Police on bikes

I've commented before on how times have changed. Again a local firm (or branch) has donated bicycles to the police, this time in Abbey Ward, saying "We believe these bikes will be positive for the community".

It doesn't seem that long ago when bicycle based policing would have been seen as absurd, and parodied as a nostalgic hark-back to "bobbies on bicycles".

Heaven for petrol heads

Not a headline to gladden the hard of a sustainability campaigner, but Motorways' advert in the council newspaper The News features a photo with bicycles outside, and mentions being "expert when it comes to ... bicycles" in the text. They are in Church Street Dagenham. Tel: 020 8592 0294

Boris Bikes

I've just signed up for the Boris Bikes. I had to pay £3 for the key and £1 up front for an access period of 24 hours. That period doesn't start till I use the key, and it will auto renew once it expires (ie 24 hours after I use the key).

Doesn't seem too bad given that I'm unlikely to use it enough to warrant annual membership.

The Road to nowhere

The "new" road from Freshwharf Road to Jenkins Lane is still blocked off by gates near Jenkins Lane, a heap of bricks at the southern gate and concrete girders at the junction with Jenkins Lane. I just found in my records an e-mail from 2004 when I complained about the no-entry except buses signs that they managed to erect before even completing the road. They're still there.

Cyclists not welcome at Abbey Retail Park

I noticed this some time ago and suspect it has been like it for a long time. The Abbey Road emtrance to the estate has been segregated - HGVs in one lane and "Cars only" in the other. Charming.

Helsinki cycling study

http://www.bikexprt.com/research/pasanen/index.htm

The author comes down in favour of helmet compulsion where there is a low cycling rate anyway, and against the (segregated) cycle tracks that are a feature of many continental cities and often held up as best practice.

He says that cyclists are better off in mixed traffic than on (segregated) tracks.

LCC wants space for cycling

This is likely to be the tag line for London Cycling Campaign's headline campaign for the 2012 Mayor & GLA elections. It is suitably broad to allow for the spectrum of views within LCC as to what to do on the ground to encourage and facilitate cycling, without opting for any one type of solution.

www.lcc.org.uk

3 feet please

David Love, progenitor of London's Freewheel event (Skyride) has started a new campaign to persuade motorists to leave three feet between their car and cyclists. The idea has provoked debate in cycle campaigning e-mail discussion groups, but it does try to deal with the rather subjective guidance in the Highway Code - leave at least as much space as you would for a car.

http://3feetplease.org.uk

Commuter cycling and sickness absence

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20580736

Conclusion: "Cycling to work is associated with less sickness absence. The more often people cycle to work and the longer the distance travelled, the less they report sick"

The Health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20587380


Says (according to CTC's CycleDigest) that the health benefits of cycling are on average nine times greater than the risks associated with driving a car.

Bye bye Class 150

The class 150 trains on the Barking & Gospel Oak line, introduced in 1999, have bowed out gracefully in favour of the shiny new class 172s. The last 150 I saw was on Wednesday, I think.

Video production workshop Sat 16 Oct

Video workshop (Sat 16 Oct, 10-1pm)

Capture – Edit – Deliver: three simple steps to your campaigning video. There are still spaces available. To book go here http://lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1722.

LCC needs new office manager

The London Cycling Campaign is recruiting an office manager. Salary c £25K, closing date 20 October.

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=2094

Ask for Cycle Parking

There's now an interactive website you can use to pin point on a zoomable map where you think there should be cycle parking. The site has been created for the London Cycling Campaign. Please note that the map doesn't show where there is cycle parking.

http://www.cycleparking4london.org.uk/

Abuse of cycle lanes, ASLs, etc

There's now a website where you can upload photos of motorists parking / stopping in or otherwise obstructing cycle lanes/tracks, advanced stop lines, etc. The perpetrators shown this far include not only "white van man" and taxi drivers, but the police.

http://london.mybikelane.com/