Ben

Goodness...it sounds awfully like a clone of the Welsh Assembly T&F group I
was on (and, if I recall, you made a presentation to).  Unfortunately the
task seems to be to draw up a strategy (or "list of projects", in WA terms)
and then disperse!

I wasn't very enamored with the group or the process, as I believe I told
you at the time.  One of the problems is the lack of follow-up which,
although we persuaded WA that a designated follow-up or monitoring group was
essential if "the Strategy" wasn't to become just a piece of paper.  I note
that the first follow-up group meeting was recently cancelled (not
postponed).

I'd suggest the group take time to determine what exactly the term strategy
means and what "the Strategy" should look like, as all too often (even in
the world outside academic and public sectors) it's badly done.  I'd
certainly take time to "interrogate" the VC to find out what he really means
by "making CU an exemplar of best practice".....you might find that it
doesn't actually mean getting more bums on bike seats with fewer accidents.
(I note your comments regarding the response from Finance...question: does
the VC speak for the University or just for the VC?!)

The lack of recognition of cyclists needs in the infrastructure is a real
problem around Cardiff, particularly given that, topographically speaking,
it's a good place to encourage cycling.  That said, a project dear to my
heart, which I use as a "worst practice" example, is the pedestrian/cycle
tunnel under the Boulevarde des Nantes (I've always wondered what that is in
welsh!) right next to the University.  Perhaps, rather than maps of routes
around the City (which Cardiff Corporation already issue) you could provide
a map of cycle hazards that cyclists should avoid.

One thing I did pick up while I was there last year is the number of foreign
students, particularly Chinese, who buy bikes to move around the University.
I talked with a few on my course and I really think an "acclimatization"
course (a much more user friendly term than "cycle training") for foreign
students would improve their experiences in traffic around the City and help
them avoid accidents (though I have no knowledge of any having had
accidents).

As regards institutions, Oxford and Cambridge may be useful places to try,
particularly as they seem to be involved in a couple of research projects
around cycling and sustainable travel.  For bad practice you might try
Lancaster, as I talked to a number of students there who weren't very
complimentary, despite the University's claims.

I'm down for Graduation in July (11/12th), if you're around I'll come by for
a chat, where's your office these days?

Cheers

John Meudell



-----Original Message-----
From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Benjamin Fincham
Sent: 25 May 2006 10:17
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Examples of institutional best practice

Dear All,

I have been co-opted onto a new Cycling Strategy 'task and finish' [whatever
that means] group at Cardiff University. There is no precedent here at the
University for any form of cycling strategy and it looks as though the VC is
keen to make Cardiff an exemplar of 'good practice'. In the long term this
will
involve working with the civic authorities to integrate whatever the
University
does on it's city centre and suburban campuses with a wider cycling strategy
for
the city.

This is really an appeal for ideas from everyone on the list for ideas or
examples of things that have worked/haven't worked, in terms of
institutional
initiatives around encouraging increased cycle use, from home to the
campuses
and between campuses. 

At the moment we are working on our short to medium term goals and this
includes all of the usual suggestions. A sensible map of routes around the
city,
better signage [is that a word?], visible infrastructure - bike stands etc,
pushing the promotional (events bike to work week that sort of thing). Also
the
great shower debate has begun, though Nick Oddy's point that if you need a
shower having cycled into work you've taken the wrong route swings it for
me.

So, in the first instance, is anybody working in an institution where the
cycle
scheme - bikes paid for through wages - operates? If you do, how did you
convince payroll that this was possible? Actually the finance dept are not
being
co-operative because they think it will involve lots of work for them.

Can anybody tell me about any University, or other large institution,
initiatives that we might be able to take stuff from.

Many thanks

Ben




Dr Ben Fincham
Research Associate
Qualiti
Cardiff School of Social Sciences
Cardiff University
59-60 Park Place
Cardiff
CF10 3AT
Tel +44 (0)29 2087 5322
www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi