Labour investment in cycling and walking will be unprecedented, says Louise Haigh

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/20/labour-investment-cycling-walking-unprecedented-louise-haigh

Posted by SKAOG

15 Comments

  1. It’s good there is gonna be funding but…
    My city council just waste the cash in a tick box kind of way without making cyclists life safer or easier. For example, a ‘cycle lane’ that’s just a very thin strip of road marked by a paint line. The width is around 60cm. So now cars pass in ‘their’ lane, not giving the required 1.5 meters from the cyclist. This has MASSIVELY increased close passing. I’d sooner they’d not bothered. Told the council…no response. Another one. Cycle lane on shared use pavement. Multiple side roads with car traffic priority. Having to stop every 50 meters is a huge pain, I’d sooner just use the road. The infrastructure is so piss poor it’s a frustrating mess. No one from the council will talk to any interested group. Utter shite. Unfortunately you could get a dog voted in if it’s got a red rosette, the corruption has also been wild.

  2. jimthewanderer on

    Funding is half the problem.

    If the people running the schemes are morons, that’s a lot of wasted money.

    If this money goes to the private sector, we may as well mulch the notes.

  3. jodrellbank_pants on

    Yes I see it in many places in the UK when driving around, empty bus and cycle lanes and 500 cars lorries and taxis stuffed into one lane.

    Hospitals included in the congestion and low emission charges.

    Its not practical for families in most cities unless you exclude all other forms of transport. In my early working days I would cycle 15 miles to work through countryside up enormous hills and through rain and snow, it wasn’t practical but it was necessary.

    If I was staring out today as a 17 year old I wouldn’t even attempt it, just to dangerous now

    Cycling is a great idea, but were not Netherlands, amend the infrastructure as well ffs

  4. I don’t care how much investment there is. I’m taking my car, not a bus with the plebs, not a bike and certainly not walking. Fuck your 15 minute cities. I’ll take my money and my business elsewhere.

  5. It has to be done right, we can’t have councils pulling up trees to make cycle paths

  6. As much as I wanna make a joke over how useful walking and cycling investment will be to this disabled wheelchair user….

    Better/safer bike paths and access could be rather useful for me in my chair.

    Wait and see what happens I guess.

  7. Most-Cloud-9199 on

    Funding could come from taxing cyclists and use this to create proper cycle lanes on roads, same as cars are taxed

  8. _Spigglesworth_ on

    So we have no money for the old folk to stop them freezing, we can home and feed people but we can do a huge project for walking and cycling?

    I’m not against it I just think we have more pressing issues.

  9. That’s all very well. The U.K. has an aging population. There’s no way I’m getting on one of those mobility scooters. I’m taking my little Nissan Micra that I worked so hard to get after both hip replacements and knee surgery. I can walk fine until my asthma kicks in and I can’t breathe.

  10. GonzohunterHST on

    Maybe they should make the train companies put their trains back on properly instead of fucking around trying to make people cycle in the rain.

    I’m not cycling 20 miles every day in the rain and I never will.

    Out of touch idiots.

  11. My local council seems to begin to understand some simple truths: They are upgrading (or downgrading according to the locals) a dual carriageway that is a complete pain to cross and invites car drivers to speed through the heart of Arbroath to become more cyclist/pedestrian friendly, bringing the lanes down to two again and providing more space for other road users They have also run consultations on connecting Arbroath to the other communities by exclusive cycle/footpaths that are separated from the main roads.

    Get it done. If you want people to cycle, you have to provide a safe environment, it is as simple as that and it is a win/win to get more cars of the roads.

  12. DaydreamMyLifeAway on

    After Khan wasted millions in London on this the government is looking for ways to waste millions more.

  13. shrunkenshrubbery on

    Hopefully they find a way to stop range rovers trying to kill me on country roads.

  14. Any-Weight-2404 on

    Can someone explain to me why I have to legally pedal my electric bike, but electric scooters travel the same speed and now seem to be everywhere.