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news
A3024 Bitterne Road West (via StreetView)Southampton MP complains of City Council "taking out lanes" – says pop-up cycle lanes worsen congestion
Royston Smith, the Conservative MP for Southampton Itchen, has complained that the City Council is exacerbating congestion by constructing pop-up cycle lanes. The Government has instructed local authorities to swiftly provide more space for cyclists in a bid to prevent gridlock, but Smith believes that “taking out lanes” exacerbates the problem.
Smith told the Daily Echo he had received about 200 complaints about a temporary bus and cycle lane along the A3024 Bitterne Road West inside 24 hours.
“You need to put your programme to the people,” he said. “We all want cleaner air. Taking out lanes and narrowing others does not achieve that. Instead it makes it worse.
“Idling traffic is a significant cause of pollution and by implementing these changes the council will be damaging the health of residents, not improving it.”
The Department for Transport (DfT) appears to see things differently. Yesterday it wrote to councils informing them it wants to see “an even higher level of ambition” when it comes to proposals for emergency active travel measures.
Announcing a first tranche of funding, it said authorities had been given 100%, 75%, 50% or 25% of their respective bids, “based on the extent to which they aligned with the criteria.”
Those with especially strong proposals have been given more than their indicative allocations.
Smith said the pop-up bike lane on the A3024 was not in line with the Government’s recommendations.
Despite owning Bitterne Park bike shop Triangle Cycles from 1993 to 2003, while still working as an aeronautical engineer, Smith appears convinced that only electric vehicles qualify as a viable alternative to cars.
“The Government’s instructions are clear,” he said. “Do not use public transport unless you have to. We need to encourage people to use cleaner, greener transport, for example electric vehicles where possible.
“Of course, public transport is positive where practical but we should also be encouraging commuters to use e-bicycles and e-scooters (when they become legal) to deal with Southampton’s surrounding hills.
“You can’t force people out of their cars without an alternative and currently that doesn’t exist.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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39 comments
According to this guy's 'logic', the greenest solution is to widen roads, build new roads and expand road capacity ad infinitum, for fear that an engine might idle.
It is, as the Dutch might say, knettergek.
Yup. Basically, let's carry on doing what we've been doing for the past fifty years; it hasn't worked yet, but it will soon. Such astonishing lack of logic and vision and he still gets elected.
but he gets voted in by alot of people who probably hold the same views as he does though, just go read any local newspaper (and fine its not necessarily representative overall but then I often feel like Im riding next to cars driven by these people) covering the appearance of these pop up lanes around places and you see alot of people stating the exact same logic, new roads,bigger roads,more bypasses,free car parks, cycling causes congestion, there are even some that claim its been anti democratic to make these changes to roads, without letting them object obviously and thats before you get on the usual cycling buzzword bingo (red light jumpers, insurance,road tax,licenses,Im a cyclist but etc) its never ending, there was a piece the other week in a local paper where a councillor was complaining that a road was being closed to motor vehicles,to enable pedestrians to socially distance more easily across the whole space, because they wouldnt be able to drive past the shops anymore and see if there was anything to buy in them...
I think we forget as weve bought into what cycling represents,or should represent and it seems obvious to us that changes like these being made are largely positive and anyone against them is just being daft, that theres a bunch of folk,and some of those are elected representatives, whose hearts and minds havent been won over at all, and councils dont necessarily do themselves any favours by not explaining more clearly the rationale behind the changes they make and how it fits in with everything and how it should improve everyones lives
I'm sure all you've said is great, but try concise; it works better.
Can't criticise on word count, but some punctuation might increase your chances of Eburt taking an interest here...
Yes; stream of conciousness writing went out with the sixties.
Why is it, when a Labour MP makes stupid statements like this, you go to great lenghts not to mention they are Labour, yet when its a Conservative - its right there in the article?
Which Lab MP are you referring to, ther statement they made and what lengths did Road.CC go to to avoid describing them as Lab?
There was an article on this website last week, regarding a female MP, making a stupid anti-cycling comment. She was a Labour MP, and at no point in the article, was her political party mentioned. I recall it, because I made a comment to that affect, which was followed by the usual childish mob, posting stupid replies. I cannot find that article right now, I would happily share it with you, I did however find this article, regarding a Lib Dem MP making stupid comments. To the point in question, you'll notice not ONCE, was the MP's political party mentioned in the article, unlike whenever a Conservative MP makes an stupid comment, in which case the party name is all over the article, and often in the title of the story. Journalisim on this site, has been replaced with misleading political activisim. Its a worrying trend.
https://road.cc/content/news/140302-cambridge-mp-says-thoughtless-cyclis...
It wasn't an anti-cycling comment; it was a pro-helmet comment.
That's fighting talk in these parts sonny.
An article last week and one 5 years ago without a mention of the MPs party - seems like a pretty much open-and-shut case for systemic political bias and manipulation by road.cc and a worrying trend indeed; whatever next....
Particularly when you consider the paucity of counter-examples. I mean, with a quick search, all I could come up with was
But when you WANT TO SHOUT, it's best not to try and look too hard, especially if the evidence might not quite support the proposition.
Almost seems biased...
Link is here.
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-june-18-2020-274639
Why would it require going to great lengths not to mention something? Surely you just... don't mention it?
Great lenghts is appropriate, when there are a number of stories on this site where non-conservative MP's have made equally stupid comments, and their party is not mentioned, not once. It would indicate that Road.cc are trying to manipulate us into thinking only Conservative MP's make stupid anticycling comments, which is not true. Not true, hence a lie; the last time I checked, lying is a hard thing, for decent people that is.
I guess roadcc are failing too
"It's very disturbing that so many of our "leaders" are so ignorant of that which they speak; overwhelmingly tories, but with the odd sprinkling of labour fools too. "
You could at least credit the author; me.
Actually, I credit the reader with the ability to recognise a quote and to have read a handful of comments and work it out.
Would you like me to give you 2 extra 'likes' to compensate for the damage to your feelings?
Of course not; minimum ten, and I might not be spiteful to your next post.
It might indicate that. It might indicate unconscious bias on their part, which would require no effort at all. It might just indicate confirmation bias on your part.
Either way, 'great lengths' seems distinctly hyperbolic.
It depends if it is just a coincidence or a coordinated policy.
A coordinated policy would require a reasonable amount of effort.
Congrats, alexuk - you really know how to extract the most important issue from a news story.
Look there is a dead cat over there.
SHOCK NEWS: users describe website with progressive campaign angle as "biased" and "not even-handed". Said one, "it's as though the editors and most Of the users consider one political party to be a better prospect on their issues than the other, which is in office is present, proving the fact every day".
Leave it OUT, you childish mob, making your silly comments.
All that matters for the likes of Royston is being re-elected so that they can stay on the gravy train. The days of an MP looking at the big picture are long gone. All that matters is being popular, to win the next election.
If, by some miracle, he had been contacted by 200 supporters of the scheme he would have changed his comments to suit his needs first too.
Latter day snakeoil salesman.
Democracy's a bitch!
Those pesky voters, eh? The world would be a much nicer place if we were ruled by unpopular dictators.
Cue "but we are run by unpopular dictators!" hyperbole from people who never venture outside their SM bubble.
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