Whilst other cities reportedly move forward, reaping the benefits of bike-friendly design and putting wings on bicycle culture such as the 7% bike modal share in Seville (achieved in remarkable short time) and Velo-City Vienna - Newcastle could not be further from this future today.
There has largely been positive news about cycling in our city recently. Here, however, is a sad story to tell. On attending the Newcastle City Council's cycle forum yesterday we asked about progress with the pinchpoint removal on Heaton Road, reported previously here.
A whopping fifty people attended the meeting on Acorn Road at the Cricket Club in Jesmond on the 23rd May. The meeting, organised by or partners Transition Jesmond as part of the Jesmond Community Festival, wanted to promote public discussion about the proposals which have been developed by the Acorn Road improvement group over the last year or so.
This weekend Newcastle Cycling Campaign will host the annual meeting of the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain. Cycling the city on the proposed Strategic Cycle Routes as well as chatting campaigning strategy will all be included in the packed two-day agenda [link below]. City cycling gets serious - making cycling as easy as riding a bicycle.
Councils hit back at cycling critics
(No link - so article has been replicated below)
COUNCIL chiefs have it back at claims that they are not doing enough to support two-wheeled travel on Tyneside.
Chairman [sic.] of the Newcastle Cycling Campaign, Katja Leyendeker, claimed that while the city is "making the right noises" about encouraing more pople to convert to pedal power, so far there had been lttle to show for it.
After years of talk, frustrated cyclists want to know how serious Newcastle really is about creating safe conditions for everyone to cycle. There are good signs but bad ones too. What is Newcastle City Council doing to become a City Fit for Cycling?
Today we sent our support to Newcastle City Council vying for £5.6m for the City with seven other Core Cities. By doing so we have joined a host of illustrious supporters ranging from politicians, businesses to groups and organisations. The bid would financially cover the first two years of Newcastle's 10-year Cycle Plan. The money would be welcome to realise Newcastle's bold ambition to make our City Fit for Cycling and it would mean that £10 per person could be spent on cycling infrastructure - which is in line with expenditure of European cycling 'starter countries'.
Speakers will include Alan Morgan on the past history of Acorn Road and Sarah Cawrse on the plans for development of this fine sub-urban district shopping street. Come along. And help spread the word, flyer attached below.
We are part of the Acorn Road planning group. So here's an update from Jesmond where views and ideas have been exchanged and a plan starts to take form:
Since June 2012, a community group constituted of local residents, campaigning groups, traders and local City Councillors has been meeting to look at ways of improving Acorn Road which is the hub of Jesmond’s social and economic life both as a shopping street and a place to meet.
