What Can Be Done About UK Traffic Congestion?

[Worthingtons]

Am I the only person who thinks things should be made better for Cyclists??

I Cycle to work, Through the winter and summer, but atm it's a pain in the neck. Cylclists dont pay Road tax, Car Insurance, or have to pay much for a bike, so the financial benefits are there, but thats where it stops.
Some Road routes are hellish for a Cyclist, and 75% of us will shy away from using them. Cycle path's are great, but poorly drained often, and dont span enough areas. Both Road drivers and pedestrians are abusive to Cyclists, an easy target to take thier frustration out on.

So what can be done?

Financial benefits for companies including good,safe cylce facilities - this is a MUST

Well drained Cycle paths, So people dont refrain from Cycling during the winter

Create more Cycleways, particulary alongside broad roads (The same can be done by splitting broad pavements too)

Increase public awareness about the benefits of Cycling (Better health,Pleasant surroundings(sometimes),Lack of congestion ect) - Again this is hugely important , both to get more people cycling, and to get non-cyclists to accept cyclists

Cheers
Matt

[Blisterz]

RIDE A BIKE!


CRITICAL MASS!

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by CerberusIV
The trouble is that in parts of the UK motorists have a rather selfish attitude. When asked what they think about public transport they say it is a great idea and that people should leave their cars at home and use buses and trains. However, what they mean is the person in the car in front of them should leave his/her car at home and get on a bus.

We pay so much to have a car in the first place that people aren't really prepared not to use it.

Incidentally, I don't own a car. I ride a motorbike and it is perfectly safe, much cheaper and a lot more fun. You can even find somewhere to park in city centres.

It's a chicken and egg scenario. People aren't going to leave their car unless public transport is a viable replacement. My car has been off the road, so I automatically have to check the bus times. No buses go on the route to work (which is quite frankly stupid considering it is one of the largest employers in the city). I would have to go into the city centre, and then catch a bus out. I opted for a taxi instead as it wouldn't cost that much less after all those bus fares

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Critical mass is a pain in the butt in SF. Every last friday of every month. Cant get anywhere. THey should throw them all in jail.

[Nubclear]

This question is quite easy to answer:

Attack Iraq.

Thank you.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Rothy
Am I the only person who thinks things should be made better for Cyclists??

I Cycle to work, Through the winter and summer, but atm it's a pain in the neck. Cylclists dont pay Road tax, Car Insurance, or have to pay much for a bike, so the financial benefits are there, but thats where it stops.
Some Road routes are hellish for a Cyclist, and 75% of us will shy away from using them. Cycle path's are great, but poorly drained often, and dont span enough areas. Both Road drivers and pedestrians are abusive to Cyclists, an easy target to take thier frustration out on.

So what can be done?

Financial benefits for companies including good,safe cylce facilities - this is a MUST

Well drained Cycle paths, So people dont refrain from Cycling during the winter

Create more Cycleways, particulary alongside broad roads (The same can be done by splitting broad pavements too)

Increase public awareness about the benefits of Cycling (Better health,Pleasant surroundings(sometimes),Lack of congestion ect) - Again this is hugely important , both to get more people cycling, and to get non-cyclists to accept cyclists

Cheers
Matt

I appreciate your concern about motorists, but when most cyclists don't even fit lights in the middle of winter when it is dark, how do you expect us to be able to see you? The police are not strict enough on this in my opinion.

And as for the cyclist/pedestrian situation, it is the same thing...you should look out for pedestrians more.

[Solly]

Has a pedestrian ever been killed because a cyclist was riding on the pavement...?

[MRT144]

kill whitey, there goes most of the driving population...

[MikeH]

Unlike Canada, the capital of England is a major international economic and cultural centre. It's the largest city in Europe and brings in a huge amount of money to the country which then gets shuffled out to the poor areas of the country. London gets concentrated on because it's the most important place in the country. More than 7 million people live there after all. Britain's second largest city, Birmingham, only has a million residents.

Reading, where I live, has a full to capacity park and ride system and increased bus and cycle lanes over the last few years. All work really well.

[Az]

It's the largest city in Europe

rrright....

[aaglo]

And as for the cyclist/pedestrian situation, it is the same thing...you should look out for pedestrians more.

True. I cycle a lot in during the summer. We have to look out for the pedestrians, 'cause they rarely look out for cyclists. And there's a good reason:

Most of the traffic make terrible noise today. Bicycles are silent, and thus easilly unnoticed. So I suggest, that every cyclist have to put a "härsläpätin", a device made from a piece of cardboard/plastic and a clothes-pin. All kids know how to make one. And "PRRRRRRRRRR" you go

[MRT144]

old baseball cards will do the same thing for you american riders...

[MikeH]

London is largest city in Western Europe. The only one that is bigger, or even compares, is Moscow.

London's twice the size of Berlin which is the second largest city in the EU.

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/bigcities.htm

It's also the largest economically

The size of the London economy - at £116,444 million - is larger than Finland, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. It accounts for 17% of the UK's GDP.

The London Stock Exchange is the largest in the world, with an average daily turnover of $637bn - nearly a third of the total world activity.

http://www.lda.gov.uk/mediaoffice/londonfacts/

[MikeH]

Why didn't that show as a new post in the thread list?

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Starchild

In America, you pay tolls when driving between states or into major metropolitian areas.

Not any states I've ever driven across. The tolls are for big trucks. There are toll roads and bridges in various places though.

Though Toronto is by far the best, brightest, and most important city in all of Canada and quite a few American states. (Note to Americans from Buffulo, New York: Admit you come to Toronto, not because of the low dollar, but because you're too proud to go to NYC).

Toronto sucks compared to either Vancouver or Montreal