The former London commissioner for cycling, Andrew Gilligan, may once have described parking as ‘the third rail of politics – if you touch it, you die’, but mayors around Europe are beginning to take a stand. The German city of Tübingen is to increase parking fees by 600 per cent in a bid to discourage the use of large and…
Why are police forces removing benches, shrubbery and cycle lanes in a bid to reduce crime? In Ashford, Police recently uprooted benches and shrubbery as part of a trial to ‘prevent antisocial behaviour in hotspot areas’ – part of a draconian trend that’s seeing police influence the design of public spaces and architecture. Elsewhere, Lib Dem councillor Ruth Fletcher has…
Residents of Dutch municipality Groningen can apply for a subsidy of at least 200 euros to remove paving and asphalt from their gardens and driveways. In an attempt to mitigate against the effects of extremely dry, hot and wet weather, households are being encouraged to install a green roof, green a paved garden, plant trees, green walls or collect rain…
Looking more like a UFO than a bicycle, this is the Aerovelo Eta Speedbike streaking across the Nevada landscape at a world record-breaking 89mph. But if a bike can travel at almost 90mph, why is the average commute so slow by comparison? One of the reasons might be that super-efficient and fast recumbent bikes were ignored for decades. This Aerovelo…
When drivers park illegally – even for just a minute – it has a knock-on effect on other road users. Pavements may become impassable for wheelchair users, pedestrians may find it difficult or dangerous to cross and, in the case of cycle lanes, cyclists may be forced into traffic. Inspired by the excuse ‘I’ll just be a minute‘ that’s often…
07/04/22
