infrastructure

No Ring Road Required

I've heard it said many times that the cycling infrastructure is easier in the Netherlands because all their towns have ring roads. The argument is that a ring road allows one to treat a city as a set of segments connected only via the ring road, with motor traffic prevented from crossing from one segment to the next except via the ring road. With through motor traffic removed, other roads become quiet enough for cycle traffic.

Police enforcement of ASLs

Picture showing correct use of advanced stop lines.

Cars stopping in the Advanced Stop Line (ASL) box is something that many people who cycle complain about. In London, the police use CCTV cameras to enforce ASLs, and drivers can receive a £60 fine and 3 points on their license for abusing ASLs, but in the West Midlands we often feel that police are not interested in enforcing ASLs. And now we might have a reason why.

A Holistic Approach

Dutch train

The Dutch have taken a holistic approach to infrastructure. The obvious signs of this will be apparent to anyone arriving by plane at Schiphol. The large, modern train station is directly below the airport, and since the trains are electric, unlike Birmingham New Street the environment is quiet and free of diesel fumes. On every other door of each train there will be a bicycle symbol, because it is expected that people will arrive at stations on a bike and may want to take that bike with them for their onward journey at the train's destination.

When Reducing Rat-Running the Small Details Matter

New junction design at the Warwards Lane junction with Pershore Road

Sometimes it is just the little details that can make a difference to the feel of residential streets, and this is one such situation. As part of the Local Sustainable Transport Funds (LSTF) works along Pershore Road, the junction where Ribblesdale Road, Warwards Lane and Pershore Road meet has had an central island built to prevent motor traffic from turning right out of Ribblesdale Road onto Pershore Road.

Leicester Leading the Midlands

Leicester city centre

Chris and I recently took a trip to Leicester to see for ourselves what is going on there. My attention had been drawn to it by a series of blog posts by the Ranty Highwayman. Leicester has been attracting the attention of cycling campaigners because the city council is getting on with the job of building proper cycling infrastructure. It has done so without any Cycling Ambition Grant funding.

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