Latest news with #CyclingCampaign
BBC News
25-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cyclists urged to slow down in London's Royal Parks
The Royal Parks charity has launched a campaign encouraging cyclists to be more considerate and stick to the speed limits in the Considerate Cycling campaign follows several incidents in the parks, the charity said, with the aim to enhance safety and improve the park experience for all campaign also comes after a recent research found almost three-quarters of pedestrians surveyed in London had witnessed or experienced a near miss, or collision, with a Fyans, from the London Cycling Campaign, said: "While cyclists riding too fast are annoying and can undeniably be dangerous, the biggest cause of road danger to anyone inside a Royal Park remains drivers." The survey, which was conducted in February and consulted 2,005 found 72% regarded "people cycling without due care and attention" as the main concern as a 86% of people said the 20mph vehicle speed limit in central London should also apply to bicycles, which are currently campaign will run through the spring and summer is backed by a new code of conduct that all cyclists entering the parks should adhere to, regardless of whether they are commuting, exercising or exploring the parks recreationally, the charity said. New signage is also displayed across the Royal Parks in high-traffic areas, with a new cycling online hub on the charity's website. 'Behave better' Darren Share, from The Royal Parks charity, said: "Cyclists must understand the impact their speed can have on others, which is why it is crucial that they comply with the park regulations, and we are asking people to stay within the vehicle speed limits in the parks."The safety of all visitors is our top priority. By encouraging cyclists to slow down, respect the park environment and be considerate of others, we hope to foster a culture of respect and a safer, more enjoyable experience for all park visitors whether on two feet or two wheels."Tom Fyans, from the London Cycling Campaign, added: "Paying attention to your speed when cycling is sensible and shows respect to others around you. "Everyone needs to be sensible, everyone needs to behave better, everyone should be safe - and The Royal Parks needs to keep the focus on reducing road danger for everyone."
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Top Gear' Host Argues To Swap 'Pointless' Driving For Cycling In The City
Across his career in TV, "Top Gear" and "Grand Tour" host James May convinced us all that he's a die-hard Car Guy. He drove to the North Pole, crossed Africa in several beat up classics and raced against public transport in a classic Jag. After more than 20 years of this schtick, May is changing his tune and is joining the war on cars. The TV host ripped cars a new one in an interview with London's Cycling Campaign, where he called driving in cities a "pointless" activity. May, who admitted to owning around 25 bicycles, explained that driving in city centers "spoils cars for me" and added that it makes them "boring and annoying." Instead of driving around down, May argues that cars should be reserved for longer trips and the kind of journeys that you couldn't make via public transport or bicycle. Trips like journeys "from London to my pub in Wiltshire," he told the LCC. Read more: John Oliver Explains How All Of Boeing's Problems Can Be Traced Back To Stock Buybacks And Incompetent Leadership Cars are seen as a commodity by many, with personal transport a necessity to get to and from work, to important appointments or just to pick up groceries. May doesn't believe this should be the case, however, and instead argues that there should be options to get around by other means: Bicycles are a genuine door-to-door transport solution. Cycling is fantastic in cities. Even Google Maps will acknowledge that a bicycle is quicker for some journeys than a car. It amazes me that people go to the shops a mile away in the car. The world has proved that bicycles make immense sense in densely populated areas. It's for this reason that May called on cities to up their investment in cycling infrastructure, and even suggested that dedicated government ministers focused on cycling could secure the safe future of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. May isn't the first person to call for a change in the way we get around town, and he certainly won't be the last. It's a movement that's gaining increased traction around the world, even here in America where advocates are campaigning for walkable cities, greater investment in public transport and cycling infrastructure that people actually want to use. In the U.S., the Ban Cars movement doesn't, as the name might suggest, call for a complete end to all car sales. Rather, it's about reducing our dependency on the automobile and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of cars against one another. As such campaigns spread in popularity away from the weird bike-focused corners of the internet into the public consciousness, May warns that public opinion could lead to cars being "taken away from us" if we aren't careful. Increasing tensions between drivers and pedestrians and the rising number of incidents on our roads could all increase the risks of this happening. Because of this, May told LCC that he hopes people will become more aware of the enormous "privilege" that owning a car is. Once people do that, then the relationships between drivers and other road users could start to improve, as he explained: I saw a bloke the other day driving a Ferrari around town very aggressively, and I wanted to say, 'You're going to ruin cars (and especially Ferraris) for the rest of us'. But don't worry, the love of cycling that May exudes through this entire interview doesn't mean he's turned his back on the internal combustion engine for good. In fact, while he might now have a collection of around 25 bicycles, he's also still the proud owner of "about seven motorcycles, maybe nine cars, a boat" and even an airplane. If you'd like to check out the whole interview with James May in LCC, head here. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
