Elections

The current cycle ways need to be swept more often and when it snows the ice cleared. Links need to be improved between cycle ways across roads. The council needs to switch from spending far too much on new roads and spend this money on cycle routes and think about pedestrians too. I do have some cycleways in the ward which could be much more popular if they were better maintained. I’ve been cycling in the area since the 1970s when I was a school pupil. I also advocate 20mph is plenty zone for the entire residential area which will make cycling safer and more enjoyable. There are a few measures where we need hard cycle routes rather than just a line painted on the road.

It’s so obvious to promote cycling and make it safe we need a cycle route right through the centre of Peterborough I think Bridge Street would’ve worked if it had been done properly. So I will advocate that this is looked at again or something as near to it as possible.

Quite frankly I would work with the green group and other progressives on the council to get the hierarchy right where pedestrians and cyclist or put before the car and money is moved accordingly. The council currently plans to spend millions yes Millions on new roads to access the embankment and what we need is something to be spent on pedestrians and cyclists . Was only a few years ago that they actually put a concrete wall up on the cycle right near Ravensthorpe running to the railway station anyway we protested directly and got it taken down because it was actually an illegal blockage.

I think the police service should have some targets and keeping death off the roads should be one of them. This should focus the police service on employing traffic cops and doing more to reduce road accidents. Obviously design is important and working with the highways authority to manage out dangerous junction et cetera should carry on where possible.

The combined authorities suggestions are good but it does have a awful reputation for delivery. As I’ve said before initially making the current cycle roots more inviting by keeping them clean and safe and maintaining them properly will go a long way to encouraging their use. New cycle roots and hard routes and link roots would also enhance all this and we would be able to change the culture. In Ravensthorpe a 20 mph speed limit will also change the culture and encourage more people to walk and cycle and perhaps use the buses. Haven’t the combined authority let us down there we could’ve had a publicly controlled bus service operating by now. Through direct provision or franchising.

Certainly will and have been campaigning for these measures.

So a couple of years ago I decided to get rid of the car and revert to cycling everywhere I could. This is to confirm what I knew already but actually I’ve realised that the roads themselves are in a bad state round here and when I have to cycle on roads they are very uneven have quite a few holes of them and dangerous. Some of the pavements and shared cycle roots are pretty bad too and I’ve noticed people who are disabled having problem negotiating these and pavements too.