Latest news with #CyclingUK
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Council to decide on plans to stop on-street parking on Ely road
Plans to stop on-street parking on part of a city road have received more than 100 objections. Cambridgeshire County Council will discuss a proposal to paint double yellow lines in Lynn Road, traffic regulation order (TRO) was made by Orchards Green developer, Hopkins Homes, so it could create a pavement and City of Ely Council objected to the plans and said it would "not be suitable for this stretch of road" due to the loss of on-street parking for residents. However, the county council pointed out the developer had to deliver an off-site cycleway scheme on Lynn Road, from the junction with Egremont Street to King Edgar Close, to adhere to planning permission double yellow lines would enable this by preventing parking, allowing the pavement to be widened. East Cambridgeshire District Council shared support for the plans, said the Local Democracy Reporting were also 20 responses in support of the plans, which said the cycle lane would "benefit more people than existing on-street parking".The City of Ely Council said it expected to see a cycle route from the development to the city centre, but encouraged the district council and county council "to find an alternative route".An objection due to safety concerns was also raised by the charity Cycling said the shared-use path would cause "disquiet to all users" and would not guarantee an increase in safe was also backlash to the plans from 109 people, with the loss of on-street parking being their main council officers have recommended rejecting the application following a "significant" number of added that the loss of on-street parking would be "particularly significant" for people living between 46 and 76 Lynn Road, as there was no alternative off-street application will be considered by councillors on 28 July. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Khadija picks up yet another accolade from Cycling UK
A volunteer from Bolton has received yet another accolade for her impact on sport in her home town. Khadija Patel, who also received a BBC Sports Personality 'Unsung Hero' award in 2023, is the founder of the cycling club at Krimmz Girls Youth Club in Bolton. Advertisement Her committed work to get Muslim women and girls to cycle earned her a place in Cycling UK's '100 women in cycling' list earlier this year. Now she has picked up another prestigious honour from the charity - a Real Yellow Jersey award. Cycling UK has awarded 10 hand-knitted yellow jerseys to 10 everyday heroes who've transformed their lives through cycling and their Big Bike Revival programme. Each jersey was hand-knitted in Tour de France yellow by the Seacroft Hookers and Knit-wits in Leeds - every jersey taking around 35 hours to make. It is more recognition for Patel for whom cycling has grown into a powerful movement, challenging stereotypes, inspiring Muslim women, and transforming lives in Bolton. Advertisement She's also inspired her own family - her two boys, both 11, cycle to the mosque for their daily prayers and they all go for family rides together. As the founder of Krimmz Girls Youth Club, set up in 2009, she was already a coach in multiple disciplines, from archery through cricket to netball. Patel reached out to Cycling UK in 2023 and applied for funding to run Big Bike Revival sessions, group rides, community events and maintenance sessions, with a focus on encouraging Muslim women to ride. At first, she faced challenges from the wider community, but she remained unfazed and over time, that's helped normalise Muslim women riding a bike. Advertisement It has helped encourage more and more women to want to join in. Krimmz is constantly having to expand their offering, and requests regularly come in to borrow bikes so people can take their families on rides, too. Krimmz has added a bike maintenance course, which helps the people leading rides on a voluntary basis, and they keep having to train more ride leaders. The club works with local schools, has started organising inclusive cycling sessions, and even men are asking to join now, despite the club being set up for women and girls and there being no male ride leaders. Patel said: 'I was honoured to be recognised by Cycling UK for our efforts with Krimmz to empower women in Bolton to enjoy cycling. Advertisement 'Being awarded the Real Yellow Jersey alongside nine others nationwide, and to have been given the opportunity to speak in Parliament at the 10-year anniversary demonstrates the real impact our work with Muslim women is having. 'We're excited to keep welcoming women from all backgrounds to join our weekly bike rides.'
Glasgow Times
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Glasgow Times
Cyclists send record amount of video to police showing close passes by drivers
Some 15,779 clips of incidents were submitted to forces in England and Wales last year, information obtained by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart found. That is more than double the total of 7,249 in 2021. Many cyclists capture footage of their journeys, with basic cameras available for under £50. IAM RoadSmart sent a Freedom of Information request to 43 police forces asking how many pieces of footage showing a close pass of a cyclist by a motorist were submitted as part of Operation Snap, an initiative introduced in 2017. Twenty forces provided data. The responses show the percentage of reports leading to a notice of intended prosecution being served rose from 38% in 2021 to 54% last year. A separate survey of 655 drivers who are members of IAM RoadSmart indicated that 58% are not aware the Highway Code recommends the minimum gap they should leave when passing cyclists is 1.5 metres (4.9ft). Harriet Hernando, the charity's active travel spokeswoman, said: 'It is extremely concerning that more than half of motorists don't know how much space to give a cyclist when overtaking. 'Passing too closely to a cyclist can be intimidating and dangerous, especially if they need to move out to avoid a pothole. 'It is small wonder then that record numbers of cyclists are installing cameras and submitting footage of dangerous or careless drivers to the police. 'While it is heartening to see that prosecution rates have increased, it would be better if it didn't reach that stage and motorists weren't doing it in the first place.' Provisional Department for Transport figures show 85 cyclists were killed on Britain's roads in 2024. Between 2019 and 2023, most cyclist fatalities occurred in collisions involving a car. The campaign is aimed at eradicating closes passes by motorists (Chris Radburn/PA) IAM RoadSmart has launched a No More Close Calls campaign aimed at eradicating close passes. Ms Hernando said: 'When overtaking a cyclist, always look beyond them to judge your ability to get past safely, leaving at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking at speeds of up to 30mph and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds. 'By hanging back two or three car lengths, you'll be able to see further up the road and look out for oncoming traffic. 'If it isn't safe to overtake then don't try and squeeze past – shaving seconds off your journey isn't worth taking someone's life.' Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, said it has 'not seen the big safety impact we'd hoped for' from changes to the Highway Code in 2022 providing more protection to cyclists. He went on: 'The majority of people who drive simply aren't aware how much distance to give to people who cycle when overtaking. 'This is why it's crucial to educate all road users of their responsibility to protect those most vulnerable.' He called on the Government to 'address this oversight by better promoting the new Highway Code'. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We take road safety extremely seriously, and there are already strict penalties in place for those who put the safety of cyclists at risk. 'Our roads are among the safest in the world, but we are always looking to improve.'
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Stevenage bus station art approved despite cyclists' concerns
A sculpture is to be put up outside a bus station despite concerns raised by a cycling Borough Council's planning committee have approved plans for the 2.5m (about 8ft) artwork, showing three stacked rocks, to be installed outside the entrance to Stevenage Borcherds, of Cycling UK Stevenage, said she was not against the work but the location was not council officers said they had consulted both the highways authority and their engineers, and the location "would meet guidance for the space left between the sculpture and the edges of footpaths". Ms Borcherds said: "The concerns we are raising are entirely related to the location and certainly not the artwork itself."People approaching the junction from all directions need to be able to see each other to share the space safely."The work was commissioned by the council from community group Junction 7 the planning committee meeting, Labour councillor Lynda Guy suggested the "great" sculpture could be placed on the other side of the bus station rather than being "plonked" down in the intended location, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Democrat Stephen Booth, the leader of the opposition, suggested it could be moved "to front the actual bus station so that passers-by, motorists will see it and it would be a more suitable location".The artwork is part of a wider scheme featuring mosaics "which will all tell a story with regards to Stevenage history and also personal journeys of the residents living in Stevenage", said planning officer Ailsa Davis. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- The Guardian
What to do if your bike is stolen – and how to break the cycle
Whether you use your bike to commute daily, for a quick trips to the shops or long rides to keep fit, having it stolen can be a nightmare. Here's what to do if yours goes missing. Report the theft to the police and describe the bike in as much detail as possible, giving the model, make and where it was stolen. You should also include a description of any scratches, dents and marks that could help identify it, and a picture if you have one. You can go into your local police station or call 101 in the UK to file a report. Make sure you get a crime reference number. Home insurance policies will often cover your bike when it's at home but you will probably have needed to pay extra to extend this for when you're out and about, or if you have a valuable bike. Report the loss to your insurer and give it the crime reference number. Your bike will not be covered if you failed to look after it, such as not locking it securely or with a suitable lock. Declare your bike stolen on BikeRegister, a UK bike database – you can do this even if you have not registered your bike on there before. It will help improve the chances of your bike being recovered if there are pictures and descriptions of the bike, and where it was stolen. Post on bike and cycling forums, such as Cycling UK Forum, Bike Forum and CycleChat in case people come across it when looking to buy a new bike. Look on resale sites such as Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and eBay to see whether someone is trying to sell your bike. You can set up alerts for bikes that are the same make and model. If you find one that looks like yours, alert the police – they may be able to recover it. It is not advisable to set up a sting or try to deal with the case yourself. Alert the local community on neighbourhood forums such as Nextdoor or local Facebook groups and get in touch any bike shops nearby in case someone comes in to the shop and tries to sell one that matches your description. Scuff the frame up a bit using sandpaper, paint and stickers so it is less appealing to thieves. Some kitsch, drawn-on hearts might save you a lot of hassle in the future. Register it on BikeRegister and upload pictures alongside the frame number, which is usually found on the bottom bracket shell between the pedals or on the rear dropouts where the back wheel slots in. This will help the police trace it back to you if it is stolen and recovered. Invest in two high-quality locks to make your bike less of a target. At least one of these should be a good-quality D-lock. Be sure to attach the frame to the stand when locking up. Take any removable parts with you whenever you leave it. Find and apply for your nearest cycle parking. This gives another layer of protection, but be sure to still lock up securely. In cities there are also many cycle hangars, such as Cyclehoop, which are small bike stores on residential streets you can apply for at a small cost each year. Check whether there's one near you. Conceal a Bluetooth tracker on your bike to help locate it if it goes missing. The smaller and more discreet the tracker, the better. Good spots to hide them include under the seat or inside the handlebar. Apple AirTag and Tile Sticker are popular among bike owners.
