Bike blog | The Guardian – Tagged "Local government" – Page 2

Cycling, Environment, Life and style, Local government, Local politics, Politics, Road safety, Road transport, Society, Transport, Transport policy, UK news - September 3, 2020

Road closed or open? The signs revamping low-traffic neighbourhoods

Fearing red signs sent the wrong message, one resident created an alternative – and councils are taking note

An alternative road sign is being adopted by communities around England to promote the benefits of low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTN).

Finding that the official signs on the temporary barriers installed in her own LTN in Brixton, London, conveyed the wrong message, Sarah Berry and other local residentsdesigned a green sign reading “road open to” with icons showing pedestrians, a scooter user, a wheelchair user and a bicycle.

I never imagined when I whipped this together on illustrator a month or so ago that soon Councils would be installing them as official road signs. https://t.co/QPG9n4675R

London’s cycle network overhaul has come to a standstill

Sadiq Khan’s claims to have built 140km of cycling infrastructure are simply false

Among the more amusing frauds of the energy company Enron was the time, in 1998, when it decided to create an entire fake trading floor at its Texas HQ – complete with TVs, computers, and shirtsleeved guys shouting down phones – to fool Wall Street analysts visiting for its annual general meeting.

Now, however, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appears to be aiming for something even more ambitious – an entire fake cycle network. I am in south-west London, in an alley about six feet wide, wedged between a railway line and the back garden fences of Southdown Road. According to Khan, this is the Wimbledon to Raynes Park Quietway, part of the 140km of cycle infrastructure, which he claims to have built since taking office.

London's new official plan for cycling is bold but has a major flaw

With no new infrastructure or funding, questions remain on how to genuinely democratise cycling in a big city

London has a new official plan for cycling. It’s full of bold statements of intent and has some interesting ideas. That’s the good news. Here’s the drawback: within the 59 glossy pages I could detect no new plans for cycling infrastructure.

This all might seem a bit niche, not to say London-centric. But there is a wider lesson here: if cities are to truly move ahead in making cycling everyday and for everyone, good intentions aren’t enough. It involves political boldness, and taking risks.

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Local government RSS

Road closed or open? The signs revamping low-traffic neighbourhoods

London’s cycle network overhaul has come to a standstill

London's new official plan for cycling is bold but has a major flaw

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