In tears reading comments on Instagram about the headteacher who was killed by a driver whilst riding his bike in Manchester. Dozens and dozens of heartfelt messages from his ex-pupils who say what a wonderful teacher and role model he was.
New @etsc.eu report says cycling not being made safe enough, fast enough across EU. What's needed? Report says more urban 20mph, more protected cycle lanes & safe junctions etc. Full report: www.etsc.eu/pinflash50
Ask your local council to build a proper safe cycle network today: lcc.org.uk/streets
Insightful reporting from the BBC here.
Rise in Speeding Fines Linked to More Drivers Breaking the Limit - BBC share.google/lf7lLRVmZCtA...
Here's a govt petition to reduce the default limit on rural single carriageway roads from 60 down to 30. Seems a sensible suggestion to me. Obviously individual limits could be higher. They would just need to be signed.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
In Newcastle on street parking costs the council £9,260,871.63 per year.
If on street parking is 'free' that would still be a cost that needs to be covered. It's roughly the same as a 6% rise in council tax, on top of existing rises.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
My 70 something parents use their e-bikes to go on 40 km rides with their friends.
E-bikes are life-extenders, leisure-extenders, and enjoyment-extenders for so many people.
It is not cheating to get more fun out of your day and ensure you have the oomph to come home at the end.
Back to the simple natural order of things…….. not human arrogance based on destruction of our water,air, environment for profit…… for the 1%
Happily, the government has been listening to Sam.
Ed Miliband will be doubling down on clean energy today (giving a speech at 11) announcing moves to shift more legacy renewables on to Contracts for Difference…
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
EU ‘right to repair’ law
The EU will soon require smartphone manufacturers to let users replace their batteries.
The tough new rules - endorsed by the European Parliament this week - could save millions of phones from landfill.
www.euronews.com/2023/06/22/n...
Gil Duran tweet: TLDR: Fascism in response to Palantir's long fascists screed on X.
"Your Account is Suspended" Message on X
The CEO of Palantir posted a fascist manifesto on X.
I pointed out that it was fascist—which resulted in a permanent suspension from X (my second time!).
So, when you hear the tweeters complaining that BlueSky is intolerant, remember why many of us came here in the first place.
No Palantir in our NHS!
Any company profiting from widespread human rights violations has no place in our NHS. Join the campaign to say no to Palantir in our NHS
www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/inter...
NEW: Details of UK govt plans to "break influence of gas on electricity prices"
Carrot: Offer fixed-price "wholesale CfDs" to old renewables, replacing wholesale ££ but not RO top-up
Stick: Higher windfall tax of 45–>55% on 1 July for old renewables/nuclear
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Unimprovable headline
From the latest Private Eye, out now.
Back from a short trip to Paris.
There's a new town just south of Disneyland. It's pastiche, but the streetscape is immaculate and just so much better than any newbuild I've seen in the UK. Footways block-paved, car parking hidden away.
Why can't we do this stuff here?
For a year now, @betterstreetsforbirmingham.org has run an inclusive, 10km monthly cycle ride around the city.
On May 1st we're adding a 1 km walking & wheeling contingent.
Join us for an opportunity to collectively imagine if our city was designed for mobility for everyone!
Climate change (more heat & more wet) and heavier vehicles causing roads to flex and crack are increasing the potholes in our roads.
Watch a video here
Council budgets have been heavily cut for more than a decade making it harder to keep up…the daily outward symbol of decline
youtu.be/JcCTF2eshhw
With the RMT Tube strike, it’s even busier than usual on London’s bike lanes.
Not all lines are impacted so check before you travel.
If you’re on a bike, take it easy & look out for others.
If you haven’t cycled for a bit, refresh your skills online:
tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/…
As Ed Miliband seeks to 'double down' on the UK energy transition to clean power, this is a reminder of why that matters to consumers:
The highest proportion of fossil fuels in the energy mix leads to the highest prices according to Fidelity international
www.ft.com/content/6b4e...
@lauralaker.bsky.social
Many rural communities want traffic‑free paths, but too many are stuck trying to deliver them...That’s why @lauralaker.bsky.social created the Rural Path Campaigner Toolkit, with real advice from communities who’ve made greenways happen.
Toolkit in comments 👇
Greater Manchester could be an amazing place for cycling and active travel but we need our political leaders to be bolder and quicker in the delivery of a good (and connected!) network of bike lanes. We also need to tackle pavement parking which is a major problem in many areas.
Worth a read: a political row in Peterborough where it turns out free parking isn’t free.
My article with a couple of photos of a destroyed dropped kerb, one showing it made safe with barriers, but unusable. If you need a plain text version, please let me know.
In the April edition of #HighwaysMagazine, I ponder a move to "maintaining accessibility" as being a better approach to faults within walking and wheeling space rather than "making safe".
In other Ed Miliband news… the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (heat pump subsidy) is going up from £7,500 to £9,000 for homes in rural areas that rely on oil or LPG.
Given the spike in heating oil prices, and how good an option heat pumps are in rural areas, this is a good idea
“Farage rarely turns up to do his actual job. Yet he finds time to jet off around the world on his donor’s private plane and trouser half a million quid while families struggle. Reform are not on your side. They’re just in it for themselves”
It’s so obvious, it hurts.
www.desmog.com/2026/04/18/n...
an image of a person with a pushchair on a suburban street. Several cars are parked inconsiderably on the side of the road next to a brick wall. The sky is overcast.
Join us online on 22 April at 10:30 for Pavement Parking: Reform, Road Safety & Local Enforcement.
This webinar will explore how local authorities can tackle pavement parking and improve safety, space and accessibility for all.
Register here: https://bitly.livingstreets.org.uk/4coeLXE
IF YOU BUILD A BIKE LANE THAT DOESN'T CONNECT TO ANOTHER BIKE LANE THEN YOU DIDN'T BUILD A BIKE LANE
The closure of Hammersmith Bridge to motor vehicles has created much safer conditions for walking and cycling across a huge area of Hammersmith and Barnes and resulted in fewer vehicles on all West London bridges including Putney and Chiswick.
Keep it closed to cars forever.
💯
More Quality of Life Indicators:
✅ Can walk/bike to a grocery store
✅ Can walk/bike to a library
✅ Can walk/bike to school and work
✅ Can walk/bike to the movies, restaurants, farmer’s market, parks, coffee shops!
*Driver.
For most people, being behind the wheel of a car is the time we are most easily able to maim and kill other people, and also the time we are most likely to get away with it, whatever the circumstances.
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