June 21st 2007

We will present our case to this forum, and need your support if you live in Kings Heath.

June's 2006

At the June meeting of the Birmingham Council's Task Force for Children's Nutrition & Health members unanimously asked for 20mph limits across the city. Slower speeds mean fewer accidents, more walking, cycling, less pollution, and better health. We still await the response from the Transportation Department, and so far they have disregarded this request.

The CTC Spring Conference 'Cycling Safely' took place, with wonderful speakers and excellent food. The meeting concluded tha slow speeds and cycle training (and cycle lanes by the side of faster roads) would dramatically reduce accidents, and make cycling much more popular and safer.

Government recommendations prohibit the introduction of 10-20mph without traffic calming engineering. Such engineering is unpopular (humps) or expensive. If legislation was changed to 10-20mph limits could be introduced with very little expense and would be very popular.surveys report 66% of people would be happy for slower speed limits. Cycle training is a very cost-effective way of getting people into the saddle.

The meeting called for 20mph limits and cycle training. Road engineering is expensive and will delay implementing limits..we need slower speeds now, and may be more expensive engineering later.
Cheap helmets, driver education, safer junctions, police cooperation (which is  generally poor) and driver training are other parts of the jigsaw.

News is awaited from Portsmouth, where the Council plans to reduce speeds across ths city without extensive engineering.
The savings would be massive...see.

Cycle map
The new long-awaited Birmingham Cycle map was published. The map has hundreds of miles of routes. It is being reprinted.

Cycling Survey Birmingham 2005 ..results

Most cyclists in the city are frightened when cycling round roundabouts in Birmingham. Many more would avoid them if there was an alternative route.

16% of cyclists have been attacked riding their bikes. 2 of these were on a canal.

One, female, was followed by a motorist and deliberately knocked off her bike.

36% have suffered bicycle thefts, some on repeated occasions.

Most of the city's cyclists have been shouted at by motorists. Whilst occasionally this may be deserved, usually it is just aggression or fun by the motorist.

It can be very off-putting, occasionally leading to accidents.