Cycling manifestos

deptfordmarmoset

I've just trawled through the manifestos that have been published so far to see where the bicycle fits in on the political highway. (Search terms: ''bike'' and ''cycl*''). Here then is the complete text that the 3 main parties have offered cyclists:

Conservative manifesto

We will support sustainable travel initiatives that work best for local communities by: giving the concerns • of cyclists much greater priority;

(Citing Freiburg as model of sustainability): Over the past 30 years, 500km of bike lanes and 9,000 bike parking sites have been put in place and, as a result, Freiburg now has the lowest car usage of any city in Germany

Labour manifesto

We will encourage more people to switch to rail with an enforceable right to the cheapest fare, while trebling the number of secure cyclestorage spaces at rail stations.

LibDems manifesto

Include the promotion of safer cycling and pedestrian routes in all local transport plans.

(UKIP, Plaid Cymru: no references found, the Greens' manifesto is awaiting publication)

Wooliferkins

You should see the vapid replies you get when you write to your prospective representatives via the CTCs Vote Bike links.

LittleB0b

You may also find this from the Guardian Bike Blog of intrest

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... st-pledges

including UKIP's "make cyclists get of and walk at roundabouts" pledge

:roll:

all show no go

What are the BNP going to do?

"British bikes for British people (and the bikes must be painted white only)".

deptfordmarmoset

LittleB0b wrote:

You may also find this from the Guardian Bike Blog of intrest

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... st-pledges

including UKIP's "make cyclists get of and walk at roundabouts" pledge

:roll:

Looks like I should have read the blog first!

spen666

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

....

(UKIP, Plaid Cymru: no references found, the Greens' manifesto is awaiting publication)

Trawl again!!!


Page 20 of UKIP manifesto deals with cycling

LittleB0b

spen666 wrote:

Trawl again!!!


Page 20 of UKIP manifesto deals with cycling

as in those pesky cyclists need dealing with ?

deptfordmarmoset

spen666 wrote:

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

....

(UKIP, Plaid Cymru: no references found, the Greens' manifesto is awaiting publication)

Trawl again!!!


Page 20 of UKIP manifesto deals with cycling

I just did. The April 2010 manifesto (http://www.ukip.org/media/pdf/UKIPManifesto2010.pdf) only has 16 pages with no references to bikes or cycling - so I guess you're looking at their road transport document. Which is fair enough but I looked at manifestos to gauge where bikes fitted in to the parties' general policy and presentation.

beverick

It did strike me that UKIP's manifesto, at 16 pages is a) the only one likely to be read (when compared to (Labour's 76 pages of twaddle and the Conservative's OTT 131 telephone directory) and b) the onlty one which can be printed without trashing half a forest's worth of tree.

Bob

spen666

beverick wrote:

It did strike me that UKIP's manifesto, at 16 pages is a) the only one likely to be read (when compared to (Labour's 76 pages of twaddle and the Conservative's OTT 131 telephone directory) and b) the onlty one which can be printed without trashing half a forest's worth of tree.

Bob

and it will last you in the barthroom for a few days until you get some more andrex

Porgy

beverick wrote:

the onlty one which can be printed without trashing half a forest's worth of tree.

Bob

don't print them then

deptfordmarmoset

And here's the Green Party's tuppence on the penny farthing:

Green Party

To encourage walking and cycling for shorter journeys and improve road safety we would:
• Reduce speed limits (e.g. to 20mph in built-up areas, including villages).
• Make streets safe; make them public spaces again. Plan for mixed-use developments where shops, housing and businesses are closely located and connected by pavements and cycleways.
• Introduce a maximum speed limit of 55mph on motorways and trunk roads, and 40mph on rural roads, to make them safer for all road users.
• Introduce schemes such as Home Zones, Safe Routes to School and pedestrianisation.
• Ensure that at least 10% of transport spending is on securing a shift to more active
travel like walking and cycling.

Expansion of public transport (and walking and cycling) is critically important to decarbonising
our transport infrastructure, which is the only sector in which climate-altering carbon
emissions are currently growing.

We would divert money currently being wasted on huge road projects and put more of the
UK’s transport budget into public transport, and especially into local schemes for walking,
cycling and bus travel.

• More money for sustainable transport officers to promote cycling and walking and carry out cycle training in schools.

Porgy

I'm torn between voting Green and spoiling my vote. I suppose it all depends on whether there's even a Green candidate in my area. There wasn't last time.

Stuey01

Green Party:
Introduce a maximum speed limit of 55mph on motorways and trunk roads, and 40mph on rural roads, to make them safer for all road users.

55mph on motorways! f*ck off.

Motorway speed limit should be going up not down. 80mph ftw.

lae

I think 70 is fine on motorways/dual carriageways. Per mile motorways are much safer than city streets and country lanes. The UK's motorways are the safest in Europe - and also the slowest - I definitely don't think the limit should be raised.

Fast country roads are the really dangerous roads and I think they should have a lower speed limit. Maybe lower the national limit from 60 to 50.

Also I think one of the major problems with speeding is the overly-refined nature of modern cars. I used to have a 1969 MGB which was faster than most little modern hatchbacks. If you were going too fast, you heard and felt it. If you took a corner too fast, you could feel the tyres squealing and the steering wheel squirming. Do the same speeds in a Citroen C2 and you'd feel nothing.

I suppose people don't want to be reminded that cars are dangerous though. Example - in the early 50s motor boom in the US, car manufacturers were well aware of the benefits of seatbelts and padded dashboards, but didn't install them - their marketing people explained this by saying it would hurt sales.

Porgy

Stuey01 wrote:

Green Party:
Introduce a maximum speed limit of 55mph on motorways and trunk roads, and 40mph on rural roads, to make them safer for all road users.

55mph on motorways! f*ck off.

Motorway speed limit should be going up not down. 80mph ftw.

But I don;t drive, so I don't care. :P

deptfordmarmoset

Bump!

Here's a commuting solution for Londoner cyclists from the Monster Raving Loony Party...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/ ... 628230.stm