Southampton Cycling Campaign

From the Daily Echo:

the situation is now so bad the company is considering using electric scooters and motorbikes to dodge the congested traffic.

In a league table of the slowest cities in the country Southampton was tied in fourth place with Liverpool with both cities having average road speeds of 17.8mph.

This is just behind London where traffic flows at an average of 16.9mph and where the AA is trying out its new scheme.

So now we know – it’s HARD FACT you can get around Southampton faster on a bike! If you pedal fast.

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From the Daily Echo:

IT was a gruelling 300-mile challenge that took three days to complete and raised thousands of pounds for charity.

Now, ten years since they first set off, a team of intrepid cyclists are set on re-enacting a challenge to ride from Lymington to Land’s End.

Eight former Priestlands School pupils and two teachers are reuniting at the end of May to take on the challenge, which will see them ride around 90 miles a day for just over three days.

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From the BBC:

The cash comes from the government’s £140m “Bikeability” scheme promoting cycling as safe, sustainable travel.

The training supports the new National Cycle Training Standard being promoted in the country by Cycling England.

Hampshire will receive a £100,000 grant, Oxfordshire, £15,000, Slough Borough Council and West Berkshire District council will get £10,000.

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I think this petition is US-Centric, but I’m sure if Google implements the feature for the US it’ll follow in the UK eventually…

petition blog: http://googlemapsbikethere.org “GoogleMapsBikeThere.org was created to ask Google to help us make the world safer for bicyclists by adding bicycle routes to Google Maps.”

petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/bikether/petition.html. “We would like a ‘Bike There’ feature added to Google Maps – to go with the current ‘Drive There’ and ‘Take Public Transit’ options..

I use Google Maps (from: to: to:) routing often to find out distances between places, but finding an optimal cycle route is more than just ticking the “no highway” button. Google maps is constantly adding new features, adding your name to the petition might just move features for cyclists up their lists.

Daily Echo writes

RUSH hour on Wednesday mornings has been revealed as the most dangerous time to be on the road in Hampshire.

Curiously, they quote

Overall, Friday was the most dangerous day, with 886 accidents involving drivers, passengers and pedestrians logged in 12 months. Sunday had the lowest rate at 533 smashes during 2006.

… no mention of cyclists. Perhaps cycling isn’t dangerous?

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The Independent has an amusing report on the London Mayorial race. Green transport is evidently coming more into the public eye and particularly in London where driving is an expensive nightmare.

Boris Johnson has unveiled his green transport policy – free cycling lessons. Not for all Londoners, but for Ken Livingstone, the man he is trying to oust as Mayor of London, who admits he can’t ride a bike.

[...]

He told the Mayor: “I am willing to give free lessons – in complete safety and discretion. It is high time that, like me and every other cyclist in London, you face the full horror of trying to overtake a bendy bus.” Mr Livingstone was not amused.

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This one is not directly related to cyclists, but hot on the heels of the lovers’ walk fiasco comes the blackout of 400 street lamps on a Romsey estate. A local resident claims “There has been more crime over the last few weeks.

“Cars have been damaged, gardens have been damaged and we’re frightened that as time goes on, it will get worse because people know there’s no lighting in the area.”

Hampshire is evidently determined to get its lights out somehow!

read the article on bbc news.

The Daily Echo reports on the Council’s draft parking policy. [pdf]

Transport chiefs say higher parking charges could be brought in to “encourage the use of other modes of transport where feasible”, such as buses and bicycles.

Cycling campaign chairman Lindsi Bluemel is quoted in the article,

Lindsi Bluemel from Southampton Cycling Campaign welcomed any moves to encourage commuters to ditch their cars but was doubtful the policy would go far enough.
She said: “I am not sure it will work to be honest but anything that makes things better for cycling increases the number of cyclists. I am slightly concerned about not providing parking as it creates problems for residents.

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daily echo reports on Jordan Wickington, killed on Mountbatten Way a year ago.

A SPEEDING driver was texting her estranged husband when she hit a teenage cyclist at a major road junction in Southampton, jurors heard.

Kiera Coultas, 25, was replying to a message when she crashed into 19-year-old scaffolder Jordan Wickington, it was alleged.

The teenager – who was not wearing a helmet – died from head injuries in hospital later the same day.

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Round two

Two Southampton residents plan to cycle the £1,000+ miles to Barcelona to raise money for cystic fibrosis. The Daily Echo writes:

Lee, from Bursledon, an events organiser at Southampton University, said: “I got itchy feet after the last one and wanted to try something bigger.

“We have to go through the Pyrenees, which touches on the Tour de France route, with some really nasty climbs. I can’t wait to get stuck in.

“We are clocking up the mileage already and doing about 80 miles of training each weekend as well as cycling to work everyday to prepare for it.

“Hopefully we will raise £4,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.”

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