Luke Briner's Blog (4)

I was thinking of the Reduce/Reuse/Recycle way of removing the levels of rubbish we send to landfill and the same model can be used to describe traffic reduction. Reduce might mean less journeys but also smaller vehicles and cycling instead of driving. Re-use and Re-cycle might be car-sharing and public transport, all of which helps.



I started cycling again the other day, it had taken a year to remember to buy a new pump so I could inflate the tyres. Then I realised why I didn't enjoy… Continue

Pelican crossings and crossings at traffic light intersections seem to follow this strange pattern where people out of habit press the "Wait" button and then look and often will then cross the road where there is a gap in traffic. Of course a while later, the lights go to red to allow people to cross but no-one is there, just a load of cars waiting for nothing. Ironically, I often find when the lights do change to green, some people start crossing to try and get across before the cars have… Continue

I visited Japan last year and was extremely impressed with their transport policy. One of the main things that strikes you is that everyone cycles. There are reasons it happens there and some of these could be used to encourage more cycling here.

Cyclist are treated like kings. You can cycle anywhere and mostly this is on pavements, even the narrow sort that we have in England. You are even allowed to cycle inside shopping arcades so none of this second-class road user experience…

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Since moving to Cheltenham and enduring the Ring Road, I have been thinking that traffic control is about control for its own sake. The lights don't work effectively either in busy conditions OR in the dead of night. I wonder why we are less open to making things better, than, for example, the Japanese. Why do we accept sitting at a red light at an empty junction, and why do councils justify the situation rather than do something about it? Lights-off trials could give quick and easy results. I… Continue