SEPTEMBER 1999

Spen Valley
On a Positive Note...
Pavements and Fines
Breathing
Homezones
Dave Raynor Memorial Ride
Trouble in the City
To consult or not to consult, that is the question
For Sale
What Makes a Good Bike Shop, Good...?
The raw and the cooked
E-mail Lists
Next Meeting
Women's Bike Rides/Women's Cycling Group
Contacts

On 19^th May 1999 I wrote to two Councillors about the Spen Valley route.

Later in the letter I went on to ask what was going to be happening, a straightforward question you would think. I received no replies despite phoning one of the councillors' office to explain my predicament. Well if they don't want to communicate with me what am I to do?

I ended up telling my MP about it, he then contacted them and one of them replied. It was the leader of the Council who didn't and still hasn't as I write this, (24^th August).

New Labour, New... Entries on a postcard please.

editor's comment: no reply from my hard working local representatives, either. And they were surprised that people didn't turn out at the European elections...

On a positive note...

Take a look at the Queens Road and Valley Road junction when you have the time. We have in place (nearly!), the second part of a route from Shipley to the City centre. It coincides with the Valley Road toucan crossing put in last year. Its intention is to be part of a quite route as an alternative to the bustle of Manningham Lane and Valley Road. Indeed for those who braved it last year, it is one of the National Bike Week routes. It uses the back roads, in places pavements and signalled junctions. Send us your comments on it, so we can feed it back into the system.

Pavements and Fines

Fines are to be imposed on cyclists who (perish the thought) take to the pavements 'irresponsibly'. It is claimed that "the introduction of a fixed penalty for cycling on the pavement from 1 August will provide the police sevice with a direct and simple means of dealing with inconsiderate cycling. It is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of dangerous traffic on the roads, and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief officers recognise that the fixed penalty will need to be used with a considerable degree of discretion and it cannot be issued to anyone under the age of 16." Sounds pretty unhelpful though - most of the pavement cyclists I meet are under 16! And there's nothing to prevent a local bobby from getting carried away and labelling all pavement cyclists as 'irresponsible' - whether avoiding heavy traffic or not. Reminds me of the Criminal (In)Justice Bill - badly focussed, more to do with getting a bit of positive PR spin... Given the number of cycle paths that are on-pavement, there also seem to be mixed messages about where cyclists should be.

Positively, since the road is where, most of the time, cyclists want to be (since it's the fastest and smoothest route), at least this does make clear that cyclists have a right to be there on the road...

Breathing

If you breathe in vehicle exhaust fumes while cycling, do you get more or less polluted an atmosphere than the occupants of the vehicles themselves? A recent report from the ETA (Environmental Transport Agency), based on surveying papers on this subject, indicated a lower average level of pollutants in the air breathed by cyclists, as compared to that experienced by vehicle users themselves. The report says "Cars offer little or no protection against the pollutants generated by vehicle traffic. Road users can be exposed to significantly elevated levels of pollutants as they are, in effect, travelling in a 'tunnel' of pollution." Cyclists, being nearer to the edge of this tunnel, and experiencing blasts of less polluted air, are less affected (as pedestrians). Interestingly enough, cyclists do better than users of public transport. But the report doesn't answer the question as to the affects of different highs and lows of pollution exposure. A cyclist, I guess, gets a few really high exposures (4WD burning diesel like it was going out of fashion[I hope] goes by) and some really low levels, whilst car drivers get a more even-ed out, but on average higher, exposure. The following table gives you the picture relative to background levels (so "2" indicates twice background l;evel). Useful, and some good news...

See www.eta.co.uk/tr/pj/polution/roadpol.htm.

Home Zones(again)

You may have noticed that Home Zones, an initiative of such organisations as the Children's Play Council and others, have been in the news. Basically, it's a zone where the speed limit comes down to 10mph and pedestrians have priority (legally I believe) over vehicles.

In a very welcome initiative, there are to be nine trial 'home zones'. But why only nine? Well, I suppose it gives them a chance to get it right, with the right street furniture, etc, to slow the lethal metal boxes down. On the other hand, any visitor to many continental countries, such as Holland, can't help but notice that just about every residential district has these sort of zones - so couldn't we just copy them (albeit in our belated and foot dragging fashion)? Lord Whitty, at the announcement, was reported in the media as saying ""Home zones could improve the streets in which many of us live, by striking a better balance between the needs of drivers and of the local community - particularly children and elderly people. Although I believe that these pilot projects will provide an understanding of how we can return streets to residents, we nevertheless have to be sure they are effective in meeting the requirements of the community as a whole." Eh? what community as a whole is this - I don't think there can be much compromise about children's right to play safely in our streets, and certainly no compromise with the local rocket ships.

A spokesman from 'Reclaiming the Streets' said ""The car has been king for too long in our towns and cities. Each year, hundreds of children are killed, thousands injured and millions kept under virtual house arrest because of fears about traffic. It's time for residential streets to be reclaimed for the people who live in them. " Of course, the AA was a bit unsure about it all - and didn't want the schemes to run away with the idea of giving pedestrians priority, etc, in the way that they claim traffic calming has got a bit uppity.

Well you can see a Home Zone in our region, but not, of course (you weren't that foolish were you?) in Bradford. There's one in Leeds - The Methleys, Chapel Atherton - an area of mainly terraced houses surrounded by main roads. Visit the home zones website for more information: www.ncb.org.uk/cpchz.htm

Dave Rayner Memorial Ride

TROUBLE IN THE CITY...

TO CONSULT OR NOT TO CONSULT...

THAT IS THE QUESTION

Since the early days of BCAG we have always had a good working relationship with the Council. This has mainly come about through the Cycle Liaison meetings that are held on a regular basis. Any member can attend; the next ones are Tuesday 7^th September and 9th November 1999 at 17:30 hours in City Road Training Room.

At these meetings we inform each other of up and coming events and work in progress. In future editions of Bikerights we hope to give you snippets of what's gone on. National Bike Week is a particularly good bit of joint working that goes through this meeting. Different Council officers attend at different times, usually the ones who turn up are from highways and road safety, sometimes recreation and planning.

The meetings are not that exciting it has to be said, (no I'm not trying to put you off please attend), but a necessary evil. In the past we were consulted over the TPP but now it is the LTP, Local Transport Plan. That is the bid the council gives to the Government and they then decide how much money will be given to the Council for the next period. Over the last few years the Government has increasingly been looking for more bus, bike and pedestrian stuff.

However, there does seem to be a bit of a lull in the proceedings. Some of us also attend the really boring, but free food, Council committee meetings. That way we sometimes find out more. We may however be coming part of the furniture, a bit predictable.

Certainly we were not consulted properly over the LTP or other schemes. The latest one is over the proposed Guided Bus for Manchester Road. For a year now officials have told us that we will be consulted over the design of the proposed development. Now we have been sent the drawings and asked to comment. In our book that is not consultation-that is something else. We have invited the Council to present the proposals at our meeting on 15^th September.

Lets not become part of the furniture, lets kick up a fuss. Lets write to Councillors and ask them what is being done for cyclists. They will become interested in the issue and write back saying something like, " ...the council is doing all that it can at the present moment..." Well knowing what that means, it's not good enough for me. I hope that it is good enough for you.

For Sale

Collectors Bicycles

Raleigh Roadster-1940s black, hub dynamo, rod brakes etc... and new tyres.

Good mechanical order £30.00

New Hudson-1930s black, rod brakes etc... Needs partial renovation includes original badges, transfers and basket.

Good mechanical order £20.00

Halfords-1960s women's bike with single gear, rusty wheels but a comfortable ride.

Good mechanical order £7.00

Touring Bicycle

Dawes Super Galaxy-23.5" frame 531^st Shimano 18 gears, rear Blackburn rack, grab ons, mirricycle mirror.

Very good condition £150.00

Phone Brian 587206 (Shipley).

What makes a good bike shop good?

How come it's so difficult to get people onto bicycles? However out of condition you are, in the nice weather of recent times it seems inconceivable that being shut in a metal box with windows can be as nice as being out there in the sun and gentle breeze. Just to the shops and back is an excellent start. But what makes people change their pattern of life? Following the pioneering work of socio-cultural-anthropo-postmoderno-semiologists, I offer the following thesis: people don't like to do anything that transgresses their usual behavioural norms. People are very concerned to do peer approved things (drink the right drink, move in a tin can, etc). This explains the look of incomprehension [and even fear] you get from non-cyclists. "What! cycle 500 yards to the shops?!" - you might as well ask them to eat insects or go naked. Primal fears. But what do we do...?? Get them cycling before they fully develop the taboo? Wait for cultural change? Make it trendy? (wear more lycra?)...? Yea brothers and sisters, we are pioneers, surfing the breaking edge of cultural change... Thoughts to the editor...

E-MAIL LISTS

A new e-mail network for debate on regional transport in our area has now been established, courtesy of Friends of the Earth, and is now available for you to register. This is how you do it:

- send an email to: majordomo@foe.co.uk

- leave the subject line blank

- in the body of the email, type: subscribe yorkshumb_transport

You should receive back an instant response from the FOE computer, telling you that you have successfully registered, and how to use the network.

Next BCAG Meeting:

Hear about the Manchester Road proposals from council officers (guided bus corridor with cycle provision) September 15th 7.30pm at the BCAG meeting in the Chapel St. Resources Centre. Get involved - shape the future, don't be a victim of it!

WOMEN'S BIKE RIDES:

Sept 12th 7pm Anne a492631

Sunday rides 9.30am Meet Toller Lane/Heaton Park Drive 15-20 miles Anne a492631/Jane 499336/Julie 401735

September 18th Bradford-Ilkley-Bolton Abbey Jane a499336 - transport to Ilkley for those who wish, or train.

For more information about the women's cycling group, phone Anne (Bradford) 492631

To join BCAG, please send a cheque for £5 payable to 'BCAG' to BCAG, c/o The Resources Centre, Chapel Street, Bradford; or even better - come along to a mtg

BCAG Contacts (telephone and e-mail)

Chair: Titch Kavanagh (Bfd 493995)titch@legend.co.uk>

Secretary: Mike Healey (Bfd 602394 eves; 744877 days)

Treasurer: Pete Latarche (Bfd 482176) pyotr@legend.co.uk

Bikerights Editor: Steve Carr (Bfd 734723) smcarr@zetnet.co.uk

send articles, etc, to: Steve Carr, Flat 3, 1 Barkerend Rd, Bradford, BD3 9AF