Professor Julia Verne, Director of the South West Public Health Observatory, said:
“While we realise there are some people who cannot engage fully in physical activity, the tool is useful in highlighting the scale of the impact of physical activity on health. Small increases in activity, even for those who can’t be fully active would still deliver big health benefits. Continue reading Inactive lifestyles kill an estimated 36,815 people each year
Damien Ó Tuama finds it difficult to believe the Dublin Cycling Campaign has been going for almost 20 years. Back in 1993 he and a few like-minded friends set it up more as a protest than anything else. Read article
Plastic shells keep our heads from coming open, but they also deter us from riding bicycles. And riding bicycles is good for people and Earth. 
Admonishing a teenager for smoking is commonplace. Reprimanding people for taking antibiotics when they don’t really need them is the next big thing. And giving people a hard time about biking without a helmet is still entirely in vogue. It’s because we care. But as we learned from the original food pyramid, sometimes good intentions pave the road to adult-onset diabetes. Read more
Mayor’s new plans for cycling in the capital could re-shape the way Londoners transport themselves for decades to come
Make no mistake, this is significant.
No sooner do I lament the lack of political vision over cycling in Britain, as seen at the inquiry set up by the all-party parliamentary cycling group, when someone else altogether steps in with something truly bold.
Press release (from the UK): 20’s Plenty for Us welcomes new DfT guidance on Setting Local Speed Limits
On 18th January Stephen Hammond in a written statement to the house said that the new guidance “incorporates recent changes that create more flexibility for authorities to implement 20mph limits and zones.” Continue reading “20’s Plenty for Us” (UK) welcomes new DfT guidance on Setting Local Speed Limits
Video clip; good example of very poor “cycle lanes”
A funding gap of €2.6 million to extend the DublinBikes scheme from Heuston Station and Phoenix Park to The Point in Docklands is to be bridged by the National Transport Authority (NTA), it was announced yesterday. Read article
Continue reading €2.6m for bike scheme to roll out extension
Cyclist.ie, the network for all the cycling campaigns in Ireland, has endorsed this week’s call by RGDATA, the umbrella group for local shops, for a levy to be imposed on car-parking at out-of-town shopping centres.
According to the cyclists a vibrant, locally-based retail sector is important if walking and cycling for transport are to grow and prosper. Cyclist.ie chair Dr. Michael McKillen said “we cannot expect people to walk or cycle to local shops that have been put out of business by unfair and uncompetitive parking policies. Out of town shopping developments by their very nature tend to be at locations that are too far or too difficult to reach by bike or on foot”. Cycle Campaigners and RGDATA have previously supported each other in calls for the retention or reinstatement of the Groceries Order banning below cost selling by large multiples. Continue reading Cyclists back RGDATA’s call for parking levy on out-of-town shopping centres’ car parks
Thought that motor tax & insurance / VAT / Duty etc. cover the cost of motoring? Think again – see The True Costs of Automobility
Brief conclusion: The results of this study advocate that the European Union should embark as soon as possible on a process that estimates external costs regularly and develops a smooth integration path of these costs into transport prices: Slowly and steadily, designed well in advance of implementation, with accompanying measures to support adaptation. Let it be remembered that there is no intention of creating additional revenue from transport users: the intention is to give price signals so that everybody adapts and hopefully nobody has to pay these prices. Then, all costs would be reduced, efficiency would be increased.
Full conclusion:
(1) Based on the assumptions described in this study, the cars used within the EU-27 externalize about 373 billion euro per year (high estimate) on to other people, other regions and other generations (low estimate: 258 billion). This is a considerable sum, and it leads to a level of car use that is inefficient from the perspective of society. Because “others” pay for large parts of the costs of transport, Europeans travel by car too much to enable an efficient situation. This in part also explains why there is a high level of congestion in parts of the EU. Continue reading The True Costs of Automobility
Letter to Minister Varadkar from the ECF (today); see also Common Memorandum of cyclists’ user organisations
Re: Common Memorandum of cyclists’ user organisations on Irish, Lithuanian and Greek Trio Presidencies 2013 – 2014
Dear Minister, Dr. Varadkar,
This is a call to action from the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and its full member in Ireland, Cyclist.ie. We’re requesting you to give cycling the attention it deserves during the forthcoming Trio Presidencies 2013 – 2014.
Urban cycling is seeing a revival in many towns and cities across Europe. As cyclist representative organisations, we are wholeheartedly rejoicing and supporting this evolution; more cycling means healthier people, less urban congestion, and urban environments that are attractive to citizens and investors alike.
The good news is that in times of tight public budgets, cycling offers the highest return of investment among all transport the different modes of transport. Continue reading Call to action from the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)
