tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post8848385206906983969..comments2023-10-31T08:49:14.757+00:00Comments on Cambridge Cyclist: Cambridge Cycling Campaign - Why are they shy of the County Council?Cab Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-16145633530631778042013-04-08T15:04:17.100+01:002013-04-08T15:04:17.100+01:00Hi Ranty Highwayman.
I think it depends on what y...Hi Ranty Highwayman.<br /><br />I think it depends on what you want. If you want a more pleasant journey than the one you currently have, then any improvement is better than nothing.<br /><br />If, like me, you want increased modal share, particularly among more vulnerable groups, then slight improvement may as well be nothing. It won't encourage any new cyclists.<br /><br />Existing cyclists may well reject slight improvements as still inferior to other options e.g. vehicular cycling on road.<br /><br />So you're left with having spent lots of money for little gain, and this is what get remembered the next time a cycling improvement is proposed. You've still failed the long game.<br /><br />In the particular case of the Catholic Church junction, I'm not even sure about the claims that this is an improvement for cyclists. Advance greens are a great idea - and utterly useless if you can't safely reach the front of the traffic. The nightmare situation is that the rest of the infrastructure doesn't back up the advance greens, they get ignored and someone ends up injured or killed because of it.Hesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786445447447946710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-87862498047351179382013-04-08T11:10:42.007+01:002013-04-08T11:10:42.007+01:00I would never argue that we must hold out for '...I would never argue that we must hold out for 'perfect' schemes - merely for schemes that are good enough to justify their expense, especially when the budget thus allocated is specifically from the money meant to be spent on cyclist safety. In the case of the Catholic Church junction an outright rejection of this crap would have sent a better message I think.<br /><br />The other obvious example here is Gilbert Road - now we've got a 'good' facility (for which read 'better but demonstrably nothing like good enough') the same councillors who tell us its good enough have directed the Police to target cyclists on the pavement. That a high rate of pavement cycling is strong evidence that the route isn't good enough is completely lost on them - and indeed on Cambridge Cycling Campaign who invested so much, politically, in the scheme.<br /><br />I agree its wrong to be all personal with planners - but I wouldn't shy off criticising bad plans on those grounds. <br />Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-56485233501436927192013-04-08T06:54:40.039+01:002013-04-08T06:54:40.039+01:00You want to try working for a Tory car-centric Cou...You want to try working for a Tory car-centric Council - it "drives" you mad!<br /><br />My principal problem with some campaigners is that they do take an unreasonable and personal stance at council officers, rather than taking on those who actually make the decisions (politicians). <br /><br />The problem then becomes one of reporting comments back from campaigners to committee. I have witnessed politicians using campaigner's comments to throw out schemes.<br /><br />Holding out for the perfect scheme is laudable, but risks that nothing will get done and the politicians will get used to doing nothing. That is not to accept poor provision, but be cleverer with the long-game.The Ranty Highwaymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17361350433158148025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-14041764656055982432013-04-05T14:53:13.955+01:002013-04-05T14:53:13.955+01:00Worth at thought... Or instead start another campa...Worth at thought... Or instead start another campaign group here.Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-83875860699737294652013-04-05T14:52:27.067+01:002013-04-05T14:52:27.067+01:00Quite. For some reason some members blocked such a...Quite. For some reason some members blocked such a response. And thus achieved nothing.Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-86366109647939213672013-04-05T10:44:07.036+01:002013-04-05T10:44:07.036+01:00How about joining Ely Cycling then? We share a cou...How about joining Ely Cycling then? We share a county council and in the first flush of starting up they are committed to Go Dutch and not compromise.<br /><br />It could help Cambridge if the county is getting the same message on cycling from more than one troublesome district, and if they have any success it acts as a near-by example to point to about how it can work.<br /><br />It seems more likely to have an effect than individually ranting on the internet. Much as I enjoy ranting, I'd rather see change.Hesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786445447447946710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-81978016725741219582013-04-05T08:24:21.476+01:002013-04-05T08:24:21.476+01:00Ahh, yes. The bridge. Worthy of a blog post itsel...Ahh, yes. The bridge. Worthy of a blog post itself. <br /><br />I agree that all too often what is good for campaigners is not what is good for cycling. I cant disagree with anything you have said there.Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-25960680796210739152013-04-05T08:15:01.791+01:002013-04-05T08:15:01.791+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-45787746667012344712013-04-04T19:21:06.710+01:002013-04-04T19:21:06.710+01:00guarded support from a cycle campaign is still tak...guarded support from a cycle campaign is still taken as support.<br /><br />outright denunciation plus press releases may have more effectBristol Traffichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17086394853567703369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-52570407441636352002013-04-04T16:58:08.607+01:002013-04-04T16:58:08.607+01:00A big part of the problem is that many people aren...A big part of the problem is that many people aren't part of a "Cycling" campaign, but are really part of a "Cyclists" campaign – there to make improvements for existing (vehicular) cyclists. I think the language of "us" referring to "cyclists" is quite damaging. Cycling campaign groups should really focus on cycling for everyone. <br /><br />So, as they're focussed on small improvements for existing committed cyclists, you'll get more <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTsQ_YQEk-c" rel="nofollow">dangerous crap like this</a> hailed as some great leap forward. While it may alleviate problems for existing cyclists, it will do nothing to convince anybody to ditch the car. <br /><br />Many campaigners are self-interested, rather than civic-minded, it seems. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-30365935520659991652013-04-04T15:59:19.172+01:002013-04-04T15:59:19.172+01:00I've had that discussion with exec members of ...I've had that discussion with exec members of the Campaign before; if I don't like how they do things, why not join and try to change how they do things? This is a bizarre stance for them to take; I don't like how lots of different campaign groups, charities and political parties approach the problems of the world, but I don't joint them all and fight that they change policies.<br /><br />I think I would be very likely to join a CCC if they would take some real action that might get us where we need to be - on our congested city streets, a regular CM would pay dividends here. Can't happen while CCC remain effectively in the pocket of the County Council who will continue to point to the CCC as their consultants in this regard. For some reason CCC have never quite got that the County have effectively used them as patsies for years.<br /><br />That said, I think there are some good folk at CCC. I just can't work out why as an organisation its so limp.Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-27856244670439943612013-04-04T15:50:12.478+01:002013-04-04T15:50:12.478+01:00I went to my first Cambridge Cycling Campaign meet...I went to my first Cambridge Cycling Campaign meeting on Tuesday. There were 20-30 people there out of 1100+ members, so hardly representative of the campaign. However it is reasonable to assume it was representative of the people who actually do the scrutiny and talk to the councils.<br /><br />There was generally a consensus on Go Dutch as the ideal. In fact I asked a few people about it specifically. However there are differences of opinion over details, and yes, approach.<br /><br />Go Dutch is also what Ely Cycling are pushing for, incidentally, which was the main talk of the evening.<br /><br />Anyway, perhaps if more people like you and I actually turned up to the meetings we might be able to have an effect on the campaign's party line. Whether it actually achieves any more than the current state of affairs is another matter. The county are still free to ignore the campaign. For the Tory majority there is little to gain from city votes.Hesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786445447447946710noreply@blogger.com