Category Archives: pavements

Bringing the Arms race to Darlington

Posted on by Posted in cars, infrastructure, Northern Echo, pavements 2 Comments

As one local cyclist yesterday commented on Twitter, apparently it is OK to incite violence towards cyclists. From the letters page of the Northern Echo:

READERS afflicted by pavement cyclists may be interested in a device my brothers and I made a few years ago for a TV programme. It consisted of a steel plate studded with spikes and hinged at one end which could be attached to a walking stick and folded up. On the approach of an errant cyclist on the footpath, a flick of a finger could deploy this mini stinger into the cyclist’s path. The resultant punctures to a bike tyre immediately transformed the rider to a pedestrian.

P W Anderson, Consett , County Durham

This declaration of cold war by the Echo has just been warmed up somewhat by a snappy response by blogger Karl McCracken:

The thing is, I’ve been thinking for some time that I need a sting in my own tail . Just as PW Anderson feels the need for a first-strike weapon against bicycles, I feel I need one against certain drivers. In this crazy arms race, I’ve realised that I need something to really discourage those drivers who think they can pass as close as they like – so long as they don’t actually hit you , there’s no harm done. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Could this be what is termed the “Green Economy” in action, the “jobs answer” to the proposed slashing of North East jobs by our new government? Whatever, we look forward to the Northern Echo’s next joyful celebration of cyclist bashing.

PS Memo to Peter Barron : Many new cyclists use pavements, particularly alongside busy roads, when there is no cycle path. Discuss.

Tolerant Shared Space=Imagination

Posted on by Posted in inspiration, non-cyclists, pavements

With all the hoo-ha in the local press recently from (certain) pensioners wanting cyclists banned from the town centre, what a breath of fresh air to see the tolerant sharing of what is in this case – compared to the broad boulevards of Darlington – very limited space.

And an imaginative way to push your baby along as well.

Cyclists and Disabled Unite

Posted on by Posted in non-cyclists, pavements, Pedestrian Heart, pedestrians, stories, symposium 1 Comment

Today’s Northern Echo has a letter in its Hear All Sides section from Gordon Pybus, chair of Darlington Association on Disability. Here is the Cycling Campaign’s reply:

Dear HAS,

What a pity that Gordon Pybus, of all people, encourages prejudice. His letter (HAS 15th Feb) damns all cyclists as “a real danger to pedestrians”, before demanding that we use a cycle route of his imagination (“there is a cycle path around the ring road”) instead of the Pedestrian Heart.

I leave the question of Tim Stahl’s evidence that cyclists usually come off worse in collisions with pedestrians to him – he did work for many years in the Memorial Hospital’s A&E after all. But public evidence does show where cyclists get hospitalized – the ring road, where 45 cyclists have been seriously injured since 1988, and one killed. “I believe that motorists provide a real danger to cyclists” is a phrase that has all the backing of cold statistics, but not all motorists are dangerous, nor should they be banned from the ring road.

Gordon calls for cyclists to “be in the correct setting”. Well, we wholeheartedly agree. Please let’s look more closely at the bicycle as a unique form of transport, and not as some kind of “motor vehicle without a motor”. “Correct settings” are finally appearing here and there in the town, designed with cycling in mind, and not by the bizarre visions of car driving traffic engineers.

But even these “correct settings” are not going to segregate us from disabled pedestrians. Cycle paths are actually very pleasant surfaces for wheelchairs, and I see no reason why they should not be used as such. As Darlington Cycling Campaign continually stresses, we want to encourage responsible, considerate cycling in the Pedestrian Heart. It really is time to wake up to the fact that there are many ordinary citizens in Darlington who also cycle, and do not wish any harm on others.

But there is another reason for encouraging cycling in the town – to make our environment and our people healthier. Because Darlington is a Cycling Demonstration Town, we now have a unique chance to make a collective difference by making cycling safe, attractive and convenient to people who currently drive their car on short journeys (how many town centre pedestrians arrive by car, I wonder?) . That is why cycling needs to become less of a war of attrition with the motorist, and more a pleasant way to get from A to B.

So come on Gordon, stop building walls between us and chasing us back on to the roads. Sign up for the Cycling Symposium (http://cyclingsymposium.blogspot.com/) on March 17th and join other good-willed people in trying to make that vision a reality.

Richard Grassick
Chair, Darlington Cycling Campaign

Saddled with traffic – or dodging the pedestrians

Posted on by Posted in 20MPH, Bikes, cars, pavements, Pedestrian Heart, pedestrians, speed limits

THE bike slowly wobbles along St Cuthbert’s Way, past the magistrates’ court and police station.

It clings nervously to the kerb as huge buses, lorries, and vans zoom past it.

The bike reaches Victoria Road roundabout, near Feethams, and comes to an uncertain stop.
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As the cyclist waits to turn right, the truck in front spits fumes over him. The cars behind rev menacingly.

This is cycling on Darlington’s ring road – intimidating and unpleasant.

A feature article, Saddled with traffic – or dodging the pedestrians by Owen Amos appeared in today’s Northern Echo on page 11, and is available online.