mph policy and this has really made the city a very pleasant place to be. I certainly wished I'd had a bike with me!

Coming up to date, on Saturday, 12th Sept, probably the best day of the year for weather, I went to a Sustrans Liaison Ranger East Mids meeting. Although Sheffield isn't really in the East Mids, my "patch" as a Liaison ranger used to cover NE derbyshire, until I hived it off to Paul Balderson who is doing a fabulous job of putting pressure on Chesterfield and Derbyshire councils to develop a rational cycling strategy for the area - there is a glaring omisssion in the NCN map, between Langley Mill and Chesterfield Station where you can pick up the TPT, although the route for cyclists heading for Sheffield could be made more attractive as well - which decidedly is in the E.Mids. Cyclists particularly in the east of Sheffield do make use of NE Derbyshire, and Nottingham & Derby aren't that far away, so my presence at these events is legitimate I feel.

Sustrans Liaison Rangers gather at Newark Castle station.

Getting to Newark was straightforward enough, again using the Northern "Fast" service to Nottingham, and an East Mids trains service to Newark (this train had 5 bikes on which didn't phase the conductor, in fact he wanted to chat about what would be the best bike for him to buy)



Newark is quite well sorted for bike routes - we sampled route 64 which uses a crafty combination of on and off-road paths to get you out over the railway, under the A64 and away through the fields towards Lincoln, and in a South-easterly direction take you towards Nottingham. Following the meeting I set off along this route towards Nottingham - the first few miles are on disused railway, then you take to quiet roads, heading into the Vale Belvoir before heading east towards Nottie. It was hot and I have to say it was hard going at first, still suffering from my four-week layoff, and two pints and a bellyfull of sarnies probably didn't help - I didn't seem to be able to rehydrate

The last section runs alongside the busy A52, and I opted to hop on the train at Bingham instead. I needed to be in Derby for early evening and was running short of time, so got on the canal towpath in Nottie to head out to Beeston Lock before switching to NCN6, then on the main road into Derby - should have peeled off a bit before I did though because I got onto the A52 again which is scary! Soon got into Pride Park though and along the river path which takes you through the city centre and along the Derwent to Little Eaton, where I met the missus and we headed into town for a Steve Earle concert which was excellent.

Off the bike :(

I dropped a tandem on my big toe (that's the easiest way to describe it) So I'm off cycling until Sept 4th according to the doc (although I might sneak on before then just to try it out) So I'm having an interesting time catching buses, walking and driving occasionally. Sheffield isn't too bad for driving around in August - however, when the schools and universities come back on stream it becomes a nightmare. (That's something everyone seems to be able to agree on!)

Northern rail & ride

Spent a fair amount of time on Northern at the weekend - train Sheffield - Brockholes, then cycled to Homlfirth to pick up route 68 which we followed through to Sowerby Bridge, switching to 66 to get to Hebden Bridge & Heptonstall where our friend lives. There are some hills on that route!. It's pretty much all on road so there are no maintenance issues to speak of, although the sign at Pole Moor is obscured by bushes. The cobbled path up to Heptonstall is a bad idea if you are wearing SPD's

However, I was struck by the crapness of the crossing of the M62 at Scammonden. There you are faced with a multi-million pound highway and you have to creep down an steep, loose unmade path. Then there are no signs at the bottom, or if there are, we missed them - so we went through the wrong tunnel and had to make our way along a glass-strewn track - throwing bottles out of cars must be a major way to relieve the boredom of travelling on the M62. Surely the highways agency could provide a decent crossing out of petty cash, or even the Vulnerable User crossings budget? To my mind it shows the contempt that the HA holds for cyclists.

Monday, got the train from Hebden Bridge to Leeds and hence to Sheffield - no problems with bikes on the trains there. I got off at Wakefield and had a rather wet ride over Emley Moor, but that's another story. Was however very pleased to see that the TPT through the Oxspring tunnel has been resurfaced with tarmac and an alternative route for horses (& masochistic MTB'ers presumably) Where the tarmac ends and it does get a bit rough again, an alternative road route has been signposted - good to see the needs of all users being taken into account and it looks as though more improvement work is under way.

Up and down the P*nistone Rd

Have been up and down the p*nistone rd a few times this week. The number of people using the cycleway has definitely increased - arriving at the Neepsend Lane there always seems to someone waiting on the other side. These lights take a long time to change in favour of cyclists, but when the traffic island is finished they will be quicker because it will be possible to only stop right-turning traffic to let cyclists & peds cross. Anyway the rule that you leave something in place for at least a year before Shefffield people will start using it seems to have been proved yet again.

Good to see Pedal Ready trainers teaching kids to cycle on the road at St Philips.
On the way back in this lunchtime, having picked up some spares from Butties and had a chat about the Next Bike project, I passed a lass on a mountain bike who was sticking to the road. She got caught in queueing traffic, then at a set of lights, and as a final insult had to stop for me as I crossed at Rutland Rd, she gave me a wave though, to say, OK you win this time! Off-road can be quicker.

Tram ride to Derbyshire

Set off early sunday morning to catch the cyclists special to waterthorpe. There were a few punters, on the family & women's rides. I split off to take the TPT down to Barrow Hill, then crossed over via Whittington Moor and Sheepbridge, to head for Baslow and the peak.

to be continued...

Snowcar gets a ticket

Spotted by one of colleagues...

London then and now

This is the text of a speech by Jenny Jones, Green member of the London Assembly.

I have posted it here because I want to add it to my boriswatch site: 

http://delicious.com/wildnorthlands/boriswatch

I think it shows why BJ is a very dangerous man indeed to have in charge of London. Apparently even the tories are a bit worried about him. 

Green Transport for a showcase city
18th October 2008
Cllr Jenny Jones AM

(Slide 1) Some of you will be coming to London for the Olympics in the
summer of 2012. I had hoped that when the world's media turned their focus
on London in four years time, that they would be surprised by how green the
city had become.

(Slide 2) Our previous Mayor, Ken Livingstone, was not only full of
aspirations - his green words were slowly being turned into a physical
reality by four years of having to do a budget deal with the Greens on the
London Assembly.

We had hoped to continue that process right through to the 2012 Olympics and
to showcase all the pioneering projects and changes that we had made in
London.

Alas, that is not the case and the new Mayor does not need the Green Party
member's votes on the London Assembly in order to pass his budget. Boris
Johnson, London's new mayor, has already cut some of our pioneering projects
and may well drop others.

I want to take you through the main achievements of the first eight years of
the Greater London Authority and set out our vision for creating a
sustainable transport system in London.

Then I will bring us back down to earth and look at what is happening under
our new Mayor.

(Slide 3) London as we are now

(Slide 4) London's big challenges

·                    London's population is growing fast.
·                    The public transport system is already over crowded and
roads congested.
·                    We need to contain that growth within London and avoid
building on green field sites in the south east of England.
·                    Achieving less pollution, even with a higher
population.
·                    Not enough money.

(Slide 5) Big solutions?

·                    Build on brown field sites and increase density of
development;
·                    Build low or zero carbon developments and
infrastructure;
·                    New public transport infrastructure,
·                    Reducing demand and a switch to walking/cycling.
·                    Using technology and behavioural change to reduce
pollution.

(Slide 6) Achievements
We have many achievements to be proud of.

1) Zero growth in traffic across London since 2000, despite rising
population and associated car ownership. This compares with 1.5% average
growth per annum in the UK.

2) A 5% switch from cars to public transport. Includes a record number of
people using the tube system (over a billion a year) and a 40% increase in
bus passengers since 2000.

3) Over 80% increase in cycling since 2000.

4) The fastest decline in road casualties of any region in the UK. 40% less
people are killed or seriously injured on London's roads now, compared to
the mid 1990s and this is 65% less children than in the mid 1990s – that
adds up to 600 less children a year killed or seriously injured on our
roads.

5) In the first eight years we had major innovations such as the
introduction of the Oyster card and Transport for London's (TfL) takeover of
the orbital railway in London.

From the licensing of the mini cabs, to river transport, the funding of car
clubs and door to door transport, London is now running a comprehensive
system, with something for everyone. It is not yet an integrated transport
system, but the cracks are getting smaller.



(Slide 7) My personal favourite was the congestion charge. This is
campaigners drinking champagne on the first day.

(Slide 8) We should also be proud of our Climate Change Action Plan.

I'd like to take you back to the list of solutions.

(Slide 9) Five solutions

Slide 10) Planning policy

Over 90% of new developments are on brown field sites in London.

London has tighter restrictions than the rest of the country, on how many
cars are allowed with new developments. There are now more car free
developments, although these are still the exception – even near public
transport hubs.

Nearly all areas of inner London are subject to parking restrictions and/or
resident only parking schemes.

Housing in London is now three times the density of many other regions in
London.

From 2001 to 2006, London's housing density increased from 48 dwellings per
hectare to 84 dwellings per hectare, as the Mayor's planning strategy took
full effect.

It is worth remembering that much of the most expensive and desirable real
estate in London is also in the most densely populated areas of London.

(Slide 11) Zero/low carbon developments

New developments must include 20% on site renewable energy. However, more
emphasis placed on the creation of combined heat and power generation.

A new zero carbon development is being built at Gallions Reach in east
London, just down the road from the Olympics. However, other zero carbon
developments will be slow to follow.

Public buildings and offices in London will be retrofitted with energy
conservation measures as part of the investment by the Clinton foundation
and the alliance of 40 major cities around the world who want to take action
on climate change.

Public transport infrastructure

The previous mayor had plans for a massive infrastructure programme in
London worth over £60bn between now and 2025.

The overwhelming majority of this massive investment is in rail and tube,
which currently accounts for only 15% of London's modal share.

Infrastructure being built

Tube upgrade – we are finishing the first seven years of investment and
because of part privatisation have gone well over the £8bn budget agreed for
the work (original cost to 2010).

Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension to Lewisham and eastwards through
the docklands.

East London Extension connecting the railway system in east London to the
tube.

(Slide 12) Infrastructure planned

Capacity improvements to the railway system in London (£7bn needed, but not
promised).

Tram schemes to replace over crowded bus services.

Crossrail connecting Heathrow airport with financial district of Canary
Wharf and also the poorer areas of East London (£13bn is latest estimate).

Creation of a green grid of new parks and inter-linked open spaces in East
London – making the new developments accessible by walking/cycling
(estimated cost £500m, still unfunded).



(Slide 13) Traffic reduction

Transport for London estimated in their strategy document 2025, that this
£60bn of investment still wouldn't be enough to meet the demand for
transport from a growing population. The gap between the demand for
transport and its supply would have to be filled by a combination of:

·                    More walking and cycling. Reversing the historic
decline in walking. Increasing cycling by 400%.
·                    Reducing the overall demand for travel.
·                    Road pricing (congestion charging) across the whole of
London.

The price of continuing to neglect pedestrians, the majority of road users,
will be severe overcrowding on buses, tubes and roads. My calculation is
that a 1% drop in walking could mean an extra 2 million motorised journeys
in London, compared to today.

Spending on walking and cycling in London has increased five fold since
2000. We are spending over £55m on cycling this year and due to initiatives
which greens put into place, that is likely to climb further next year.

Spending on traffic demand management measures has increased to over £30m a
year. These measures include mainstreaming school and workplace travel plans
throughout London – which have been very successful in reducing single
person car trips by an average of 5%.

We had received a commitment have modernised all 785 junctions which
currently have traffic lights that have either sub-standard crossings, or no
pedestrian signals at all.

The current mayor is trying to strike a balance between bring lights up to
national safety standards, whilst increasing motorised traffic flows.

I also hope that the Legible London project will have spread throughout the
capital, so that we have a consistent and user friendly signage system for
pedestrians.

(Slide 14) Technology and behavioural change

All the new buses coming into service by 2012 will be hybrids, saving over a
third on fuel and emissions.

(Slide 15) Talking people out of their cars

The budget for Travel Demand Management is £33m a year. Successes include:
·                    On target for every school to have a travel plan by
2009, average of over 7% reduction in school run – two million fewer car
journeys a year.
·                    TfL support for car clubs means that 85% of UK car club
members are in London.
·                    More than 150,000 additional people being covered each
year by workplace travel plans.

(Slide 16) The new Mayor

This is a Mayor without ideology, a philosophy, or a plan.

He has dropped the £25 emissions charge targeted at gas guzzling cars.

He is consulting on abolishing or watering down the western extension of the
congestion charge. If abandoned, it could cost TfL £70m a year and also lead
to traffic increasing by 15% as it returns to pre-charge levels.

Government has a deadline of end of October to go begging to EU for an
extension to the time it has to meet the EU limit values. This is a key
immediate issue for the mayor, who has a legal duty to improve air quality,
but he is currently on track to make things worse.

The Mayor is consulting on abolishing the mid year inspections for black
cabs, despite the 39% failure rate, the largest proportion of which is for
emissions

He is consulting on replacing the large capacity bendy buses, which would
mean a large increase in the number of buses on the road, and will increase
the cost to TfL, create more congestion and lead to a big jump in emissions.
Unless the consultation changes the Mayor's mind, Boris will be taking
decisions which make air quality worse, not better.

The Low Emission Zone has been retained and seems successful. However, the
big policy test for the mayor comes in 2010 with the extension of the scheme
to the huge numbers of light vans in London.

Boris has cut the hydrogen vehicle purchasing scheme – the biggest in UK, if
not the world. However, London is going ahead with purchase of ten more
hydrogen buses.

Emphasis is now on electric vehicles and creating more charging points
around London.

Conclusion

Unless the Mayor tightens up on planning and car parking standards then
London will be home to an estimated 400,000 extra cars by 2025.

The Stratford City development, next door to the Olympic site is one of the
worst examples of outdated and bad planning with over 10,000 new car parking
spaces.

The Olympic media centre was due to follow this car dependent habit with
over a thousand parking spaces, but this has now been halved in the legacy
plans.

Unless the planning and economic policies are changed in order to reduce
demand for travel, especially in central London, then over £60bn of
investment in rail and tube capacity will not be enough.

Unless the London mayor increases walking and boosts cycling by 400%, then
the roads and public transport system will clog up. London needs as many
people doing journeys by bike, as currently use the railway system.

We are likely to be spending over 70m on cycling next year as we bring in a
Velib style cycle hire and other cycle priority measures, but this is far
from enough.

Crossrail alone will be receiving an average of £500m a year in Government
subsidy for the next ten years. Yet, it will be used by a fraction of the
people who TfL is hoping to get on their bikes.

The Olympic visitors and documentary crews who come to London in 2012 and
examine our green credentials, will not be comparing London to how it was
four years before, but with how their own cities are in 2012.

Despite the fact that London was starting to lead the country in taking
action on climate change and sustainable transport, we are now going into
reverse gear. We are also falling behind what some other cities are
managing.

Whether it is the Paris 'velib' bike hire scheme, or the New York pledge to
get all their yellow cabs to become low emission hybrids, we should be
adopting the best from around the world.

Hosting the greenest games is one achievement, but being the greenest city
to ever host the games is a better one.

GREATER*LONDON*AUTHORITY

Find romance on a Supertram Cyclists Special!

cue drippy music...

It's nearly a year since Chris and Richard met on a Supertram Cyclist's Special. They were both single at the time, discovered they had common interests, like cycling, and to cut a long story short, they have now set up house together.

Here they are on that tram ride a year ago, and to mark the occasion Chris and Richard will be leading a ride on this January's special.

Who will find romance on a Supertram cyclists special this year? Come along on the 25th and find out!

(Supertram special leaves Cathedral Tramstop at 10 a.m. on the 25th.)
(pic: l-r, Tim, Chris, Richard, Patrice)

Cycling to the inauguration

Quite liked this story - this guy's riding across America to get to Obama's inauguration. Only problem is, he hasn't got a ticket! I need a miracle! (as the dead-heads used to say)