Fellow cyclists - lets make them deliver!

Docsavage

Since Bristol has been announced as the UK's cycling city I think we need to get as big a demonstration as possible organised to show just how utterly piss poor the cycling provision actually is for us - the people who ride day in day out - through this city.

The idea that the council & governement can somehow take pride in this announcement makes me weep. If the badly thought through, inept, dangerous and second rate thinking that passes for Bristols cycling policy is to be held up as a beacon of the best in the UK then we all, every one of us need to stand up and say - hold on,a welcome announcement, but it's simply not good enough.
(if this place is the best, then god help the rest of you)

And we as cyclists need to get out there and show them what we actually need and what it actually does take to make the roads safer for us.
I'm not seeing the cyclists lobby actively represented here, Sustrans is based here but doesn't seem to be aggresively demanding action for the routes within the city, the CTC? nope
Who is there, the single cycling officer - Andy Whitehead? from BCC, please!!!!!

So fellow cyclists what do we do?

Crapaud

Docsavage wrote:

So fellow cyclists what do we do?

Form a campaigning group?

Up here we've got 'Go Bike!' which lobbies the council on cycling matters. We're regularly in contact with them and, believe it or not, they actually ask us for our views and opinions.

It's not perfect; the council don't always listen, but there is dialogue. In general, IMO, it's better to work constructively with the council than to protest, gripe, complain and be a thorn in their side.

Sea_Green_Incorruptible

I thought I'd start with a letter to the council at least to have my 'two penneth'. Below if you're interested....

Re. Bristol Cycling City

As a long time, all year round cycle commuter, I am writing to express my delight at the naming of Bristol as the UK’s first ‘Cycle City’. The Council has done a superb job of promoting Bristol in the scheme and for this should be warmly congratulated.

£100 million will clearly go a long way towards promoting and supporting cycling in the City. However, if this money is to have the impact it promises, it is essential that the council consults seriously and widely with existing cyclists as to what their everyday needs and frustrations actually are, and how these might best be alleviated.

In this context, I suspect that the two initiatives that will be of the most interest to established commuters concern cycle training and dedicated cycle ways.

The former is imperative. It is of key relevance for cyclists of course, but at least as important are cycle awareness campaigns for car and bus drivers. A little bit of knowledge on the part of drivers as to what to expect from cyclists, and how best to safely negotiate bikes on the road would go a long way towards diffusing some of the aggression and misunderstandings we meet with from some drivers on a daily basis.

Dedicated cycles lanes are also one of the main ways to make cycling safer. However, for these to be effective, they must be thoughtfully positioned, segregated from traffic if at all possible, and easily accessible. The ideal scenario would be to have segregated cycle lanes serving the main commuter approaches to the city centre, and extending well into the suburbs. Doing so would provide genuinely accessible cycle routes for commuters from all points of the compass in the city.

Some of these initiatives will inevitably involve prioritising cyclists over other road users to varying degrees, and if they are to be implemented properly will require courage and commitment on the part of BCC. You have already made a good start with this by securing the grant. I urge you to now deliver on it to its full potential.

Cunobelin

Howzabout Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride this weekend?