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Cut speed limits


Commander CMG

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The speed limit in towns should be cut to 20mph and more dangerous drivers jailed in an effort to persuade millions more people to take up cycling, MPs of all parties say in a report today.

They are also calling for a ban on heavy lorries using city centre streets at the busiest times, along with more bike parking at stations and the construction of cycling lanes with their own traffic lights.

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Getting more like Communist China every day!

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The roads need to be expanded for the growing rate of car traffic, like in the US, 12 lanes or so. Also make bus fares cheaper

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Hindsight is sometimes 20x20...

Roads/highways should have been engineered for seperate (and by that I mean seperated) lanes for heavy vehicles (semi's etc) and smaller vehicles (passenger cars, etc) they should have also engineered seperate bike paths...

While banning heavy vehicles like semi's from city centers sounds good in theory, it will most probably cause an increase in traffic density as it takes several smaller delivery vehicles to carry one semi's load... However it will serve to improve lin eof sight visibiltiy for smaller vehicles...

So they also want to reduce the speed limit to 20mph in urban areas?... Oklahoma City is about 900 square miles in area (not counting the suburb cities) - it is 30 miles across... and it's a 'small major city'... How is slowing cars and trucks going to make even slower bicycles seem like a good idea?

Did they define what constitutes 'dangerous drivers'?...

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No! No to 20mph! It's a ridiculous speed to drive at. Fair enough outside schools, but we were one of the first (if not the first) to get 20mph limits in all residential areas, thanks to our lovely county council.

I actually think it's worse for 'safety'. Yeah, if you get hit at 20 injuries are much less severe, as a pedestrian and as a passenger, which is why I understand it outside schools, but as a driver, I've seen confusion when we're forced to stick to 20 on fairly main roads through towns. E.g, driver waiting to pull out, and the car they're waiting for to go past is going so slowly they aren't sure whether they're being let out or not. Cue emergency stop moments (and no, I wasn't the driver pulling out!)

Plus outside the high school, where the kids love playing chicken, or just walking out in front of cars, they think they have so much time to get across the road because the car is coming so slowly that they actually end up having nearer misses than when the cars were doing 30mph.

The other ideas don't seem too bad, like.

Just my thoughts.

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Jailing people for small offenses only crowds your jail system. It would make more sense to require a year of community service where they work with individuals affected by dangerous driving, perhaps a hospital setting.

Banning heavy vehicles in city centres makes sense as we have done that here in the French Quarter, though that doesn't stop morons from ignoring the signs and trying to drive down the streets anyway as I can easily attest to after this last weekend.

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I think this is only in Britain. It could never work over the scale of distances in US cities of any size. They were all built for cars. But the idea of bicycling(voluntary) would be great for saving fuel and improving public health. Though I'd be the last to volunteer in south Alabama in Summer! :( What is needed here is a scooter that could also be pedaled on demand. AND that wasn't horribly expensive. If the government got behind such an effort in large cities it would help a lot of people in many ways.

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who in their right mind wants to swap the car for the bike. okay in the summer weather in light traffic. but what when the weather turns bad like the winter months? and during rush hour. the motor car has changed society in so many ways - its given people the ability to work miles from where they live. these people are not going to hop on a bike to work. personally i have no interest in biking it.

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What is more important than reducing the speed limit is ensuring current drivers are capable. Driving in this country is infuriating (sometimes dangerous) because of ignorant drivers, they will still drive as they due regardless of a 20mph speed limit or not. We currently hand out 3 points and a fine for people using their phones while driving, from what I see it has not made a blind bit of difference. Points fines I feel are more of a deterrent than cash fines that only hurt the 'less well off' while the risk of a ban is more universal.

Comparisons to America are irrelevant, stateside you have more room for '12 lane Highways' than we have, bigger cars in general, cheaper fuel and greater distances to travel.

As for 'biking it', it is a great option if you live close enough to your place of work and should be encouraged as should use of public transport. The best way to encourage this is improvements in safety, comfort and service.

Edited by Junior Chubb
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who in their right mind wants to swap the car for the bike. okay in the summer weather in light traffic. but what when the weather turns bad like the winter months? and during rush hour. the motor car has changed society in so many ways - its given people the ability to work miles from where they live. these people are not going to hop on a bike to work. personally i have no interest in biking it.

It is interesting go in the bike in winter, its that people are lazy and thats the problem, British people are lazy, thats culture.

Now another solution would be putting bike racks on buses in the front,I saw those in Salt Lake city. So you can travel further than using a bus or bike alone.

Example:

BUS-RACKS9.jpg

Edited by The New Richard Nixon
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British people are lazy, thats culture.

Speak for the 'British people' you know... ;)

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If we're encouraging bikes, we need to encourage people to use their bloody bikes properly too!

I'm sick of cyclists giving me dirty looks because, on the pavement, I'M in the way of THEM, apparently. I don't want to see more people cycling if they're going to cycle on the pavement and ping their little bells at people who are walking on the pavement. Bikes are for the road, or cycle paths. Don't like it, walk.

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It is interesting go in the bike in winter, its that people are lazy and thats the problem, British people are lazy, thats culture.

Now another solution would be putting bike racks on buses in the front,I saw those in Salt Lake city. So you can travel further than using a bus or bike alone.

Example:

is it people being lazy or just tired from working? myself im lazy i couldnt face biking to and from work. i just like jumping in the car, and getting home in style and comfort regardless of weather conditions. in a previous job which was closer to home i did bike to and from work in all weathers every single day and never moaned once, but use to cut through a large country park. so a bit different to using the roads. - the bus idea is great but would it work here? you'd have to lock the thing or it would be nicked.

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And what I wonder, would the government tax to make up the revenue lost on petrol & road tax if we all started riding bicycles? Oxygen perhaps.

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And what I wonder, would the government tax to make up the revenue lost on petrol & road tax if we all started riding bicycles? Oxygen perhaps.

Cycle Path Levy.

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I’m all for reducing speed limits around towns to 20mph (at least busy areas of town and around schools etc) and some country lanes to 40mph. I live in Yorkshire and some of the country lanes are just not suitable for 60mph at all.

With regards to cycling, I just think our roads are so busy I can understand why people don’t want to cycle. There are not all that many cycle paths running in to the cities that people can use and roads are just very narrow. I would be scared to cycle on some of the roads around where I live. If my husband had a bike he could cycle to work as we only live 3 miles outside Leeds and right near the canal so you can hop on the tow path there and cycle right in to the City. Although he walks most days unless the weather is horrid. I work 20 miles away from where I live and that is using the motorway, it would be a longer bike ride so not something I could do.

Bus fares are also stupidly expensive. My kids love going on the bus to town on a weekend but it costs like £7, it's actually cheaper for me to drive and pay parking.

I also think some cyclists need to have training! I see them do some crazy stuff, weaving in and out of moving cars, hopping on to the pavement at traffic lights etc. Some can be very dangerous.

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I live in a small village on the outskirts of Bradford/Keighley in West Yorkshire and we get many cyclists through here, especially at weekends, mainly because it has been encouraged with introduction of the Great Northern trail along with the fact we have many bridleways and tracks.

However many cyclists can be a real pain, the extreme off roaders, always groups of men, who seem to think they have priority to bridleways and groups or pairs that feel the main road belongs to them and cycle side by side so they can chat, slowing down the traffic who are trying to pass them. Amazingly enough these people only turn out on nice days, fine weather sports enthusiasts.

I used to go around the village with my 2 kids when they were younger, both are now 17 & 20 and wouldn’t be seen dead with me on a bike today, my 20 year old son probably would but my 17 year old daughter certainly wouldn’t. We would just go around the village and the side streets and stop at both pubs every-time we passed them for a drink, I don’t know how I got away with this with Mrs X for so long.

For the past couple of years I have said I should cycle more, especially to the gym and back and this year I am determined to do just that. I will be buying a new bike next week, nothing special, I am not brave enough for extreme off road cycling but the challenge of the odd grass verge I can handle.

I am not wearing a silly hat though..

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I also think some cyclists need to have training! I see them do some crazy stuff, weaving in and out of moving cars, hopping on to the pavement at traffic lights etc. Some can be very dangerous.

They don't need training, they know the rules they just weigh up the advantages of saving 20 seconds and go for it. What they need is to see a friend get flattened by truck doing the same 'short cut', that would make them think twice about risky manoeuvres.

Cyclists like drivers are people, and to many people only consider their own needs when making a decision, whether that is jumping a red light, cycling on the pavement or obstructing the road with inconsiderate parking. Unfortunately today's 'me me me' attitude is here to stay...

I am not wearing a silly hat though..

Lol, what about a helmet then. ;)

Edited by Junior Chubb
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Cut the speed limits for cyclists by all means.

But equally enforce the legality of cyclists jumping red lights to save lives. More than once I have almost had one off their bike around London when they blatantly ignore traffic signals.

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