Increase in rail and bicycle usage in Britain

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

According to recent figures rail journeys in the UK have increased tremendously pointing to the fact that people leave the car at home more because of the cost of fuel going up, and up, and up.

Bicycle usage also has risen rather greatly from what I can observe on a daily basis and more and more people seem to join the throng of those riding through our parks on their way to work or from work, or to take the children to school, or to go to the stores.

With the equivalent of US$8 and more for a US gallon of ordinary gasoline this change in choice of mode of transport really is not surprising. What is surprising that not more bikes are about on the commuting trail and the school run or the trip to the stores for the pint of milk or the loaf of bread.

The way people are and have been using the car is not really sustainable and nor has it ever been. We clog up the village and town centers, the roads to and fro, and we pollute the air. Short journeys cause much greater emissions than the loner runs and vehicles idling are the biggest cause of automobile air pollution.

While most readers of this journal will know the facts as to pollution caused by idling cars and such like very well indeed already it is, nevertheless, interesting and, dare I say, encouraging, to see that rail journeys are going up and, as far as I can see, the use of bicycles too is very much on the increase, for commuting as well as for taking the kids to school or for the run to the shops.

Let us just hope – and, those who do, pray – that this increase will not just dissipate again if and when oil and gasoline become cheap again. Not that I, personally, think that this is going to be the case again, ever.

And if it is indeed the case that the era of cheap and abundant oil has come to an end everyone best prepare for a return to mass transport, such as, especially, rail, for the longer journeys and to the use of the bicycle and walking for the shorter journey. Unless, that is, you can afford to keep and maintain (no, not a musket, silly) a horse and cart.

The problem though is that this fact is not, as yet, really sinking in with the majority of the people who still think that they are entitled to a car and to be able to be running it.

I don't know about such entitlements. Even the Constitution of the United States of America does not make mention of any of that. There is no right to have access to cheap gasoline enshrined in that document, not even in any of the many Amendments to said Constitution.

© 2011

British politicians advocate electric cars

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Top figures from both side of the political spectrum in Britain have spoken out in favor of electric vehicles this week, saying consumers need to be encouraged to switch to low carbon cars.

The Prime Minister Gordon Brown hinted at a potential 2,000 GBP subsidy for those choosing to exchange their current car for an electric equivalent while London Mayor Boris Johnson said he wants to make the city the European capital for electric vehicles.

Government is currently considering the grants for those purchasing electric cars, as well as a 'scrappage' scheme which would pay out to those scrapping their old cars in favor of more environmentally efficient models.

Mayor Johnson has said he wants to see 100,000 electric vehicles on the streets of London.

Both announcements are slightly vague - details on the government scheme are thin on the ground while Mr Johnson has simply said he wants to see more electric vehicles out there 'as soon as possible' - but both also promise political support for low carbon vehicles.

This is not surprising, the vagueness I mean, for it would appear that the British government, on all levels, just is rather vague when it comes to green issues. Strong on rhetoric but very little specific and definitely even less action. That is something that We The People should be able to address though if we but would dare to do so. Think elections, folks.

Reaction to Mr Brown's announcement has been mixed, with the car manufacturers saying that a similar scrappage system in measures in Germany have simply led to people trading up to bigger cars and claiming that the incentive will not encourage many motorists to go electric due to the current lack of choice in the market.

This claim by the car industry is also not really correct. They apparently think that the general public do not read or listen to news. In Germany the problem is more that the people trading in their cars, primarily, went for foreign made cars rather than German made ones and that has upset the makers there. Mostly for cars that has a better gas mileage and such. So, not as much bigger cars but foreign cars and often more efficient cars is the state of affairs in Germany, it would appear.

Green energy groups have pointed out that electric vehicles are only as environmentally friendly as their power source.

"This move is only as green as the electricity that charges the batteries," said Gaynor Hartnell the Renwable Energy Association's director of policy.

"It is vital that the electric vehicles push ties in directly with an even greater expansion of renewable electricity at all scales, otherwise we will be building yet more dirty power stations.

"The government will need to bring renewables, the network infrastructure and car industries together to ensure that this happens."

This, on the other hand is a load a garbage as well. While it is true the power source must be taken into consideration that is being use to charge the vehicles electric cars and vans at least cause little or no pollution while they are being driven.

Another environmental consideration that seems to be missed, however, is the battery or batteries and their components. How environmentally friendly are they and their manufacturing processes?

The question, therefore, is as to how green electric cars can be in this equation, especially if and when we consider their components. Plastics for the bodywork – to make the cars lighter – the batteries, the motors, etc. Many of those are toxic components too. Here we encounter the great “hmm???”, don't we.

Meanwhile Boris Johnson has said he will work with businesses, boroughs and other public sector organizations to deliver 25,000 charging points in London's workplaces, retail outlets, streets, public car parks and station car parks by 2015 and attempt to alter planning guidance in the capital so that 20% of parking places in new developments should be equipped with charging points.

Mayor Johnson said: "The time for simply talking about electric vehicles is over - we need real action on the ground to make the electric vehicle an easy choice for Londoners.

"I am today committing millions to install the infrastructure needed for when, in just a few years time, these vehicles become much more widely available.

"This is an unprecedented package of measures to make London the electric car capital of Europe.

"By taking these steps, we will not only create green collar jobs, but also smooth the way for less polluting transport choices which will improve our air quality, reduce traffic noise and contribute significantly to my carbon emissions reduction target."

The estimated cost of the 25,000 charging points and conversion of the Greater London Authority fleet is £60million - the Mayor has pledged to fund a third of this and is calling for the Government and the private sector to commit the remainder.

This all sounds very grand indeed but... and here comes the but... the technology has not been given enough boost to be developed to a standard that will make electric cars and vans viable for longer distances and for rural areas and such.

The electric car the size of, say, the Smart Car from Mercedes Benz (I know it presently is still gasoline powered) is fine and good for a runabout and for going into the cities and living and driving in the cities as a single person or a couple. As soon as you add a few kids there is a problem in the offing which has not, as yet, been sufficiently addressed.

On the other hand we should, especially in towns and cities promote the use of bicycles a lot more – the way it is done in Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany – rather than always the car, whether electric, biofuel or still gas and diesel.

However, the great love affair that we all, and especially the governments, and they very much so as the taxes on the gas and diesel give them a nice little earner, have with motorcar and the internal combustion engine that runs gas or diesel that powers it, I think it highly unlikely that alternative means of transport will be pushed, especially that of the human-powered variety. Shame rather.

The only way this will ever change if we, the people, change our approach and tell our elected representatives to do as we ask or else.

© 2009
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Share and share a bike

New York City is putting training wheels on a new bicycle-sharing program to demonstrate to city-dwellers that two-wheelers can be a viable form of alternative transportation. Sponsored by the Forum for Urban Design, a group of architects, designers, and planners, the five-day trial run has made 20 bikes available for free from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for 30 minutes at a time.

Bicycle-sharing programs are already thriving in European cities like Barcelona, Spain, and Lyon, France. A program in Paris will soon make 10,000 bicyclettes available for public use.

"A ride-share program would reduce the dependency on automobiles," says David Haskell of the Forum for Urban Design. "It would be a great alternative to subways and bus services -- and a lot cheaper for the city."

Also, less smelly.

Ken looks at radical new plans for cycling in London

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, announced today that he has asked Transport for London to examine the feasibility of bicycle hire scheme to promoting cycling in London. The Mayor recently saw at first hand the successful 'Velib' - Freedom bike - hire scheme introduced by the Mayor of Paris, which has enjoyed great success since its launch a few weeks ago.

The Mayor and Peter Hendy, the Commissioner of Transport for London, witnessed the Paris Velib scheme at first hand during the recent Tour de France.

Transport for London have been asked to look at international best practice in promoting cycling, including hire schemes like that of Paris, with a view to introducing a scheme which meets the specific needs of London. Cycling groups and other stakeholders will be consulted on the options.

A London scheme would require the support of London Boroughs, as well as the Mayor, as most London roads are controlled by the boroughs.

The Paris scheme offers 10,000 bicycles sited at 750 dedicated hire-points every 300 metres around Paris, with plans for 20,000 bikes at 1,400 hire points by the end of the year. The bikes are available at any time of the day or night and cost just about 70 pence to hire for half an hour. Theft is minimal because of the unique design of the bicycles, their highly secure parking facilities and because payment is via credit or debit card. If a bicycle is not returned the hirer is charged around £100.

The Paris scheme has been an instant success, with the distinctive Freedom Bikes now seen all around the centre of Paris.

Transport for London officials have been working with the Clearzones Partnership and central London boroughs to examine the potential for a similar scheme for some months and will be meet their opposite numbers in Paris, and other European cities, to discuss the practicalities of such schemes. Other cities with a strong record on cycling or with public cycle hire scheme include Barcelona, Lyon, Brussels, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Oslo and Copenhagen.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, said:

‘Cycling is a clean, fast and cheap way to get around London and we have seen an 83 per cent increase in cycling since I became Mayor. I have seen the Paris Freedom Bike scheme, and discussed it with the Mayor of Paris. It clearly works and is highly popular. I have asked transport officials in London to study the Parisian and similar schemes in order to draw up proposals for a scheme which would meet the needs of London. I am sure that we can learn from the success of the Parisian and similar schemes to expand access to cycling in London.'

The Bicycle as Means of Personal Transport

The bicycle was the first affordable private transport for the masses. It was the poor man's horse and it is more valuable today, in the this era of climate change and the need to reduce our environmental footprint than ever.

The invention of the bicycle proper and especially the “mass production” of them made personal transport for the poor affordable and enabled them to get further afield for word and leisure than ever before. In fact the bike itself also became a leisure activity and many a person went on bicycle tours around the countryside on Sundays and during vacations, once they had actually arrived for the masses.

The bicycle still has a place as a means of personal private transport and not just for children. It is a viable alternative to the motor car, at least and especially around town and village. But it also has a place in the countryside for personal transportation over shorter distances. The bike also gets through were a car often cannot. This was shown by the Viet-Cong on the Ho Chi Min Path during the Viet-Nam war.

While the bicycle may not be the best means for long distance transportation this could be solved with a proper cycle policy on mass transit systems, such as trains, underground, and similar, and here ideally a carriage or two dedicated to those with cycles. This would, probably, have to mean longer trains, but so be it.

For this to be getting anywhere, however, we need to take the public transportation systems back into public ownership and the fare set at an affordable level; affordable to the poorest and not the richest.

In addition and especially we need, everywhere, networks of cycle lanes. While in some countries of Europe cycle path nigh on cover the entire country, in the UK, alas there are very few proper ones of them. This needs to change if the use of the bicycle is to become more widespread in the UK as a means of personal transportation. The current type of “cycle lanes” - now there is a joke – is entirely inappropriate as it doe not give the cyclist any safety from the traffic and all too often vehicles are parked in said cycle lanes and the cyclist has to move into the fast flowing traffic. This is especially dangerous for children and it is therefore not surprising that in the UK very few children, compared to other EU countries, actually go to school by bicycle. In addition to that the so-called cycle lanes in the UK are often just little strips here and there that end as abruptly as they started.

© M V Smith, August 2007