£2 billion package to create new era for cycling and walking

[whole diary]

[Lee]

As I am sure many of you have just seen, Boris Johnson has just reinforced this with a "take the car, even better walk or cycle, but dont use public transport unless absolutely necessary" message.

I have to say that this, coupled with the drastic reduction in capacity necessitated by the 2 metre social distancing rule, makes me greatly fear for the ability of public transport in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) to come back from this in a form or scope that we would previously recognise.

The need for effective advocates to go in to bat for public transport as a result has never been so acute.

[Bmblbzzz]

It's expressly meant to be "reallocat[ing] road space to people walking and cycling". In other words, taking space from the main carriageway, not from pavements. It also says "Facilities should be segregated as far as possible, i.e. with physical measures separating cyclists and other traffic. Lanes indicated by road markings only are very unlikely to be sufficient to deliver the level of change needed, especially in the longer term."

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reallocating-road-space-in-response-to-covid-19-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities/traffic-management-act-2004-network-management-in-response-to-covid-19

It's encouraging that someone in DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) realises this. Unfortunately, plans are implemented by LAs and many find it hard to build (or even paint) to current standards. I'm hoping there will be some way of enforcing standards.

[Red Squirrel]

Something doesn't add up here.

A tube line, I seem to remember reading somewhere, has the same capacity as a 12-lane motorway. If tube capacity is reduced to 20%, then you'd need a network of ten-lane motorways to accommodate the remaining 80% if everyone switched to their cars. Then of course you'd need somewhere for them to park...

Plans to expand active modes may help, but fall short of a solution. In 2015 2% of people cycled to work. Even if this is multiplied by 10 (and walking by 5), that still leaves a huge number of people with no way of getting around. And these new pop-up cycle lanes will take road space away from car users.

It's really hard to see how this circle can be squared.

[Bmblbzzz]

Presumably there has to be an allowance for continued WFH^▸ (Working From Home) too. And, less optimistically, fewer people working. In practice, I think social distancing will be put aside on tube etc (as it is already on pavements, come to that) and partly for this reason, public transport will become the can't-afford-a-safe-car option.

[CyclingSid]

Well some local authorities appear to be doing something:

https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/news/2020/may/our-response-to-bristol-city-council-s-package-of-transport-improvements/

https://www.bikebiz.com/temporary-cycle-network-to-aid-liverpools-covid-19-recovery/

plus more guidance from MHCLG
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safer-public-places-urban-centres-and-green-spaces-covid-19

[Red Squirrel]

Something symbolic in this to an old Bristolian like me: 'Bristol', or Bricgstowe, means 'the place of the bridge'. Using the kind of spiralling logic that we Bristol folk are famous for, the bridge in question is the one that spans the river Avon (from afon, meaning...er... river) near the top of Baldwin Street: Bristol Bridge. So in case this is unclear, we are talking about the bridge at the place where the bridge is that goes over the river that's a river.

In the 1930s Bristol Bridge was the crossroads of the south-west, where the A4 crossed the A38. Most of this through traffic now uses the M4 and M5, and various bypasses have diverted much of the local traffic away, but it has remained a busy junction. Until now! Bristol Bridge, and both ends of Baldwin Street, are to be closed to private motor cars.

Better still, this is not temporary; it is just an acceleration of existing plans.

More please!

[Bmblbzzz]

The Post shows a map with a few additional closures, or rather pedestrianisations, of roads in the Old City.

[Red Squirrel]

Indeed. Source is here: https://news.bristol.gov.uk/news/pandemic-accelerates-revamp-of-bristols-transport-network

[Bmblbzzz]

If those maps are to be taken at face value, we have to conclude that Broad Quay, presently buses only, will be opened to all traffic. This is probably a failure of graphic design (I'm hesitant to call it cartography) but might be something more sneaky.

[Red Squirrel]

If those maps are to be taken at face value, we have to conclude that Broad Quay, presently buses only, will be opened to all traffic. This is probably a failure of graphic design (I'm hesitant to call it cartography) but might be something more sneaky.

Well... to be fair, the streets shewn (see what I did there?) in grey don't appear in the legend, so they could be anything. Cartography's harder than some people might think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwprznh3d-o

[Bmblbzzz]

the streets shewn (see what I did there?)

No, I don't, apart from using an archaic spelling of shown. Normally when people say "see what I did there" my reaction is "it's obvious, and pointing it out just spoils the joke" but on this occasion I'm baffled. Please enlighten!

[Red Squirrel]

the streets shewn (see what I did there?)

No, I don't, apart from using an archaic spelling of shown. Normally when people say "see what I did there" my reaction is "it's obvious, and pointing it out just spoils the joke" but on this occasion I'm baffled. Please enlighten!

It really wasn't a very good joke. For some reason I though it would be moderately amusing to use the spelling the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) used in its 'RAILWAY BOOKS for BOYS of ALL AGES' ('Has Your Boy got His copy?').

Just a bit of whimsy on a Friday afternoon...

[Bmblbzzz]

Well, if we couldn't have a bit of whimsy on a Friday afternoon, life would be much poorer. If I'd ever read one of those books, I might even have got the joke!

[stuving]

the streets shewn (see what I did there?)

No, I don't, apart from using an archaic spelling of shown. Normally when people say "see what I did there" my reaction is "it's obvious, and pointing it out just spoils the joke" but on this occasion I'm baffled. Please enlighten!

It really wasn't a very good joke. For some reason I though it would be moderately amusing to use the spelling the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) used in its 'RAILWAY BOOKS for BOYS of ALL AGES' ('Has Your Boy got His copy?').

Just a bit of whimsy on a Friday afternoon...

If you were thinking of starting a series of obscure jokes no-one else will get, then I'm sure a lot of us could contribute those. But then, maybe we have been all along ...

[johnneyw]

the streets shewn (see what I did there?)

No, I don't, apart from using an archaic spelling of shown. Normally when people say "see what I did there" my reaction is "it's obvious, and pointing it out just spoils the joke" but on this occasion I'm baffled. Please enlighten!

I wasn't familiar with the series but this might provide a valuable source of some some fun lockdown reading provided I can order a copy online.

It really wasn't a very good joke. For some reason I though it would be moderately amusing to use the spelling the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) used in its 'RAILWAY BOOKS for BOYS of ALL AGES' ('Has Your Boy got His copy?').

Just a bit of whimsy on a Friday afternoon...

I wasn't aware of the series but I am now. This could provides a valuable source of some fun lockdown reading between bouts of what I describe as gardening but others may observe as blundering about.