What light are we waiting at?
Edit 01/01/2014 A set of standard traffic lights have been installed at Richmond Hill, after a short several day period of no lights at all. It seems unlikely that B.B.C. will be given the proposed advanced cycle priority lights mentioned earlier, watch this space for official acknowledgement. This follows my recent post about Richmond Hill in Bournemouth, regarding new Cyclist advanced traffic lights. Its like this, we are waiting to recieve confirmation from DfT, thats the Department for Transport, or, Daft, if you read the ‘Private Eye’ magazine fortnightly which reports (its worth it, trust me) the way the Government department operates from Whitehall, it has so much national effect on our roads it hurts, really, where was I? that Bournemouth will be able to trial a new set of smaller lights to give road cyclists head starts on larger lights for vehicles. Ive seen these in Europe, they work simply because everyone knows they exist everywhere, people have got patience and have got time to live unlike little England where everyone is tearing about on a mission, to get to Primark, or wherever. Anyway, these advanced cycle signals have been trialled in Cambridge since September first in U.K, Seems like a mixed bag of responses in Cambridge, seems also that the people importing or approving have been waiting for the Ok from Daft to install in London, which may have been better start for these seeing as everyone knows London leads and everywhere follows. After all thats where Politicians operate from and then spread the findings to the Regions. Other regions have also reported having them, but no press found… You can read todays press about London. So, It could be that theres several other Local Authority Regional areas, or Councils if you prefer waiting to hear they will be the lucky ones to get to trial something designed to prioritise cycling promotion. Bournemouth may lose, who knows this post has only been spurred by the situation we are in as a country beginning serious promotion of Active Travel. It would be stupid to cast any judgement on whether they will work in one location, we shall have to see- but these kids of changes to the roads of the U.K must been seen in context. Its live this Active Travel thing, Im keen on speaking like that because even as someone whos ridden a lifetime on U.K roads were not dealing with solely cycling promotion, the whole obesity, child inactivity, congestion issue wont be dealt with by ‘cyclists’ alone, theres bigger changes to make for Active Travel rather than habitual sedentary modern life. These sorts of innovations and changes are coming about quite quickly now, whereas I used to love being the only office*wierdo/ geek *delete as applicable, working for cycling in 2007, every office going now knows the score and are following developments. One more thing tonight, these helmet cams, Im not into them. Whats the point in riding around filming every misdemeanour, then eagerly posting it on Youtube bleating about it? promotes more animosity. Ride well and get given the space you deserve, dont become a helmet cam warrior, you arent doing anything useful, come and be a cycle trainer or something. Thanks.