London Cycling Campaign

scenic, not scenice

I recently spoke to a my council's (Brent's) consultative forum on this, saying more cycling should be allowed in parks, and I got attacked and basically shouted down by a chorus of elderly folk who were all convinced that cyclists are a dangerous menace who should be totally banned from parks.

So I'm afraid the answer to your question is that there is a strange and irrational fear of cyclists in powerful parts of our community which prevents the common-sense course of action you suggest.

Having said that, LCC campaigns have made progress in places in getting some allowed routes in some parks, e.g. Kensington Gardens and Regents Park recently. So I suggest you get involved with this work. The LCC has a parks and canals working group.

David

Where are children expected to learn to ride a bike if not in the park?

In Croydon we have had, for many years now, an unofficial Council policy of turning a blind eye to no cycling by-laws in local parks, with the exception of three - one comprising largely ornamental gardens, another mainly occupied by wildfowl and the last a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

I believe that this situation is now being changed to one of formal legalisation.

I can understand concerns about cyclists using parks as main thoroughfares, but think it really does depend on the extent of cycling and the size of the park.  For example, the shared-use paths in Hyde Park don't seem problematic to me - but would be wholly inappropriate in a much smaller setting, e.g. Soho Square.

Regarding anoopshah's point, I can remember my nephew learning to cycle in a park in Turin which had a specially designed layout to enable kids to have fun and gain a bit of road sense at the same time.  

I wonder if the police in Hampstead Heath have enough to do.  I doubt they bother checking that every dog owner picks up after their pooch craps on the grass, spreading Toxocara Canis - commonly known as roundworm - which has been linked to blindness, epilepsy and asthma.

In learning my way about town, I use the parks and various landmarks to help me position myself and navigate around. The parks which stand out as most useful (for me) are Hyde, Green, Regents, and Battersea Park.

Hyde Park is remarkably useful with its generous routes for cyclists which make travelling east and west a doddle, unfortunately there is little provided in the way of North and South. Nonetheless, one can get to South Kensington, Paddington, Nottinghill, or Marble Arch quite effortlessly come day or night.

Regents park has a nice circular route, and the sports cyclists often keep out of ones way.

Green Park, is not particularly useful unless the Mall and/or Piccadilly are clogged up (which is often the case), furthermore one doesn't feel particularly safe at night there.

Battersea park is fantastic during the day time, it is very peaceful and tranquil, but yet again, not one for night time pootling.

I have also cycled through Clapham Common at night once, it seemed Ok, but perhaps not the best place to have a puncture though.

As a walking older cyclist I am confronted by rational fears when a child approaches me on the pavement, suddenly and silently. (Worse still, a mobility cart at terminal velocity!)

They and I  are usually slow and thus can't change direction quckly, especially on a sharp blind bend, on a narrow stretch.

Older people are petrified; they can't see and hear as clearly as once they did, often live alone; there is real fear that the least sprain or bruise will dramatically change how they live their lives. Washing, cooking, eating, bathroom, already major strategic issues, become life threatening if an older person can't manage them. Lifes bumps and bounces have great consequences.

So that is why we must make our roads safer. For all.

Bet TfL have given no thought to the impact of silent greenwashed cars on hard-of-hearing pedestrians and cyclists.

This content was deleted by snowballguru at 11:47pm 14 Nov 2011.

Why oh why, you might well ask that of all good ideas - it's politics dear!

Britain is so bound up in cyclist-hatred and wrong-headed about the benefits to all if cycling is increased. What we need is a campaign targetted at that, here are some ideas:

- Take cyclists off the road (and give them their own bit) and hey, more space for drivers, just like the old days - ahh!

- 10 more people riding bikes means 10 more seats/sweaty space on the bus/tube or more spaces for cars

- Fitter people cycling means fewer people to treat for heart disease/obesity - saving money on the NHS

- More people riding bikes means more people arriving at work on time - better for business

- you can go on...

;-)

Snowballguru, I don't think it is all that bad :)

Yes TfL have been far from enlightened with regards to safe and effective travel for all; and despite some inittial promise and achievements, 'our mayor' Boris Johnston is failing in his oft-promoted stance as a consciencious, progressive leader, and avid cyclist; prefering instead to indulge in egotism, claim credit for others ideas, and bodge the implementation of them. Which has resulted in / left us with:

• Lethal cycle 'superhighways'
• Dangerous cyclepaths
• HGV speedways
• Poor air quality
• Lack of cycle facilities
• Unreliable cycle hire
• Reduced congestion charge
• Reduced prices for congestion charge

We are still an aggressively car-dominated city with serious pollution issues (convieniently ignored). Marry that with the increasing costs of public transport (and the lack of security on them) and it is no wonder why many Londoners insist upon their cars as a right, in a similar manner to those Americans who claim their right to firearms, despite living in the largest and most densly populated city in the nation.

However, in spite of the mess, there is a marked change in the cities conscious, many people who would never have considered placing less than 4 wheels on Londons turf now cycle to and from work, the pub, and the shops on the cycle hire bikes - when they can get them. Many more people are buying their own bikes, and cycling is slowly entering into the mainstream as an option not just for frustrated Lance Armstrong wannabes, relegated to the 9 - 5.

Even our very own LCC has began to change, after finally deciding to stop catering to the latter and instead adopting an approach suited to real cyclists, serious cyclists: those that use their bicycle to get them from A to B, not to compensate for failings in life.

And therefore, I am optimistic about the direction that we are moving in, as poorly implemented as it has been our cycle hire scheme (or at least the idea of it) is an inspiration to many other cities, and with the inevitable rise in the cost of petrol, people may finally look towards more sustainable modes of transport and insist on getting value for money from our exhorbitantly priced (and often poor-quality) trains and other forms of public transport. This can only be a good thing for us cyclists.

This post was edited by ManAboutTown at 10:20pm 17 Nov 2011.

From a North American perspective, some observations.

Here you are more than a little mired down by your history. By law here a bicycle *is* a "carriage" just like a car, bus and HGV, so by law, of course you shouldn't be taking your carriage onto the footpath, park or otherwise. (Although, come to think of it, the fact that bicycles are not licensed contradicts this more than a little).

The point made about the potentially very negative impact on park users (particularly the fragile elderly and children) of "frantic" speeding cyclists, is entirely valid. If cyclists maintained a moderate speed, there probably wouldn't be a problem. Once again, it's the extremists who ruin things for the rest of us. In the motorcycling community the saying would be "take it to the track" in an effort to keep wannabe racers off the streets. In this case it would be "take it to the street" to keep selfish and irresponsible cyclists away from other sensitive receptors (in the parks). 

When I first moved to Edinburgh and started cycle-commuting there, on a lovely mixed-use path along the Water Leith, I was very pleasantly surprised that, for the most part, people do share and get along (yes, really). Cyclists, runners, walkers, prammists, dog crappers, all using the same, narrow path, mostly without trouble. In western North America cycles would probably be flat out forbidden, and dogs would have to be on leash, etc. etc. 

Enjoy the relative flexibility you enjoy! Whether you're aware of it or not!

This is a place where you're expected to watch where you step. How novel! Every day I step over many situations that would get somebody sued in a minute in America. 

What was my point? Oh well.

Oh, and one more random observation. Generally speaking pet dogs here are much better civilized than in America. American dogs are neurotic assholes by comparison to the dogs out for a walk here, that generally speaking, behave as if they have a job to do. The same cannot be said for the teenagers, however! Scottish teenagers are......neurotic assholes, on average.

IMHO!

The Park authorties seen to think as little of cyclists as every one else!

Again the cycle lanes of the North carriage way in Hyde park are closed, and turned into a staff car park/lorry park for the fair.

If there is one place in central London that any staff do NOT need to use their cars its in Hyde Park

Any other event in the Park,... close the North Carriage way and other cycle lanes.

I can't wait to see whhat is closed for the olympics.