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

Cycle Show 2009 – A Visit Report

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Cycle Show 2009 at Earls Court, London from October 8-11, 2009

While there was not all that much new with the big makers and suppliers some new innovations and arrivals, as least as far as the Cycle Show in London is concerned, were to be seen.

Dutch ID (cargo) bikes was definitely one new one on the show; at least I am sure that I have not seen them before here, and those bicycles really got me interested.

Bicgfish Folding Bike was represented again and, so I understand, is going from strength to strength and also Pashley Bicycles report good sales.

It would appear that bicycles are beginning to make a comeback in Britain, and elsewhere, and also especially for commuting to work, going to the shops and more.

German bicycle makers Tout Terrain also showcased some great and well designed and -constructed urban and country touring bikes.

What makes those bikes rather special is the fact that the luggage rack on the back is an integral part of the frame and not, as with other bikes, a bolted on thing. This not only makes for a more rigid carrier but also is adding to the strength of the frame itself.

Nowadays it needs the Germans, the Dutch and the Danes, it would seem, to show us in Britain (and elsewhere) how to make good and proper bicycles for the everyday tasks.

Paper Bike from the UK though is also very interesting and was on the show last year already. The bikes are extremely sturdy steel constructions, simple in design, and, so I believe, made in Britain.

On the other hand, however, the rest of the stuff was not all that relevant, as far as I am concerned, such as a “gold” bike and a sparkling low rider. Gimmicks those are and expensive ones at that. People who want real bikes and for whom cycling is a means of transportation, by choice, and not a plaything certainly did not even give those a second look.

While the golden bike was a folding one and one might not have to worry too much as to someone vandalizing it or steeling it if chained up outside, for that would not come into the equation here, with some of the other bicycles in the several thousand pound bracket that would be a serious concern though to me and I am sure also to others.

At the same time that there were many vendors of cycle accessories (lights, clothing, bags, etc.) present at the Cycle Show 2009 the makers of such products, in the main, were rather conspicuous by their absence.

This is rather always rather a shame for writers on the lookout for new products to report on. Vendors rarely have interest in having anyone review the products.

What was good to learn from the visit to the show though is that cycle sales, according to the makers that I spoke to, are up and that despite the recession – or maybe because of the recession - and also bike repair shops and cycle re-builders are doing good business.

From where I am standing in this I can say that I but hope that this is a sign that people are beginning to think about alternative transport to the car and are seeing the bicycle as a viable alternative, especially for shorter journeys.

I tend to find it rather silly – and I use that word for lack of a better one – when I see people going a mile or two (even less at times) to get a newspaper or a pint of milk getting the car out and driving there.

© 2009

<>

Britain invests big money in bicycles

by Michael Smith

While certain American politicians complain about a million dollars being included in the country's energy plan to promote bikes, in Britain is investing £140 million (about US$ 280 million) to create dedicated bike lanes, provide bike parking, safety training, on-street bike rental networks and a campaign to promote bicycling in 12 Cycling Demonstration Towns.

£100 million of the money, granted to the 12 Demonstration Towns, will be used to create dedicated bike lanes, provide bike parking, safety training, on-street bike rental networks and a campaign to promote bicycling. The towns include Blackpool, Cambridge, Chester, Colchester, Leighton/Linslade, Shrewsbury, Southend on Sea, Southport with Ainsdale, Stoke, Woking and York. The project will be coordinated by Cycling England, a national agency that was formed in 2005. The additional £40 million is allocated to safety and training, particularly for children, as well as infrastructure to encourage cycling to school.

The Transport Minister, Ruth Kelly says "A quarter of journeys made every day by car are less than two miles. Cycling is an alternative that could bring real health benefits to millions of adults and children, as well as helping them save money and beat congestion."

"The first step in persuading people to leave their cars at home is to offer them a real choice," said the minister. "Providing a step change in cycling facilities, dedicated cycle lanes, more training and information will have a big impact on how people choose to travel."

We at the Green (Living) Review have been calling for dedicated proper cycle lanes, modeled on those in Germany and the Netherlands and, maybe, we are now finally getting those, if the minister is to be believed. This is, certainly, not before time.

As I have already said in my previous article about the bicycle and the law maybe a change in the law is required that will make it legal for cyclists, as long as it is done with caution and pedestrians given priority, to use sidewalks where no dedicated safe cycle lanes are available.

The UK need not look far to see the opportunities for cycling that can come from this investment. Britain's neighbor, the Netherlands, are known as a cycling paradise, and further north Denmark too is more or less the same. Germany also is a leading light as far as cycling is concerned and, to some degree, has always been. England has a good case for believing that they can meet their goal of getting 2.5 million Brits to take up cycling, including that a quarter of all car trips in the UK are less than 2 miles.

While Britain still has a way to go to get the infrastructure right and especially the laws in place, together with education, and not only of cyclists but especially of motorists, this can but be seen as a good start.

We also, as said, do not have to look far afield to see models of how things can work. On the near continent we have good examples from which the British government can but learn. Let us just hope it does not take another 10 years or so of expensive studies and pilot projects before we are even starting to get the infrastructure in place.

© M Smith (Veshengro), November 2008
<>