I have gotten a bit behind on things recently - the problems with Blogger didn't help, nor does the rain - but I have had to catch up on other things. This Post is about my Saturday 5th ride and I have not ridden for a couple of days. I did manage to get out yesterday - but I have not yet downloaded the pictures from that ride.
So a bit of a catchup with the news - it would appear that the planned modifications to Gilbert Road in Cambridge are a step closer to getting the go ahead - "Controversial cycle lane is set to become no-car zone". This is an interesting challenge for the Council really. The real issue is how best to utilise public space (the road) for the benefit and safety of the inhabitants of Cambridge. However there is an imbalance in the sense that those against, who live on the road (not literally), are a focused group, able to be vociferous. Whilst those who stand to benefit, the inhabitants of Cambridge a diffuse group (school-children, cyclists) and perhaps under-represented. Of course this is where the Cambridge Cycling Campaign plays an important role in terms of developing a rational analysis. Apparently 900 bike riders use Gilbert Road each day and that there are 20 vehicles parked in the advisory cycle lanes at any one time in the day. The report also suggest that many of the cars might actually belong to commuters.
Why does this all matter? well I won't witter on about the physical and mental health benefits, reduction in carbon footprint, reduction in noise and particulate pollution and improvement in safety for cyclists and pedestrians. I will however draw parallels with smoking. A smoking ban (in various public public enclosed spaces) in the UK that started in July 2007 has already seen an improvement in public health. A study has reported a 2.4% drop (1,200 in a year) in hospital admissions for heart attacks in the year following the ban. It might appear modest - but it is still a large number of people. In Scotland there was a 17% decrease in heart attack admissions after their ban was introduced in March 2006. I favour the ban, not to control smokers but to provide relief to non-smokers from effects of tobacco smoke. I think there is an important distinction between protecting an individual's right to do "something" versus an individual's right to be protected from "something". I think that in the past we focused too much on the former - we now need to focus on the latter. (Cue discussion about cycle helmets - why should I be forced to wear protection against someone else's bad driving! Perhaps the helmet issue should be a topic for Ben Goldacre of Bad Science.)
Mind you, I do feel that motorists are either less courteous or less aware of cyclists. More appalling is this report of a cyclist being knocked down in a "hit and run". Such behaviour is indefensible. Just as there are bad cyclists, there are also bad motorists - who gets hurt most though! finally a report that the A14 will get an upgrade, for now. The £1.3bn upgrade has survived the Government's cuts. Personally I would have cut this as well I think that as a country we need to live within our means and smaller amounts of money could be better spent. However I admit I do not have to drive along this road regularly. (More cyclists along the CGB and more freight on the railways!)
Even on Saturday I was running out of time for cycling) - I did cut the lawn though and could not resist a quick nip round Wicken Fen and as much as possible I stayed off the roads. Mind you it looked like there had been an Alien invasion of Reach with a load of cocoons left behind. Actually this is really a form of silage. By cutting grass and then allowing it to undergo a process of anaerobic fermentation (over a period of around 2 weeks) the result is a foodstuff for livestock that has a much large proportion of nutrients versus dried and stored hay. It is not without its hazards though - silage clamps were to be avoided when I was a boy growing up in Somerset - they can give off nasty chemicals. I have helped with normal baling though, we used to help stack them and yes I have ridden on top of a stack of bales on a trailer - probably totally forbidden now.
Apparently this technique of packing up the cut grass into plastic "sacks" is called "making Haylage". again it retains more nutrients than dry hay, but you do need to ensure the plastic cover is air-tight otherwise it can go mouldy. Also these round bales need fork-lifts to move them - they way as much as 1500pounds. (You also have to store them away from sharp edges.)
A quick update on the Reach Lode Bridge - it looks like the bridge is having some wood to give it a more "natural" look. I did not mind the metal and would have saved some money - good to see it is still making progress though.
There was time to stop and take a picture of this Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) growing alongside Monk's Lode in Wicken Fen. It is quite common around the Flatlands - not surprising since it's natural habitat is close to water.
There has been a lot of concern lately about cyclists being targeted for Police blitzes. At the same time safety campaigners have been highlighting the arguably more dangerous problem of cars blocking cycle lanes and pavements. Well cycling along Lode Road (coming from White Fen through Lode and Bottisham) on my way to the Sustrans 51 route back to Cambridge I passed a car parked half on the road and half on the shared pavement/cycle path with a ticket on the windscreen. It was inside the 30MPH restriction limit - I was pleased, not in a gloating way, but about time there were consequences to motorists for such behaviour. I see it so often that I rarely stop to take pictures anymore. I was in a hurry otherwise I would have taken a picture of the ticketed car.
No comments:
Post a Comment