Monthly Archives: September 2013

Who drives in Britain?

Posted on September 27, 2013 by aseasyasriding

The current population of Great Britain stands at around 63.2 million people. From the way transport is presented by much of the media and by politicians, you would think that every single one of these people is a ‘motorist’. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Car dependence, Transport policy | 17 Comments

Norman Baker playing with statistics again

Posted on September 23, 2013 by aseasyasriding

Last year Norman Baker – sitting alongside ex-road safety minister Mike Penning – told the Transport Select Committee that Britain has a better safety record for cycling than the Netherlands, because fewer people, per 100,000 of the population, die cycling … Continue reading →

Posted in Department for Transport, Norman Baker, Statistics, The Netherlands | 20 Comments

Separate to liberate

Posted on September 23, 2013 by aseasyasriding

In four days in Utrecht last week, I took nearly 400 photographs of people cycling. Part of this exuberance with a camera can be attributed to my innate geekiness about cycling, but mostly it stemmed from the sheer excitement I … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, Subjective safety, The Netherlands | 39 Comments

Classics of the genre

Posted on September 20, 2013 by aseasyasriding

Some recent examples of driverless cars, rampaging out of control. Something really must be done about these mechanical beasts! In Gorleston – A crash between a woman on a bicycle and a car has partially blocked Suffield Road in Gorleston. Paramedics … Continue reading →

Posted in Driverless, The media | 5 Comments

The myth of incompetence

Posted on September 16, 2013 by aseasyasriding

You won’t need me to tell you that John Forester is the ‘father of vehicular cycling’. One of his biggest apparent obsessions is the notion that cycle tracks and cycle paths foster ‘incompetent’ cycling. He has written, for instance, that … Continue reading →

Posted in Cyclecraft, Cycling policy, Infrastructure, John Franklin, Subjective safety, The Netherlands | 27 Comments

Park Life

Posted on September 12, 2013 by aseasyasriding

When I was in London last Monday ahead of the Space for Cycling protest, I found myself on the Mall quite near Buckingham Palace, and I wanted to head north towards Oxford Street. The obvious option is a cycle route … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Gilligan, Infrastructure, London | 10 Comments

Cheapside – a video is not an adequate response to bad road design

Posted on September 10, 2013 by aseasyasriding

The City of London have brought out what they presumably believe to be a charming ‘road safety’ video, entitled ‘Handle Like Eggs’. The presenter of the video informs us that it is really important we ‘share the streets, safely.’ This … Continue reading →

Posted in Absurd transport solutions, City of London, Infrastructure, London, Pinch points, Road rage, Subjective safety | 25 Comments

The next step in cycle safety – Canada’s trauma surgeons have the answer

Posted on September 9, 2013 by aseasyasriding

This news story featured yesterday in the Hull Daily Mail – A Hull man whose back was broken in two places when he was knocked from his bicycle faces a long struggle to walk again. Cliff Hattersley, 59, was cycling to his … Continue reading →

Posted in Absurd transport solutions, Helmets, Road safety, The Netherlands | 7 Comments

A road designed for motor vehicles

Posted on September 3, 2013 by aseasyasriding

A correspondent has pointed me to this story from last week – Steven Berkoff was found guilty today of driving without due care and attention after knocking over a woman on Oxford Street. The 76-year-old actor, playwright and director was … Continue reading →

Posted in Dangerous driving, Driving ban, Uncategorized | 16 Comments

Why we need space for cycling

Posted on September 1, 2013 by aseasyasriding

Ahead of today’s parliamentary debate on cycling, and subsequent Space for Cycling protest, I thought I’d give a brief reminder of why change is so urgently needed in Britain, and to persuade you to come along to the ride. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Cycling policy, Go Dutch, Infrastructure, LCC, London, Subjective safety, The Netherlands | 18 Comments