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pothole summer 2007 Highway Code Cracked Following intense lobbying by welcome.” March 2007: thousands of cyclists and a high- Rule 61: Cycle Facilities. Original These are marked by a white line bike week profile campaign by CTC the wording laid before Parliament in (which may be broken) along the Government has agreed to amend March 2007: carriageway (see Rule 140). Keep 16th 24th June the Highway Code to improve Use cycle routes and cycle facili- within the lane wherever possible. for more info go to cyclists’ safety and to encourage ties such as advanced stop lines, The DfT is now proposing: These drivers to take more care around cycle boxes and toucan crossings are marked by a white line (which www.bikeweek.org.uk vulnerable road users. whenever possible, as they can may be broken) along the car- In total over 40 rules in the High- make your journey safer. riageway. When using a cycle lane, way Code have been changed to The DfT is now proposing: Use keep within the lane when practi- The Great Manchester the benefit of cyclists and will cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cable. When leaving a cycle lane Cycling Campaign meets come into effect this summer. On cycle boxes and toucan crossings check before pulling out that it is hearing the news, CTC Director, unless at the time it is unsafe to safe to do so and signal your on the second Monday of Kevin Mayne, said: “The pro- do so. Use of these facilities is intention clearly to other road each month, 7.30pm at posed wording now makes it clear not compulsory and will depend users. Use of these facilities is not the Friends Meeting beyond all doubt that cyclists are on your experience and skills, but compulsory and will depend on House, Mount Street, not obliged to use cycle facilities they can make your journey safer. your experience and skills, but Manchester, Followed by where it would be unsafe to do so. Rule 63: Cycle Lanes. Original they can make your journey safer This is highly significant and very wording laid before Parliament in appropriate beverages at Wetherspoons (smoke- free) pub on Princess Street opposite Town Hall/Tourist Information Centre. Clean air and real ale at £1.38 a pint. It’s not really news, but the chance to have this kind of bike bling on the front page couldn’t Love Your Bike – One Year On be missed. This little beauty was seen at the CCN do in Derby, Friends of the Earth marked the workplace. Only 2 in 10 cited bad more details on page 7 first anniversary of the launch of weather as the reason why they It is a collaboration between the Love Your Bike campaign on don't cycle. designer Paul Smith who it turns 30 March with 4 rides from Why I don’t cycle to work: out has always been a keen cyclist Chorlton, Withington, Traffic levels are too high: 51%, and Mercian cycles - sadly this Levenshulme and Prestwich No safe route for cycling to work: little track number will set you culminating at Albert Square. 100 46% back a mere £2,800 so this pic- cyclists were met by Cllr Neil No changing/showering facilities ture may be as close as you get to Swannick, Executive Member for at work: 29% one. the Environment charged with Too rainy/windy/cold: 20% making Manchester the “Greenest Not fit enough: 18% City in Britain”. Graeme Sherriff It's too far: 17%, of FoE presented Neil with No secure bike parking at work: Stepping Up a Gear, a report 8% summarising a year of LYB and Takes too long: 8% the findings of a survey of people who don't currently cycle to work. The message for Cllr Swannick Half of the respondents reckon and his counterparts throughout that there's too much traffic on Greater Manchester is clear: the roads, and a similar number cyclists need improved cycle lanes, don't cycle to work because of the safer junctions, quality bike park- lack of safe routes for cycling. ing, more consideration from Employers can do more to en- other road users, better integra- courage cycling, as 3 in 10 com- tion and access to public trans- plain about the lack of facilities port. www.loveyourbike.org for freshening up in the 1 Planes, Trains and Bikes…………… Vincent Walsh leaves a small carbon station. NR intends to develop footprint at Manchester Airport Eco-Stations pioneered in Lanca- shire offering bike hire and main- Armed with a free rail pass the tenance. On board, NR do not day began inauspiciously with the impose a blanket ban on bike cancellation of my Northern Rail carriage at rush hour but allow train from Mauldeth Road. My conductors discretion to carry a destination, Manchester Airport minimum of two bikes and a for the launch of the Cycling maximum of four at all times. Strategy – for Northern Rail. Class 321 electric trains offer two Twenty minutes later I was sprint- pairs of double spaces. The new ing through the interminable Pacer stock will provide flexible Terminal 2 to the Atlantic Suite, space. There are no advance my bike secure to a Sheffield reservations. The bike section will Stand outside the Cycle Centre. be clearly signed on the inside and outside of all trains. Rail staff are Northern Rail manages 471 sta- encouraged to cycle to work with tions in the north and the East the assistance of a low cost pur- Midlands and runs 20 per cent of chase scheme. Storage is available British railways under an 8-year for NR office workers based at franchise until 2013. They handle their York headquarters. 75 million passengers each year with numbers increasing by 20 per David Robinson recognised that cent in 2006. Part-owned by NR had inherited a mixed bag of Netherlands Railways where one rolling stock but urged covered third of passengers arrive at a bike racks and clear train signage. station by bike, NR’s interest in As CTC North West Councillor, cycling is not purely green but based in Chester, David reiterated driven by the bottom line. “Many the CTC call for a minimum of 4 trains are full at peak time and the places on existing stock and 6 on demand for car parking is not new stock. He noted that other sustainable. There are commercial TOCs are less cycle-friendly, opportunities to grow our busi- particularly “the wretched ness by encouraging more people Pendolino” beloved of Virgin. to cycle to our stations, ” declared Commercial Director, Jo North. Northern is keen to boost busi- ness through cycle tourism by Sustrans Director John Grimshaw promoting bike trails close to arrived breathless from surveying stations, signing links to the NCN, NCN Route 6 in Bury to con- selling packages of single ticket gratulate NR on their break- plus bike hire and strengthening through document. “The home to links with Community Rail Part- station journey is hugely impor- nerships such as the Penistone tant. I urge all Train Operating Line. Discounted rents will be Companies to stop investing in offered to social enterprises car parks and instead embrace the wishing to establish bike hire in Safe Routes to Stations pro- station premises. The Caldervale gramme.” Allegedly, the Chair of Line (Manchester Victoria – Chiltern Railways owns five Range Halifax – Bradford – Leeds) will Rovers and bans bikes at Bicester be a Cycle Route of Excellence. station fearing they will scratch Full of free buffet, my return rail parked cars. “In contrast, North- journey was smoother, accompa- ern stations can be beacons of nied by a couple on their last leg good practice, a foundation for home to Bolton with a tandem our Connect2 Lottery bid which which had carried them over the will be decided by public vote Andes. Room enough for all our later in the year,” said JG. bikes – but not their giant carbon footprint. P.S. A Tale of Two (non-North- Station Approach or obscure The NR strategy has several ern) Stations covered darkness on Fairfield elements. A Cycle Users Forum The 16-page Strategy document is Manchester Piccadilly and Shef- Street. Across the Pennines the meets three times a year at Hud- a good succinct read and available field are separated by only 40 Midland Mainline managed Shef- dersfield, Safe Routes to Stations from Head of Government and minutes but light years in terms field station provides plenty of will be signed, “Welcome to Community Strategies of their support for cycling park- covered platform parking. Outside Cyclists” maps will be issued from [email protected] ing. At Manchester, managed by a spectacular fountain-lined con- trial locations, storage will be a Network Rail not a Train Operat- course offers a traffic-free ride mixture of Sheffield stands, What are your cycling experiences ing Company, you can choose into the city centre. lockers, compounds and CCTV of Northern Rail? Email: between windswept exposure on depending on the size of the [email protected] 2 27 April 2007 be reminded of the law regarding John Wayne aka Richard Alderson Dear Stagecoach cycle lanes. In addition please At 14 40 hrs today the 15 bus reg confirm you will be arranging rides shotgun with Stagecoach 15 T 178 MVM passed dangerously additional eye tests for this driver. close to me twice on the B5214 Richard Alderson Crofts Bank Road in Urmston. I challenged the driver who did not 3 May 2007 deny passing very close, respond- “Dear Mr Alderson,“I regret that ing that I should be in the cycle you have cause to complain about lane.

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