Cycling Demonstration Towns

Spender45

I have been asked to discussions with our local council about the possibility of making our local town a “cycling demonstration town” I have my own ideas and have seen some stuff from other towns on the internet but I wondered what you would like to see for a town of about 12,000 people, about 16 miles from the major population centre with very rural surroundings.

What works well and what doesn’t?

What is just rhetoric and what is real improvement?

Any radical ideas (that can show a cost benefit)?

thanks

GiantMike

The obvious:

Safer roads that protect cyclists

Proper cycle lanes that aren't full of broken glass and stones

Advertising

The less obvious:

Buses with the ability to carry bikes, so riders can ride to the major population centre and get the bus back. A 32 mile round trip is too far for the majority of bike owners

Cycling safety classes.

esspeebee

Look around the internet for one of the many videos showing how it's done in the Netherlands or Copenhagen (or many other places, but those are the best examples that spring to mind). They show what can really be done with a local government that actually wants to improve things, rather than just doing lip service to the idea.

cougie

I think Chester is one. I've ridden through it a few times on my travels but no idea how its changed. I havent noticed more bike lanes, and if anything the roads around it seem to have got worse.
More left turn only lanes leaving cyclists more vulnerable than they were in the past.

Tom Butcher

All schools should have secure bike sheds, same at major employers with wash facilities, safe bike parking in town centre - safe doesn't just mean a few bike stands it needs cctv or right outside the local police station or similar. Nobody will cycle anywhere if they can't leave their bike. There has been a big increase in kids cycling to school in Derby through a programme of new cycle sheds linked to cycle training - it's a real increase too I know because I did some of the counts for them.

Then I think you are looking at making some safe cycle commuting routes - i think off road is fine for these if the routes and money are there but you are looking at tarmac really - rough surfaces will put a lot of people off. I think a few good quality routes are preferable to lots of white lines painted on the pavement. Think about the main obstacles to cycle commuting - is there a stretch of DC which spoils an otherwise good cycle route.

Talk to the cycle demo towns and ask them I suppose - but do it with a little bit of cynicism - when they claim an increase in cycling ask who did the research - if it's their own counts then it's worth squat imo - they were hardly likely say they were a complete failure.