 |
 |
Phil Jones I understand what you are saying however I am inclined to the negative mindset if that is what you must call it . One junction will not produce the result we are all working towards. I could send photos and locations of some good sections but we ate still suffering from an old design manual which persists in mixing peds with cyclists and layout junctions which are virtually unusable with a cargo bike or trailer. We have excellent segregated infrastructure in Kesgrave near Ipswich . Purpose built in a new housing development many years ago. But definitely not reallocated roadspace. This has lead to nationally exemplary levels of people cycling to the local primary and high schools. Can't see any results happening like this in Anytown without major political will and mind shift on behalf of the public. Each town tackled as a whole to produce a fully functioning network. The council here won't even tackle on pavement parking they are so afraid of the car lobby. Best wishes Kevin <div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Phil Jones <[log in to unmask]> </div><div>Date:21/05/2015 4:11 PM (GMT+00:00) </div><div>To: [log in to unmask] </div><div>Subject: Re: Cycle Proofing Case Studies - stakeholder consultation </div><div> </div>John I’m afraid I disagree. We have many many blogs, tweets, conferences and books pouring scorn on UK cycling infrastructure, it’s been going on for years and it hasn’t worked. Decision makers just don’t engage with it. The exercise is not as cynical as you think, and as one of the people who posed it I do take some umbrage. It is a genuine attempt to find those ice cubes in hell, work out how they were made and say to other authorities – look, you can do this, people in the UK will cycle if you give them what they need. Come on folks, let’s try to get out of the negative mindset. There must be some good stuff out there, even if it’s only one link, one junction. Let’s say what we do want, and point to an authority that’s managed to achieve it, rather than keep banging the same old drum. Phil Phil Jones Associates Seven House, 18 High Street Longbridge, Birmingham, B31 2UQ T. 0121 475 0234 M. 07958 473498 From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Meudell Sent: 21 May 2015 15:58 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Cycle Proofing Case Studies - stakeholder consultation John Interesting but I find both the poor question definition and the short time available for response indicative of a more traditional “we have to ask the question but we’re not interested in the response” approach to public/stakeholder consultation. The question is so woolly as to be meaningless, but I have no doubt that local authorities along with Sustrans will be queueing to tell you what a good job they are doing…… It’s an example of the “first law of physics practical” at play…..”First draw your line and then plot your points”. Translated that means: first decide the answer you need and then find the data to support that, ignoring any information to the contrary. I am fully supportive of the views expressed regarding the lack of examples of “good (let alone competent)” cycle infrastructure design, be it on- or off-carriageway…..they are so few and far between in the UK as to be irrelevant. A study of poor examples would be far more informative and productive, in terms of both narrow and broad learning. Furthermore the study, if it’s to be of any use, would also need to identify the generic mistakes in planning and design, something I am absolutely sure government and local authorities don’t want to know. To quote “the second law of physics practical”…..the only experiments you learn anything from are the ones that get cocked up. Translated that means it is the case that knowledge and understanding are more often extended and improved through examination of mistakes than things that go exactly as planned. But requires recognising and analysing mistakes…. and changing. At a recent UCL lunchtime I, along with Graham Smith and others, suggested that you would have to look a long time back in time to find good examples of cycle infrastructure, of any type, in the UK. My own (favourite) examples date back to 1985 and 1967 (in the latter case the layout appears in the current CROW guide!) The fact is that “Best Practice Books” are so 1990’s, the concept having been undermined by the ease at which many organizations (both public and private sector) were able to neuter and eliminate critical comment. To be honest you’d have been better off researching best practice in public consultation first….its clear WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, along with the Department of Transport, have little idea how to do it! Cheers John Meudell C.Eng, MIMechE From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Parkin Sent: 20 May 2015 14:49 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Cycle Proofing Case Studies - stakeholder consultation Importance: High Dear Cycling and Society research Group List members (UK members), I am part of the study team for the study described below. Please respond if you are able to. ------------------------- WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, on behalf of the Department for Transport, is compiling a set of Case Studies that exemplify high quality, high performing cycle infrastructure in the UK. Please could you recommend good on-highway cycle solutions that the DfT could publish as Case Studies? We are particularly interested in on-highway cycle solutions, rather than cycle facilities located away from the highway (except where a highway project derives part of its success from them). If you are not sure, send anyway! Please send us your suggestions as soon as possible – and by Wednesday, 10th June at the latest – using this link: http://goo.gl/forms/Wg8aG6VJxo Thank you for your help in this. Kind regards Carole Lehman [log in to unmask] Regards John Parkin, Professor of Transport Engineering University of the West of England, Centre for Transport and Society Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK t: +44 (0)117 32 86367 (NB I can pick up my landline via wifi in May and June while I am in Vienna) m: +44 (0)7848 029 902 (NB moble inoperable in May and June while I am in Vienna) Skype: john.parkin9, Twitter: @JohnParkin28 Publications: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/view/author/Parkin=3AJohn=3A=3A.html www.uwe.ac.uk/research/cts and https://www.facebook.com/ctsuwe