The Times Cycling Campaign

Is she the one on the right?

Someone just said something to the effect of: "Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to wear all this safety clobber, and you could just go out your front door, jump on your bike and go. Wouldn't that get more people cycling, if it were just safe to do so?"

Awesome.

Great speech by my MP Meg Hillier there.

+1 Very sensible.

The Stroud MP... WTF? He was barely coherent.

its illegal for small children to cycle on the pavement?

Great speech by my MP Meg Hillier there.

Natch, being MP of London's Cycling Borough. :)

I didn't think so... but perhaps it is.

Doesn't that mean that you'd have to learn to cycle on the road?

I learned on the paths on my estate... but clearly the law would've put me out on the High Street.

its illegal for small children to cycle on the pavement?

Technically yes, but it's not enforceable I think.

I thought it was legal until the age of 12.

Isn't 10 the legal age of responsibility?

CAN CHILDREN CYCLE ON FOOTWAYS?
According to the Department for Transport (DfT), the maximum fine for ‘cycling on the pavement’ (ie footways) from the courts is £500. However it is more usually enforced by way of the Fixed Penalty Notice procedure (FPN) which carries a £30 fine if pleading guilty. However, there is a view that the FPN can only be issued to those over 16.

“The DfT view, from discussions with Home Office, is that the law applies to all but the police can show discretion to younger children cycling on the pavement for whom cycling on the road would not be a safe option.” (See, event the Department for Transport uses the word ‘pavement’).

The age of criminal responsibility is 10 so, technically, only children below this age can cycle on footways without fear of redress.

While adults are not allowed to cycle on ‘footways’ (see definition above), children up to the age of 16 cannot be prosecuted for doing so, see text above for clarification.

When using segregated cycle-paths ie signed footways shared with pedestrians, cyclists ought to keep to the side intended for cyclists.

From: http://www.bikehub.co.uk/featured-articles/cycling-and-the-law/

All this talk of Amsterdam all the time. Cycling there is nice, I lived there for a time, but there's more to it: driving there is harder. So if the MPs want cycling in London to be more like Amsterdam, it will require making driving harder. Let's see them sell that one.

On Amsterdam, read http://www.amcambike.wordpress.com.

A great suggestion from the woman currently speaking: Change the speed limits by simply interpreting all road speed limits as kph rather than mph.

She was great. (Who is she didn't catch her name?)
In addition to this^ she promoted driver training and better designed road humps.

Some really great points and such positive well pitched not-too-scary suggestions. Geat momentum building up from all sides. lots of focus on drivers, enforcement, real road danger as well as such positive promotion stuff about the joys of cycling. i am feeling much more positive about the Times campaign

Disappointed with jeremy corbin mp from islington whose points were

1. bike to be sold with lights and riders issued with hi viz and cheap helmets
   
2. rljing and pavement cycling complaint
   Why jeremy, thought you were more on the ball?
   

He was ok I thought. He mentioned that too many routes disappear or are interrupted at a junction, and the lights at Hype Park corner are a problem.

He was ok I thought. He mentioned that too many routes disappear or are interrupted at a junction, and the lights at Hype Park corner are a problem.

Who has started hyping it now? It's not that great.

Love hype park such a wonderful place.

The minister is pretty bland. Didn't catch any visionary new ideas from him though I know he is looking at what TfL has done in promoting road sharing. They are getting closer to better road danger reduction ideas with lots on driver training and lower speeds.

Julian Huppert was great. Ending the debate reminding everyone that cycling is fun!

Write up:

http://ibikelondon.blogspot.com/2012/02/parliamentary-cycle-safe-debate-start.html

Rather than picking holes in what has been said, or laughing at certain members lack of understanding of the issues, now is the time for us all to encourage them to remain focused on the issue and to show them with examples what it is we would like to see. Politicians aren't interested in people who moan and moan and moan without offering any alternative solution. What they are interested in are demonstrations of ideas which could improve the lot of their constituents. It's time for us to show them all that cycling can be that.

The important thing is that the letter writing, protesting and lobbying has had an effect. The Times campaign has pulled cycle campaigning by the scruff of it's neck from the long grass firmly in to the main stream. We may all be impatient for change as we wistfully look across the North Sea to our cycle-friendly cousins, but if anyone wants a reassurance that we are taking our first, bold, tentative steps in the right direction then this should be all the reassurance you need:

The House of Commons today, at the same as the cycle safe debate in Westminster Hall. We have our MP's attention, let's work with them to turn it in to action.

^ everyone in the HoC pic looks like they had a few too many Sherries at lunchtime...

Jack Thurston should really be credited for that picture, I cannot think of a better demonstration of where the focus was today.

Jack Thurston should really be credited for that picture, I cannot think of a better demonstration of where the focus was today.

Yes, I copied the image urls from the ibikelondon website, sorry if that wasn't clear.

Great juxtaposition
Amazing!

Oh no, I meant it was really great image, and Jack should be applauded... that kind of credit.

Though actually the source photo is on Flickr and http://www.flickr.com/photos/19871340@N00/6923627809/ yeah you are supposed to attribute it.

But then, Mark @ ibikelondon also didn't do that.

But the HoC is often that empty... they don't just sit there all day shouting childish slogans at each other. Oh. There were only three motions up for debate today which sort of suggests the Westminster Hall was well planned.

Julian Huppert is a clever bloke. He's a a scientist, good at maths