New Labour turn its back on a cleaner and greener Wales

Forgotten what it was like?

Re-open St Mary St now, says opposition
Story in the Echo Sep 1 2007 by David James, South Wales Echo THE leading opposition group on Cardiff council today demanded immediate changes to the “ill-thought-out” St Mary Street traffic ban. Cardiff council’s New Labour leader, John Sheppard, said the ban was “badly-timed, ill-thought-out and has been the subject of inadequate consultation”.

Obviously this new labour dinosaur has forgotten his New Labour Manifesto
where NEW Labour talk about "A cleaner and greener Wales, safe, green transport system, a green Wales.......In our first and second

terms Labour pioneered action to promote sustainability and to make our communities greener and cleaner. In a third term we will implement practical policies to tackle climate change and improve the local environment. We are determined to leave a clean, green and sustainable Wales for future generations and not a legacy of pollution and non-sustainable Development... We will promote new opportunities for walking and cycling and provide public transport alternatives to the car. Whoops John Sheppard Leader of the New Labour group on the council has forgotten where he is with policy altogether ..New labour policy on Cars: Road pricing is a key Labour policy, with plans to charge motorists according to how much and where they drive. The party is also looking into introducing the congestion charge in major towns and cities across the country. Is he sure he knows what party he is in?

I recall the WWF calling for .."Better leadership is needed to reduce Wales' impact on the world - A major report launched 10 March revealed that Welsh politicians need radical changes to reduce the impact of Wales' population on the world. A WWF survey demonstrates that increasingly people in Wales are becoming more environmentally aware and expect strong leadership from Governments to tackle the ongoing threats of climate change, waste mountains and traffic congestion," said Stuart Bond, Sustainable Development Officer for WWF Cymru."

People in Wales and in Cardiff want a cleaner more environmentally friendly city.

Cardiff Council said in its in depth report in 2004 that it had recognised that to ensure that the City does not become grid locked in the future it must start planning now. To this end the Executive in February published a green paper on Transport, followed in May by a white paper entitled “Getting Cardiff Moving”.(Report of the Environmental Scrutiny Committee 2004) Where was Cllr John Sheppard then if he was on the council from 1995 - not a cheep until today and now he gets cold feet - this is the worst sort of political opportunism!!

Julie Morgan New Labour MP said "The first step to achieving a debate based on sound evidence is to try and see through local pilot schemes how road pricing can tackle local congestion."

City centre retailers underestimate the number of their customers arriving by bus, walk and cycle and their spend profile and overestimate the number and effect of car borne customers.

A commission for integrated transport study revealed that public transport users do not spend significantly less than car users in city centre, particularly once income bias is eliminated. Therefore, any reduction of existing car shoppers should not result in significantly less retail spend. People travelling by bus, cycling and walking are more likely to support their city centre, visiting it more frequently than car users.

It is a myth that reducing traffic will harm the economy.

Research carried out by the German Institute for Urban Research6 indicates that a sustainable transport approach benefits trade in German towns. It says: "Retail trade in central city districts increases with policies that encourage environmentally friendly transport
Modes” Another German study showed there was no relationship between the amount of car parking provision and the amount of money people spent in shops.

SHEPPARD. John B.A. Dip. Educ. MBA.11, Hardwicke Court Llandaff CARDIFF CF5 2LB
Tel: 0292 553810 Fax: 02920553810 feedback: Contact the Councillor (No Email required)
Portfolio:
Serving the Llandaff Electoral Division, elected on 10 June 2004 John was first elected on 04 May 1995. The Llandaff electoral division has an electorate of 7270 (1 December 2005) and has 2 seats.

Mass cycle in Cardiff to mark in Town without my car day!

There's a mass ride planned for car free day, if anyone fancies it, organised by Cycle Cardiff.

Cycle Cardiff are planning to mark In Town Without My Car Day with a tour around the city, ending with coffee/lunch at a cafe in the Bay. The purpose of the event is to draw attention to the growing number of cyclists and our needs. For more information, see Bike in the City.

The Echo have begun their cycling campaign this week. Here are links to articles appearing on icWales:
Give cyclists a fairer deal

Ridiculous Rachael Wood wants cars, congestion and choking in St Mary street!

Website boosts support for road ban protest The Echo reports on a group that has formed on the internet to protest against the traffic ban in Cardiff’s St Mary Street. (katie.norman@wme.co.uk)

There are groups that are campaigning to save our planet, reduce congestion, reduce pollution, make out cities more liveable and childfriendly, disabled friendly, people friendly and generally much more pleasant places to walk, cycle, shop and eat. This may come as a surprise to some 140 people ..mindless dinosaurs are the words that comes to mind. Here we have people protesting to put MORE cars on the road - to INCREASE congestion - make life difficult for shoppers, pedestrians, disabled people, elderly, - Voting for more pollution??? At least there are only 140 morons in Cardiff so far.
It is a myth that businesses suffer because of a reduction in access to cars. Europe.....London would shut down if that were the case. In fact the opposite is true. Business will be better off with a pedestrianised street and better again especially when it is cleaned up. Cardiff is way behind the times.

The story goes on ...They ask members to: “Help us stop this madness of congesting the surrounding areas of Cardiff by joining this group and showing your support to reopen St Mary Street! Messages in support of their plight have been left by group members including Rachel Wood. Who is she? She said: “I support anyone and everyone that continues to ignore the ridiculous ban.” Ridiculous Rachael! Obviously environmental issues aren't her strong point.

Have they heard of for example of Friends of the Earth, Transport 2000, Living Streets, Greenpeace, Green Party to name a few... which have thousands of supporters and support the St Mary Street enlightened scheme

WWF ad: if you think pollution doesn’t affect you…

Warning over adverse impact of development on children

Poorly designed road and housing developments are invading children's space, according to the government's "green" advisory body, the Sustainable Development Commission.
The commission has published a report which claimed that large building projects, aircraft flight paths and busy roads are causing excessive noise levels, increased pollution and safety fears and preventing children from enjoying their local parks and neighbourhoods.
Sustainable Development Commission website

Yellow line pests

Crackdown on yellow line pests
Northwich Guardian, - 22 Aug 2007 By Ian Ross
Clear Streets officers are due to go on patrol across the Moorlands to enforce yellow line parking regulations. The district council is working ...

Great news - I hope it happens here soon - see the picture gallery of offenders on the right.

Tory policy raises alarm bells for pedestrians

Conservative proposals raise concerns for pedestrians
Living Streets have looked at the the Conservative Party's Economic Competitiveness Policy Group report, with the aim of influencing future Conservative policy. 'Freeing Britain to Compete' includes a chapter on transport that raises some alarm bells for pedestrians, as well as highlighting some much needed changes.Read the full article
Tuesday 21 August 2007

Bus firm criticised at hearing

I am amazed this is the only service criticised as buses often don't arrive.

David James, South Wales Echo
TWO bus company chiefs who ignored critical timeliness reports and blanked complaining passengers were lambasted by a furious transport inspector. Deputy Transport Commissioner Roger Seymour told the two top men at budget South Wales bus provider EST he was “astonished” at their unconcerned approach to “the most serious issues”.
Two bus monitoring reports in 2006 and 2007 revealed around a quarter of their services in the Vale of Glamorgan – some of which were subsidised by the taxpayer – ran late, early or not at all.
Yet neither managing director Carl Hooking, of Barry, or operations manager Mark Harris, of Penarth, replied to the letters sent to the company. Under cross-examination during a three-hour hearing at Cardiff County Court yesterday, both were repeatedly forced to admit failings.
Their solicitor Paul Carliss said: “The company has been found wanting without a shadow of a doubt.
“There probably may have been complacency.”
Llandow-based EST hit the headlines in 2002 when Ystradowen teenager Stuart Cunningham Jones died in a crash on one of the school services it runs in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Mr Seymour said he was not considering that tragedy in his inquiry into the failings over time-keeping and customer service revealed yesterday. Bus monitor Michael Anderson told the hearing that of 166 services he checked in January and February this year, 14 did not run at all, 15 were early, 10 were late and six had the wrong signs on.
Among these, he highlighted one bus that parked up at Barry Library and missed two departure times before it left.
He said: “I don’t think it could have broken down.
“The driver left the vehicle, I presumed he left for lunch, and it started up again pretty quickly when he got back.”
Mr Carliss told the hearing that many of the services that left early did so by only two minutes and that only two were more than 10 minutes late.
And both Mr Harris and Mr Hooking blamed a former employee for failing to pass on or deal with the issues and promised that they would act on everything Mr Seymour raised.
A passenger, Howard Damm, 63, who lives in the west of Barry, told the hearing how he had complained after no bus turned up five times out of six when he went to get it earlier this year.
He said: “Every time I rang up a man or a woman promised that a manager would ring me back but no-one ever did.
“I would like them to get this sorted out. I don’t want to take the company down.
“If the bus services are pulled out, people like me suffer.”
Mr Seymour told the company he would deliver a written verdict within 28 days. Among the penalties at his disposal are stiff fines and the removal of bus routes from the company.
david.james@wme.co.uk

Road building in the news!

Road building has been in the news a lot recently. Firstly Transport 2000 tipped off the Guardian about the massive cost of the proposed M6 widening which at £2.9 billion works out to be £1,000 per inch! This was then picked up in the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail. Then the M1 came under the spotlight as the Guardian revealed that the Government was planning to add not two but four new lanes to the M1 – creating a 10-lane superhighway.

Next came the cover story of the New Statesman. The article exposed the flaws in the DfT’s decision-making structures that result in road schemes always being seen make economic sense. This is one of the strongest attacks on the DfT’s appraisal system ever written and is essential reading for roads campaigners.


BBC4 documentary on roads resistance

Next week (Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 August at 9pm) a three-part documentary will air on BBC4. ‘the Secret Life of the Motorway’ will chronicle the first years of motorway building, through the 1960s and ‘70s and then cover the rise of anti-road protests in the 80s and 90s. Transport 2000’s campaigns director and roads campaigner make an appearance because of their role in the Twyford Down protest.

Car use, climate change and obesity linked

A report published by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and Adrian Davis Associates highlights the car’s connection to obesity and climate change. The report finds that if we all walked just an hour more a week – what we did 30 years ago, when car ownership was less common – we could help save up to 11 MtCO2 (15.4% of total emissions from passenger cars) and drop almost three pounds each year to boot.

the report.

New guidance on DfT funding for local road schemes

The DfT has just published new guidance for local authorities seeking DfT funding for new roads. It is basically the ‘rule book’ for those of you opposing local council road schemes. It is very strict about the need to examine non-road building alternatives and requires authorities to consider “measures that reduce or influence the need to travel… and other alternatives to address the problems in the area, such as public transport provision, demand management policies, traffic management measures and strategies”.

It also requires local authorities to contribute at least 10% of the scheme costs, 50% of the preparatory costs (after the scheme has been entered into the programme), and 50% of any cost increases. The scheme must also have been prioritised by the region. The guidance will set the hurdles considerably higher for local authorities who wish to promote dead-end road schemes.


Transport 2000 slams the Planning White Paper

The consultation period closed on Friday for the Planning White Paper, whose proposals could make the planning system more unfair to objectors. We think thousands of people wrote in to oppose the proposals.


Free legal phone line for environmental groups

Friends of the Earth's Rights & Justice Centre offers free legal advice on environmental issues to anyone (not just FoE groups) concerned about the impact of public authority decisions; to people who don't feel they have been properly consulted; or to people who are simply unsure about their rights.

Contact FREEPHONE 0808 801 0405, 6.30-8.30pm on Wednesdays. The service is staffed by Friends of the Earth's legal staff and by volunteer lawyers. Individuals who contact the advice line will be given preliminary advice. Cases will then be either taken up by the Rights and Justice Centre or passed to an organisation that can help.

Is there a noisy road through countryside near you?

Transport for Quality of Life consultancy wants to talk to people about how traffic noise in a rural area has affected how they live their lives. By documenting their experiences they aim to show how noise from roads impacts those living in, working in and visiting the countryside. If you or your friends still have strong memories of how, for example, noise from a motorway built nearby in the 1980s has changed where you go to walk, ride, relax or how you can use your house or garden, please email Ian Taylor, Transport for Quality of Life, ian@transportforqualityoflife.com

Ruth Kelly goes soft on illegal parkers!

Mirror.co.uk, UK - 16 Aug 2007

Minister: Council action over illegal parking to be curbed
New Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly is "of the view that clamping should only be used in limited circumstances", according to Government guidelines.

Wheel clamps and parking tickets are to be cut down under plans welcomed by drivers yesterday.Only persistent illegal parkers will see their vehicle impounded after 15 minutes.

Ruth Kelly is wrong and wrong again as the public consistantly put inconsiderate parking at the top of their list of antisocial behaviour! uYou just have to look at the sheer number of offences that I have photos of on this site. The culture is of complete disrespect for other citizens particularly the elderly and disabled people.

Housebuilders win battle against green technologies

Guardian Unlimited, UK - The Department for Communities and Local Government is to in effect abolish the so-called "Merton rule", under pressure from housebuilders who do not want ...

CLAMP DOWN
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 16 Aug 2007
Parking tickets and wheel clamping to be cut
Minister: Council action over illegal parking to be curbed
New Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly is "of the view that clamping should only be used in limited circumstances", according to Government guidelines. ...

Leave the car at home - Link between car use, obesity and carbon dioxide emissions

Promote walking!!! Join Living Streets

A New IEEP report makes link between car use, obesity and carbon dioxide emissions
Aug 13, 2007

A new report by the Institute for European Environmental Policy and Adrian Davis Associates published on August 13, 2007 highlights the extent to which car use is implicated in the increase in obesity as well as rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

UNFIT FOR PURPOSE: HOW CAR USE FUELS CLIMATE CHANGE AND OBESITY
How trends in walking have changed.
One fifth of all journeys (22 per cent) are under one mile, a distance that can be easily carried out by foot. However in 1975/76 the proportion of journeys under one mile made by foot was 86 per cent, in 1985/86 and 1994/95 it was 81 per cent, and in 2005 it fell to 76 per cent. The
majority of the remainder of trips under one mile (21 per cent) were by car.

Therefore, if today all main drivers (amounting to more than 26 million people) reverted to the walking patterns they had before owning a car (ie miles walked by people with no car), at least 11.1 Mt CO2 could be saved, amounting to 15.4 per cent of total emissions from passenger cars.

Since 1975, the cumulative impact on CO2 emissions of new main drivers halving their walking reached 5.80 Mt CO2 in 2005, equal to approximately 22.2 per cent of the overall increase in CO2 emissions deriving from passenger cars in the last 30 years

The main points of the argument from the report :

Since the Second World War, the continuous increase in car ownership has led to a dramatic decline in walking as a means of transport - muscle power gave way to fossil power.
This report calculates that just by returning to the average distance walked by people in the UK without cars, the rising tide of obesity can be almost halted.

At the same time, a substantial share of individuals' contribution to national carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided.

The report goes on to argue that this could and should be done through renewed efforts to promote walking as transport. This would be vastly cheaper than dealing with the consequences of the obesity epidemic and climate change.

Some key findings from the report:
40% of all journeys in the UK are under 2 miles in length – distances easily covered by up to 30 minutes of brisk walking. Nonetheless, 38% of these journeys are currently by car.
If a typical British adult were to walk just an hour more per week (equivalent to the difference in walking between a typical driver and a non-driver) this would counteract a weight increase of 2 stones over a decade, and a longer-term slide into obesity.
This alone could make a major contribution to halting the trend of increasing obesity across the UK.
The extra walking could displace at least 11 million tonnes of CO2 from cars – amounting to 15.4% of the total emissions from passenger cars.

Lead author, Dr Adrian Davis commented "the substitution of car use for walking is a major contributor to the steep rise in obesity, as walking is the most obvious way for most people to burn calories. A small daily reduction in walking over a decade or more has a profound and damaging impact on body weight."

Carolina Valsecchi from IEEP added that "the twin crises of obesity and climate change are clearly interlinked through the switch from muscle power to engine power for transport. Concerted action is needed to reverse both these trends. Our research demonstrates that something as simple as walking short trips now made by car would be make an important contribution to tackling both obesity and climate change".
Download the full press release (PDF 38KB)
Get the full report
See also the report in the Guardian
Halt school run and get in trim, says report Rachel Williams Tuesday August 14, 2007 The Guardian Cars should be banned from the school run where the distance is walkable to fight obesity in parents and children, the authors of a new report suggest.

Green league for environmental performance

Those of you going back or new to university this autumn have a lot of work to do especially in Wales! The Green League

From 1 to 100 one being the best...

71 -University of Wales Institute, Cardiff [University of Wales]

82 Cardiff - poor environmental performance

Failed
97 Aberystwyth [University of Wales]

97 Lampeter [Part of the University of Wales

Help strengthen roads campaigning

Transport 2000’s Road Block network.
Thanks to efforts of campaigners and the work of Rebecca Lush, the road-building scandal is now starting to get the media attention it deserves. Recent articles in the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,,2138044,00.html) and the New Statesman (http://www.newstatesman.com/200708090012) have blown the lid off the cost of the road-building programme – both the cost to the taxpayer and the cost to the environment. We need to keep the pressure on the Government and get these ridiculous policies ditched once and for all.

You can help do this by supporting Transport 2000 and adding your voice to Britain’s biggest environmental transport campaign. The more support we get, the more we can do to put an end to the Government’s short-sighted, environmentally destructive road-building policies.

More and more people across the country are asking transport 2000 for help in stopping road schemes that threaten to blight their neighbourhoods, destroy landscapes and increase noise and air pollution. We’ve been helping as many as we can – but we can only do so much with the resources we have. That’s why your support is so important to us.

We are also determined to continue lobbying the Government for alternatives to building more roads. We’re fighting for more investment in public transport, more freight moved by rail and more policies and programmes that give people real alternatives to driving. Our website - www.transport2000.org.uk – gives full details of all our campaigns.

Please support Transport 2000 today – you can do so online

WAG is planning a new toll motorway across the Gwent levels near Newport

M4 Motorway Widening Scheme - From Junction 29(Castleton) to
Junction 32 (Coryton)
Local information: Maes y Bryn Road / Junction 30
With approval from Cardiff Council, from Monday 6th August 2007, a construction plant crossing near the Site Compound is to be built. This will allow excavated material from the Coryton to Cardiff Gate section now being widened, to be moved by dump trucks and other site vehicles to reach the Rhymney River landscape filling area. Control will be manually operated
temporary traffic lights. The crossing will be in use between 09:30 and 15:30 outside peak travelling hours. This arrangement is due to continue for at least one year.
Cardiff Council is the Local Highway Authority for Maes y Bryn Road and Junction 30 roundabout. Welsh Assembly Government is responsible for the Slip Roads connecting with the M4 motorway. The plant crossing will allow continued access to Deen’s Dutch Garden
Centre in Wales and along Maes y Bryn Road, together with access to Cefn Mably Park and Alfred McAlpine’s Site Compound.

Further information can be obtained from the M4 Widening Public Liaison Officer:
Tel: 07805 619615 By e-mail: M4liaison@alfredmcalpineplc .com
Or visit our web page http://www.m4widening29to32.com/

Freedom of Information website

Stop speeding with Life size cardboard kids!!!

Right before Mike Wood's house in on Main Street in West Salem, Ohio, the speed limit changes from 55 to 35 -- which makes sense, as he lives in a residential neighborhood full of children. However, most drivers don't bother slowing down, making Mike's front yard a dangerous place for his kids to play.
Then he had an idea -- why not remind motorists of the lives they were putting in danger by racing through the neighborhood at such high speeds? That's when Mike made life-sized, cardboard cut-outs of his kids, and placed them a few feet from the curb.
Not only did people start slowing down, but, ironically, a few drivers even shouted at him from their car windows, chastising him for letting his children play so close to a busy road.
Apparently the idea has caught on, and is being posted on law enforcement websites around the country. Mike has even started selling the signs to other concerned parents.
I think most of us fail to think of the consequences when we're driving too fast, hurrying to get someplace on time. This is a great way to remind all drivers that -- no matter what you're late for -- it just isn't worth the risk.

See video!
http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=136014

E-consultation on Cardiff local Development Plan

The Cardiff council has adopted a new system to improve consultation on new planning policy documents with their stakeholders via the internet. It is the intention of the council to undertake a consultation on a preferred strategy later this year.

To be registered as a user of the new online system of consultation for the Cardiff Local Development Plan - send you email address by Tues. 14th August 2007 to
developmentplanconsultations@cardiff.gov.uk
so you will be able to view documents and representations online.

Make a Difference on 4x4s

By Sian Berry Ecology/Science
From The New Statesman :: print :: email this page

This time last year, we were having a little party at Alliance Against Urban 4×4s HQ after Ken Livingstone announced plans to charge 4×4s (and other gas-guzzlers) a £25 congestion charge just a few weeks after we delivered our petition calling for almost exactly that. Now the hard work really begins as the plan is going out for public consultation this week.

In case you missed them, the proposals aim to introduce a new daily charge of £25 for cars in vehicle excise duty band G, covering cars that emit more than 225 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. There are also improved discounts for cleaner cars, with all vehicles in bands A and B (emitting less than 120 g/km of carbon dioxide) becoming totally exempt from the charge.

I don’t think anyone can argue that they need a 4×4 or 200 mph sports car in the centre of London and, in the absence of real action from central government, taking the lead and promoting cleaner cars on our own initiative is completely appropriate. The new rate will include all but a handful of 4×4s and every Bentley and Ferrari in town and will even remove their 90% resident’s discount, meaning owners of pointless status symbols will each pay a whopping £6,500 more per year just to have their machines parked in the zone.

I’m being harsh, but it’s an important issue. These cars aren’t harmless; the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted from even the least wasteful band G car is immense. If you have such a car, think about this: 225 g/km is the weight of a brick – of gas! – coming out of your exhaust pipe every five and half miles.

Zero Carbon Britain

Zero Carbon Britain

Centre for alternative technology

Act NOW! The Planning White Paper (PWP) consultation closes on August 17th.

, PWP will lead to a massive expansion in airports, major roads, large centralised nuclear and fossil power stations … all at a time when we desperately need to be cutting back on transport emissions and moving towards a much more efficient decentralised energy system.

In short – PWP is terrible news for climate. Please take action by responding to the PWP consultation before August 17th at:
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/local/planning/press_for_change/planning_white_paper/

Thanks!
Simon Bowens
Transport and Climate Campaign
Friends of the Earth

Green Film Competition

20 is enough to Save our childrens lives

Put children before Traffic -
20 mph isn't novel, it makes sense. Stop this needless slaughter.'Reclaim streets' call after tot dies ic Wales, - --- And it wants councils to consider novel schemes, such as 20mph zones or even closing off some residential streets to traffic during after-school hours to allow children to play outside. Mike Greenaway, director of Play Wales, said, “Playing out allows ...
A 20 mph Canton and Cardiff: why?
20’s Plenty is Cardiff Green Party’s campaign to bring all residential street traffic speeds down to 20 miles per hour across the city of Cardiff, as part of a wider vision for creating the kind of streets in which we really want to live. This has now started to be implemented in other UK cities.

Communities grow where the streets belong to people, not just to vehicles. Streets should be places in which you can hear yourself speak in which you can safely walk or cycle with your children. Our streets should not be grim thoroughfares serving only fast-moving vehicles.
The Green Party believes the benefits of 20 mph should be felt throughout the city on its residential streets, in the streets where we live, shop and stroll. When traffic is slowed, existing 20mph zones show that people begin to enjoy their environments and use the local amenities more. Main routes would remain at current speed restrictions.

Demo after toddler killed by car BBC News, UK - Members of a Cardiff community have protested about traffic speed after a three-year-old boy died after being hit by a car which failed to stop. ...
Our streets need to be reclaimed for children ic Wales, - 30 Jul 2007
IT IS a sad state of affairs when something so basic as ensuring our streets are safe for children to play requires campaigning, a day of action and pleas ...
Residents give council EIGHT weeks to actic Wales, by David James, South Wales Echo ROAD blockading campaigners spurred on by the death of a three-year-old boy have told Cardiff council: “You’ve got eight ...

Lethal Weapon

Lethal weapon

There’s a lethal weapon
Gleaming bright
Polished
Deadly as dynamite

There’s a lethal weapon
Hold on tight
Safety off
Death’s in sight

There’s a lethal weapon
Guessed it right?
It’s you in your car
On the road tonight

Wreckage

We can repair wrecked cars
We can’t repair wrecked lives
We can replace wrecked cars
We can’t replace dead children, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives…

Poems by David Midmer in memory of his son Nathan, killed aged 22 on 23 December 2000. A pedestrian, he was struck and run over by a car.

Campaign to reclaim streets

It's holiday time, but traffic and 'stranger danger' have driven children indoors Anushka Asthana, education correspondent Sunday July 29, 2007 The Observer
Only two out of 10 British children play in the streets and parks close to their homes each day, compared with seven out of 10 when their parents were growing up - even though campaigners have long maintained that outdoor play is essential to every child's upbringing.

Play in Cardiff
National Playday fun in Heath Park

Just in Heath park - need more committment than that. Streets should be traffic free and allow children out of their houses to play. With this rise in numbers of obese boys soon it will be too late.

....There'll be fun for all next Wednesday (2nd August) in Heath Park as Cardiff Council's Children's Play Service brings all the fun of national Playday to one of the city's most popular parks. National Playday is an initiative supported by the Children's Play Council and has being going for over eighteen years with over 100,000 children taking part each year across the UK.

Play Wales

Play Day in the Vale of Glamorgan

When is it?
An annual event held every year on the first Wednesday in August.

What is it?
National Play Day is a celebration of the child's right to play and each year has a different theme. This year's theme is 'Our Streets Too'.

Saftey first
In the Vale we’re trying to encourage traffic to slow down. Children and young people will be on school holidays and will be using the streets to access local parks and shops, as well as playing on the streets.

What's on offer
Play Schemes and Play Ranger Schemes will be celebrating the event with a range of fun-filled activities. Please see Play Rangers and Play Schemes.

For more information
Telephone: 01446 704809
or email joajones@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
National Children’s Bureau website: www.ncb.org.uk

Copenhagen - a happier country!

I was in Denmark last week and the only parking problem was for bikes.

The traffic lights count down the length of time you have to wait to cross.

Back in wales the headlines are


More die from drink driving in Wales
and I am not surprised as even the local pubs car park is always full. They can't all be not drinking!

High carbon footprint doesn’t equal happiness
says the The Happy Planet Index which used three factors – ecological impact, life-satisfaction and life-expectancy to calculate a figure that reflects both the ecological efficiency and the well-being of a country’s population. The results were surprising - world-wide the Pacific nation of Vanuatu came out first, while in Europe, the high life-expectancy and low carbon emissions of the Scandinavian nations of Iceland, Sweden and Norway meant that they topped the list. Britain meanwhile, with its high carbon footprint and low level of satisfaction among the population, came 21st, falling behind most other western European nations. Denmark came 6th!

Hummers4Bummers - sign the petition!

Sign my petition ttp://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Hummers4Bummers/
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Ban Hummers

We, the undersigned, declare that Hummers which are over-sized, gas-guzzling, garishly painted, mileage-meager, energy-wasting, global-warming, road-hogging, backward-technology-embracing, inferiority-complex-compensating, cup-holder-infested "sports utility vehicles" are unsportsmanlike, non-utilitarian, and downright bad for the planet and should be banned. The H2 gets about 15 MPG, highway, (10 mpg street), large size/width, high maintenance cost, and potentially-destructive use as off-road vehicles.

Improving St Mary Street and High Street, Cardiff

Still time to have a look - I hope the hours for vans etc willb e limited and also that enforcement is improved dramatically.

Changing landscapes: Improving St Mary Street and High Street

Over the next two years St Mary Street and High Street will undergo dramatic improvements. These changes mean that the area keeps pace with the transformation taking place in the heart of the city centre.
We are working to create a better place to work, shop and visit by reducing traffic, pollution and noise levels - whilst introducing wider pavements and public art to improve the feel of the area.
From the 6 August 2007 traffic along St Mary Street, from its junction with Mill Lane along to and including High Street until the junction at Castle Street, will be restricted. Only buses, taxis, emergency vehicles and cyclists will be permitted to use the road with the exception of delivery and other service vehicles during set times.
The scheme will have two stages:
An experimental traffic order will start on 6 August 2007. This will allow us to assess the impact of the changes. We will be working on further changes as required, based on our own research and the feedback we will collect during the experimental period. During this time we will make sure that any interested party has the opportunity to comment and give feedback.
If successful, an amended permanent traffic order, based on the experimental order and its findings, will be introduced during 2008.
During the experimental period the area will look much the same as it does now. Once the permanent traffic order comes into place changes will be made to the whole area. People will be able to enjoy the experience of shopping in St Mary Street and High Street with fewer vehicles and improved pedestrian access throughout.
If you have queries, comments or feedback about the scheme either write to St Mary Street/ High Street, Transport, Infrastructure and Waste, Cardiff Council, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff, CF10 4UW or email: tiw-ch@cardiff.gov.uk
Further information can be found on the Cardiff Council website: www.cardiff.gov.uk/stmaryst or come along to the Public Exhibition in The Old Library, The Hayes, Cardiff on Friday 6th July 2007 (10.00 am - 5.00 pm) or Saturday 7th (10.00am - 1.00pm).
We will continue to update you during this period before the order becomes permanent. All comments and feedback will be reviewed and considered as the experimental order progresses however, we cannot guarantee individual replies relating to specific issues.

Rejected petition - any suggestions?

number10@petitions.pm.gov.uk
No 10 writes to me to say
"Hi,
I'm sorry to inform you that your petition has been rejected. Your petition was classed as being in the following categories: * Duplicate - this is similar to and/or overlaps with an existing petition or petitions Further information: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/banurban4x4s/

So you might sign this one
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Ban the use of private 4x4 vehicles in urban environments. More details -
Submitted by Stuart Billington – Deadline to sign up by: 15 June 2008 – Signatures: 9

If you wish to edit and resubmit your petition, please follow the following link: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Hummers4Bummers/CrGkKbB3JgKHA4LMaZAJ9Cu You have four weeks in which to do this, after which your petition will appear in the list of rejected petitions. Your petition reads: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to: 'implement an energy policy that promotes gas-saving technologies' We, the undersigned, declare that over-sized, gas-guzzling, garishly painted, mileage-meager, energy-wasting, global-warming, road-hogging, backward-technology-embracing, inferiority-complex-compensating, cup-holder-infested "sports utility vehicles" are unsportsmanlike, non-utilitarian, and downright bad for the planet.

Enable local communities to have more say

The Green Party today called on Hazel Blears to take her new proposals on local democracy further by enabling local communities to have a truly meaningful input into the planning and decision-making process.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today announced that direct ballots would be held in local areas over "big choices" on local council spending, including choosing priorities between "play areas, youth facilities, traffic calming or more community wardens". Pilot schemes could be extended to allow the petitioning of councils to consider policy proposals from the public
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/3055

Transport 2000 search for worst linked train stations

Transport 2000 are searching for the UK’s worst linked train stations, by this we mean stations that are difficult to access without a car and therefore isolate many members of the community. We would like to hear from people about their experiences of their journey to the local train station. We want to send a strong message to the government, Network Rail, rail operators, local authorities and bus operators asking them to work together and improve access to our train stations.
Please see the e-flyer below outlining further information on the survey.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to fill out the survey

Vote your station as the “Weakest Link”! Is your local railway station difficult to get to?
Well now is your chance to name and shame that station! Transport 2000 is running a nationwide competition to find out which stations are difficult to access by bike, foot, bus, or by people using a walking aid or wheelchair. In a bid to highlight the need for high level station integration with cycling, walking, buses and taxis as a means of reducing car dependency, the competition will highlight some of the worst integrated stations in the country and highlight some of the exceptional ones as well.

It takes just five minutes to fill in the survey on-line and you will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win travel vouchers of your choice.
The Weakest Link survey can be completed online: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PcEpPJbr6Jzp7mdXX_2fD3mw_3d_3d
People wishing a paper copy can request one from Tara Melton at Transport 2000 tara.melton@transport2000.org.uk; 020 7613 7716
The competition runs until 8 August and results will be announced 24 August on Transport 2000’s website.

"Gogs Against The Motorway" -the new "North Wales anthem!" -

Planning White Paper means less say on transport decisions
The government's Planning White Paper published on 21 May contains some disastrous proposals for groups opposing road schemes. As if the current system is not unfair enough, the Government also proposes to hand over decision-making powers to an 'independent' planning commission (which they will appoint) that will have a 'presumption in favour' of passing schemes that conform to new Government-decided national policy statements. You would no longer be able to question the need or economic justification for a scheme, and you may not even have the right to appear at the inquiry! For local road schemes, the Government proposes to leave all decision making to local authorities, and reduce the amount of call-ins, where the Government calls a public inquiry. This would mean that local councils apply to themselves and grant their own planning permissions with no public inquiry! It is an absolute disaster, but fortunately several national groups have formed a Planning Coalition Group to campaign against the proposals.

The coalition want as many people as possible to send in comments, to the Dept for Communities and Local Government, by 17 August. The coalition is organising a fortnight of action from 30 June to 14 July, with a day of action by local groups on Saturday 14 July. Please consider organising an demonstration on that day. The coalition’s Planning Disaster website is being updated to include an email to send to the Government. In the meantime you can send a letter or download a resource pack from the Friends of the Earth website. FoE is also producing a printed copy and postcards for giving out to members of the public at stalls – email Owen Espley if you’d like some.

Transport 2000 release new research on low-carbon transport solutions
Research by MTRU for Transport 2000 has challenged the findings of the Stern report that carbon emissions from transport are more expensive to tackle than other sectors. The Government has been using this claim as an excuse for allowing transport carbon emissions to rise - including through creating traffic growth through road building. It shows that we have to tackle transport CO2 as we cannot rely on other sectors of the economy to make those cuts when they already have ambitious targets. It also reveals that to change travel behaviour will be more equitable also, and has other benefits such as improving air quality. The research and a summary are available on the Transport 2000 website.

"Smarter Choices" work!
The three year results are out for the three Sustainable Travel Towns and they show that "Smarter Choices" measures have had an enormous impact on reducing car trips, and encouraging public transport use and cycling and walking. The three projects at Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester mainly involved nothing more than simply telling people about public transport options, starting car share schemes and encouraging people to walk and cycle more. The first three year results show that:
* Darlington - public transport trips up 14%, walking up 29%, cycling up 79%. Car trips were down 11%
* Peterborough - public transport up 13%, walking up 21%, cycling up 25%. Car trips were down 13%
* Worcester - public transport up 22%, walking up 17%, cycling up 36%. Car trips were down 12%
This is better than any road scheme could do to cut congestion, and cuts CO2 and is healthier too! And it is a fraction of the price. Now why is all that money being poured into roadbuilding...? See the Government press release

Government to rethink the rules for deciding road schemes
The Government's methodology for deciding road projects (the New Approach To Appraisal - NATA) is now almost 10 years old and is being rewritten. Currently it is very biased towards making a road look economically good, whilst down-playing the environmental costs. There will be a consultation in the Autumn. Transport 2000 will be getting in there to influence the new guidance to value the environment higher.

Cardiff council 'reply' to Cardiff Cycling Campaign post on air pollution

Not just cyclists are choking from the fumes!

Cardiff Council 'replies' on City Centre Polluted Air Posted on Monday, July 02 @ 23:43:08 BST by max.wallis Cardiff Cycling Campaign
Cardiff Council respond to the issues the Cycling Campaign raised over the Chartered Inst. of Physiotherapists' assessment of particulate pollution, viz:
# Cardiff is the third worst urban centre for PM10 in statistics for the first 3 months of the year
# routing cyclists down St Marys Street will subject them to higher air pollution
The Council put out the following Press Statement (reported in the Penarth Times)
"Cardiff Council is fully committed to supporting cycling and will continue to implement more facilities for cyclists. "The council believes that taking general traffic out of St Mary Street will certainly not make matters worse. Buses are becoming cleaner and Cardiff Bus has one of the youngest, and hence cleanest, fleets of buses. "Stationary and slow moving buses, unable to get through traffic or delayed by illegal parking, stay in the city centre for longer. The reduction of traffic in St Mary Street will help make bus use more attractive, reduce the number of slow moving or stationary buses in the city centre and will also be welcomed by many cyclists too."We pressed for proper answers and were informed in summary
# dust storms in Jordan, Egypt and the Sahara, agricultural fires in Ukraine and urban pollution from Europe
# the readings on North Road (Briardene) were much lower
# St Marys Street air quality is poor
# no assessment of cyclists’ exposure on St Marys Street, because they won’t spend much time there.
The full Council statement is as follows:
There are no plans to increase the number of buses using St Mary Street.
General traffic will however be removed. If traffic volumes are reduced and there is no increase in the number of buses, there is no reason to argue that this will result in increased diesel particulates. Further more buses will spend less time queuing so will be on that street for lesstime. Again, there is no reason for this to result in increased diesel particulates. There have been some regional and national particulate episodes whichaffected monitoring sites over the whole of South Wales and much widerafield in the UK during March 2007. These have skewed Cardiff's (andeveryone else's) readings upwards during the period in question. These episodes were of long-travelled material, i.e. not from local sources.The March 2007 episodes had the following features:a) Easterly air flows affecting the UK, air coming all the way fromRussia across central Europe.b) Increased particulate matter was recorded across most sites fromMarch 24th to April 2nd.c) Dust storms from Jordan and Egypt were seen on satellite imagesmoving north over the Mediterranean on March 21st, joining into theeastern air flow towards the UK.d) Widespread agricultural fires in Ukraine and western Russia were alsospotted by satellite on March 20th and will have been transported to theUK by the easterly air.e) The easterly air would also have picked up secondary nitrate andsulphate particulates formed from emissions across the industrial andpopulated areas of Europe. The conclusion is that the Saharan dust probably contributed to thefirst day or two of the incident, and later on it was the fires andsecondary particulate matter.The monitoring doesn't apportion sources or speciate the materialmeasured; is it therefore misleading to label the particulate matter as"diesel" or assume that it is traffic-derived. It is difficult to identifythe exact cause of each PM10 - whether from taxi, bus, train etc -although the press release attributes 25% of PM10s to transport, so it isagreed most are from other sources.It is also misleading to compare monitoring over a few months to anannual average standard. During the first few months of the yearmeasured concentrations will be higher than the annual average due to bothhigher emissions locally (e.g. from space heating, etc) and because ofatmospheric conditions.We have no detailed figures for the exposure to air pollution forspecific road user-groups. Exposure is a function of pollutantconcentration and the length of time that a person is exposed to it. It isnot possible estimate exposure for cyclists, or any other road user-group,given that no two road users follow the same route on their journeys.Exposure must therefore be directly measured and research studies arebeing carried out in London in this specific area of work. The air quality standards refer to pollutant concentrations in ambient airmeasured over a specific time-period. Cyclists will not, generally, spend a long enough period of time travelling down St Mary Street on their cycles to make direct comparison with the air quality standards in this single location valid. The air quality standard in force in the UK is 40 microgrammes per cubicmetre of air as an annual average. The annual mean measured at the CardiffCentre site in 2006 was 27 microgrammes per cubic metre. At Briardene Road Safety Centre on North Road, i.e. close to high volumes of traffic andtherefore more likely to be measuring traffic-derived pollution, the annual mean was just 21 microgrammes per cubic metre. However the Council fully acknowledges that air quality is poor on St MaryStreet, having declared an Air Quality Management Area for it, and hence the measures being taken to address it. The measures being taken will reduce concentrations of both PM10 and nitrogen dioxide.The Council's reviews and assessments of air quality are available on our website.
END of Council Statement

Dangerous Pavements Campaign

Dangerous pavements
Join the campaign and save lives.

In Cardiff Roads and Pavements - Are you a Pedestrian? We all use pavements. If you see a vehicle damaging a pavement, please note the registration number and report the incident to C2C Tel: 029 2087 2087.
All enquiries to: Cardiff Council Transport, Infrastructure & WasteBrindley RoadCardiffCF11 8TX Tel: 029 2078 5200Fax: 029 2078 5218
Email: highways@cardiff.gov.uk

Traffic pollution levels pose severe risk in South Wales

Why are we being poisoned? So what is keeping our politicians from doing something about this?

I suggest that we ban highly polluting cars from the road such as SUVs. Raise funds to pay for public transport which keeps going up in cost by at least raising parking charges by 1. introduce congestion charging. 2. Make using the bus more attractive and easier by auditing the services at present which as in Cardiff go almost entirely into the city centre that circle the city and go across. 3.Introduce more bus stops to meet needs - e.g. the bus stop that used to be from theSchool of music has been moved and therefore WAG workers have some distance to go to find a bus up,Caerphilly Road.4.Stop cutting services -Cardiff are proposing cutting no 68 to Llanishen which take civil service workers to Ty Glas high rise buildings. With such poor bus services no wonder people fee l they have to take their cars. Try getting a bus after 6.30 - try using the bus to get anywhere after 6.30. Caerphilly buses stop at 6ish. Not good for economic development either.5. Cardiff Bus have a £3.00 day ticket which is non transferable so if we have a stagecoach bus come along we can't use our ticket.6. Buses go along Northern Ave all day to and from the valleys but don't stop to pick up passengers either way so why this waste of resources at best and segregation at worst?7.Sardine Train services overcrowded and tying to hit targets so they skip stops when late and leave passengers stranded or waiting for hours etc.8. Some park and ride out side the city.9. Stop parking at bus stops- on double yellow lines and on the pavement 9. Start all over.

See also my posts on ...Demand tough fuel efficiency standards for Europes carsTake action before 30th June Find your MEP and tell them what you think.Thursday, June 14, 2007 Shed some Green Light on parking charges!

Time for Cardiff Drivers to see Green Light.Soaring pollution levels could pose severe risks Jun 30 2007 by Ben Glaze, South Wales EchoDANGEROUSLY high levels of air pollution have been recorded in South Wales, according to an official report.Pollution in several places in Rhondda Cynon Taf “could pose a risk of significant adverse health effects” according to the council’s public health experts.Officials found levels of nitrogen dioxide were above legal limits at eight hot-spots across RCT: Aberdare town centre; The Broadway, Treforest; Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd; the A4119 at Mwyndy, near Llantrisant; Pontypridd town centre; East Road, Tylorstown; and the A473 corridor through Church Village, Llantwit Fardre and Tonteg.Their report blames fumes from congested traffic and the high level of housing in affected areas.An RCT council spokeswoman said: “Findings indicated that nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant mainly produced from road traffic, required further, more in-depth examination.“As such the council has recently published a report about its in-depth examination entitled Third Stage Detailed Assessment for Nitrogen Dioxide for public consultation.“The report has identified eight areas within the borough which are affected by air quality and therefore require the declaration of air quality management areas.Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood said: “Now these problems have been identified it is crucial they are addressed as soon as possible.“This pollution comes from car exhausts and so it is no surprise these hot spots are in the very areas where traffic congestion is worst.“Action needs to be taken immediately to reduce traffic volumes in all of these areas, but the real answer lies in the provision of high-quality, affordable and accessible public transport so that people do not need to sit in traffic jams.”ben.glaze@wme.co.uk

An Inconvenient Truth

Global Warning
The real story of what is happening with climate change
Free Admission to the Oscar Winning Film
Thursday 5th July, door open 6.30pm for 7pm
Clwb Y Bont, 85A Stryd Taf, Pontypridd
Followed by a discussion of the issues arising from the film. Chaired by Julian Rosser,
Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru. Sponsored by Pontypridd Friends of the Earth

No voice - no choice

The Government wants to fast track new power stations, runways, major roads and other big developments – whether people want them or not. The Planning White Paper will effectively silence local opposition to big polluting projects. The public have until 17 August to respond to the Government's proposals.

No voice, no choice
Contained in the White Paper are proposals to:

Streamline major projects
Like nuclear power stations, airports, major roads and large incinerators.
Stop you from having a say
By removing your right to be heard in Public Inquiries and local plans.
Threaten local shops
By encouraging out-of-town supermarket development
These proposals will lead to a major increase in CO2 emissions – at odds with the Government's aim to tackle climate change.

Did you know?
A coalition of environmental and civic organisations numbering more than 2 million members opposes the Government's Planning White Paper.

Who is affected?
Communities throughout the UK will be faced with new power stations, nuclear waste sites and other major energy projects. Plans for airports, major roads and large waste incinerators will affect England only.

Your community, your shout
The planning system offers key checks and balances which are now under threat. Sustainable development is being stripped apart to benefit big business. These proposals are bad for people, bad for democracy and bad for the environment.

Protect your rights and local voice in planning – please take our quick online action at to respond to the Government's proposals.

See planning disaster

Worst Roads in Wales

WORST WALES ROADS NAMEDic Wales - 24 Jun 2007. £8m has recently been spent on electronic message signs and road sensors designed to give drivers the latest information on traffic conditions on the English side of the M4, near Bristol, in a bid to tackle the appalling accident rate there.

So far this year, 702 accidents have occurred on 18 principal roads in Wales. This is an average of 39 incidents per road with a high of 259.

Wales' principal motorway stretch, and busiest road, was the M4 which suffered 259 incidents whilst the A48, A470, A55, A40 and A465 combined registered 342.
The most accident-prone stretches of road in Wales are dominated by the M4. The Westbound stretch from Junction 29 Cardiff East to Junction 32 Cardiff North already has 36 reported accidents this year. The Eastbound stretch between J33 Cardiff West and J32 Cardiff North takes the next spot with 17, and the Westbound stretch between the Brynglas Tunnel and J26 Newport (North) has 12. The M4 dominates the top ten accident-prone stretches of road in Wales with 119 incidents occurring in ten stretches alone. The top A road stretch is held by the A48 Eastbound between Llanbeder and East of Caerwent with 8 incidents.

Scotland to lead world on climate change

SCOTLAND is to lead the world in action to combat climate change, cutting carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. John Swinney, the Cabinet secretary for finance and sustainable growth, told the Scottish Parliament he was committed to an ambitious programme of cuts that would be an inspiration to the world and help to turn this country into "the green energy capital of Europe".
However, he was accused of performing a "major U-turn" by dropping an SNP manifesto commitment to mandatory annual emissions reductions of 3 per cent.
Scotsman 22nd June 2007 Herald 22nd June 2007

C ome on wales -what are you waiting for?

Highway code new changes hit cyclists!

I've heard that there's a new Highway Code in production and that some of the new rules (for cyclists) are a bit controversial e.g. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes
Danger lane: are new rules making cycling riskier?
Changes to the Highway Code have aroused cyclists’ safety fears, reports Joseph Dunn in the Times

This issue is not devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government.

You therefore need to contact the Driving Standards Agency, The Training Centre, Harrowden Lane, Cardington, Bedford, MK44 3ST Telephone 01234 744063 / Fax 01234 744050 / website: www.dsa.gov.uk

The Department for Transport (DfT) issued a press release on 1 June about further changes to cycling rules in the Highway Code laid before Parliament on 28 March 2007 - this can be found on the DfT web site at www. dft.gov.uk.

Pedestrain Crossing Heol Llanishen Fach by the Mormon Church

Great new crossing.

Is this crossing in Rhiwbina safe for pedestrians?
If you think it isn't shouldn't we slow the approaching traffic, narrow the road at the approach or have a green man?

Would help to if we didn't put the pole in the middle of the pavement!

Or should we move the Crossing to make it a longer walk for pesdestrians? No way!!




Spotted at Rookwood hospital -
just picking someone up!

Shed some Green Light on parking charges!

Time for Cardiff Drivers to see Green Light.

The city centre of Cardiff should be readily accessed by all sections of the community. It should not be dominated by the car, but offer safe, attractive, pedestrian-friendly environments.

Increased parking charges should be re-cycled to provide better public transport, walking and cycling facilities at all location levels.
The local bus service fails to meet peoples needs for travel to the city centre. Almost all households in Wales - 90% say that the bus service does not meet the need either for travel at night or travel on Sunday

City centre retailers underestimate the number of their customers arriving by bus, walk and cycle and their spend profile and overestimate the number and effect of car borne customers.

A commission for integrated transport study revealed that public transport users do not spend significantly less than car users in city centre, particularly once income bias is eliminated. Therefore, any reduction of existing car shoppers should not result in significantly less retail spend. People travelling by bus, cycling and walking are more likely to support their city centre, visiting it more frequently than car users.

It is a myth that reducing traffic will harm the economy.

Research carried out by the German Institute for Urban Research6 indicates that a sustainable transport approach benefits trade in German towns. It says: "Retail trade in central city districts increases with policies that encourage environmentally friendly transport
Modes” Another German study showed there was no relationship between the amount of car parking provision and the amount of money people spent in shops.

Half of lone parents lack a car and two thirds of single pensioners. The great majority of these groups are women. Women are the primary users of bus services. The cost of bus fares has gone up considerably. Recently bus fares went up in Cardiff from £2.60 to £3.00. therefore it would cost £6.00 for two adults to go to the city centre for any length of time. Is it right that it has been cheaper to go by car? Since 1974 bus fares have increased by 87 per cent in real terms. Between 1997 and 2005 motoring costs fell by 9 per cent!
Buses are late or cancelled because of traffic congestion. Transport policicy in Cardiff discriminates, passively or actively, in favour of cars and against buses and cycling. In Cardiff where parking is plentiful and has been free or cheap, there is no bus priority and no enforcement, so buses are very unattractive option compared with cars.

A 'Green' parking charge should vary depending on the amount of pollution they create. Cars should be banded depending on how many grams of CO2 they emit per km. By implementing schemes that reduce carbon dioxide emissions we could make a positive impact on climate change nationally and globally .


Time for everyone in Cardiff and our council to catch up with other local authorities and see Green light!!!




.

Slow traffic at school now! Why beg? 20's plenty

Slow down and make our school walk safer
Jun 11 2007 - DRIVERS are being begged to slow down around Birchgrove Primary School, in Birchgrove Road. Not a response from the authorities promising to reduce speed limits now? Why not? - children should come before motorists. lets see some action now! Before it is too late.
Global road traffic injury epidemic, see commission for Global Road Safety, June 2006. Make Roads Safe: a new priority for sustainable development. http://www.makeroadssafe.org/documents/make_roads_safe_low_res.pdf

Petition - funding for 20mph zones

Living Streets resources on 'Safe Routes to School'

http://www.transport2000.org.uk/communityaction/20PlentyPoster.pdf

when there is no charge for Parking!

Ever wonder how life would be if we travelled in ways that benefited our health and our environment? We’d have safer roads, cleaner air and a better quality of life.
It’s easier to do than you think.

Change Your World is asking people to swap just one car trip from 1-7 July and choose something that’s better for the planet instead. And guess what? If we all give up one car journey that week we’ll reduce car traffic by 10%. And save money - there is no charge for parking! Fancy giving it a go? Sign up at www.changeyourworld.org.uk from 1 June to make your swap and for the chance to win a bike worth £449.99.
Change Your World is run by Sustrans Charity number 326550

Demand tough fuel efficiency standards for Europes cars

Over a quarter of Europe’s carbon emissions come from transport, the majority of these from cars. Car makers have failed to deliver on their own targets on emissions and now the European Commission are proposing legally-binding targets. The car industry is fighting hard to avoid these mandatory targets but these targets must be tough enough if they are going to have an effect on climate change. The Commission are asking for your opinion on what their policy should be. Tell them that you want tough mandatory and long-term targets that will significantly reduce the impact of the car on our climate.Take action before 30th June
Find your MEP and tell them what you think.

What idiot put that in the middle of the pavement?

Caerphilly Road - Cardiff
There is a new develoment of housing totally out of sympathy with the other side of this tree lined road.
In this barren landscape with no trees, looms a 'thing',
a 'box' stuck right in the middle of the pavement - why?
What idiot planned this? Can we not have streets obstacle free? Is that too difficult? And doesn't it look horrible.

In the distance you can see the crossing which is a long way from the cross roads so elderly, disabled people and young people all risk their lives because of the Ridiculous positioning of the crossing.

In the picture below you can see the lengths to which motorists go to save them walking a few metres. Parking on a crossing - some people have no shame

M4 Widening Folly

Cardiff M4 widening start

Unecessary - a new bottle neck! A separate cycle lane would have been more useful and cheaper! Many homes will be affected by the increase in noise and pollution!

Work will start at the end of May on the M4 motorway widening scheme from junction 29 Castleton to junction 32 Coryton, north of Cardiff.
Contractor Alfred McAlpine Project Services will be widening this 13.5km (eight mile) section of existing dual two-lane motorway to dual three-lane motorway.The M4 Widening scheme starting at the end of May 2007 is expected to be complete by December 2009, and will significantly ease congestion particularly at peak periods.Further information can be obtained from the M4 Widening Public Liaison facilities:Tel: 07805 619615 E-mail: M4liaison@alfredmcalpineplc.com or visit the M4 web page http://www.m4widening29to32.com

More injury on the road - next child going to get killed

The Echo reports that 10-year-old son Jonathan Sullivan’s lower left leg was broken by a car in Grand Avenue, Ely, Cardiff. The keen footballer, now has pins in his leg and a leg brace for the next six weeks.

I agree with his mum who said “It’s a big road and there are not enough pedestrian crossings. There are no speed cameras or speed bumps. The next child is going to get killed.”

Murder by Car -new feature

A new feature to highlight DEATH and injury on our roads. How many more people have to die before pedestrian rights are put before vechicles and crossing provided?

Man, 38, fights for his life after being hit by car
May 21 2007 by Laura Wright, South Wales Echo

A PEDESTRIAN is fighting for his life after a collision with a car on a busy city road.The 38-year-old was crossing the Gabalfa Interchange, Cardiff, when he was hit by a Ford Mondeo.

The man, from Canton, Cardiff, is in a critical condition at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. The crash happened just after 9.30pm on Saturday.

Police are asking for any witnesses to the crash, or who saw the pedestrian on the roundabout beforehand, to come forward.

Police also want to speak with the occupants of a black American 4x4 stretch limousine and a silver Renault Megane Scenic which were pictured on CCTV footage at the time of the accident.
Call the Roads Policing Unit on 029 20222111.

ID card 'police' to levy £2,000 fines

ID Card police
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2562741.ece

Celebrate Architecture week

Living Streets launches an early celebration of Architecture Week: 15-24 June
How to boost tourism by creating visitor friendly public spaces

13 June 2007 - Visitor Economy and the Public Realm
Visitor Economy and the Public Realm Conference Flyer PDF (279Kb)

This one day conference will consider how an attractive public realm can boost the visitor economy. The conference will look at how much does the public realm support tourism; what visitors want from the public realm; how street events can improve the attractiveness of an area and how to collaborate with other parties that have a vested interest in your area.

The conference will take place at the newly designed headquarters of Visit London and there will be an optional 30 minute tour of the new public space at Queens Walk on the Thames Walkway. Place your bookings now! Living Streets
For more information - Architecture Week

Greenpeace News Energy review and a welcome for the SNP-Green Alliance

Energy Review

As a result of Greenpeace’s successful legal challenge to the 2006 energy review consultation process, the government has been forced back to the drawing board to conduct what should be a comprehensive and necessarily lengthy review on whether to support new nuclear plants. This short paper sets out some of the key questions which must be addressed as part of this consultation, and some of the information requirements to support a proper consultation on a new build nuclear programme.
Greenpeace UK website 9th May 2007

Greenpeace welcomes SNP-Green Alliance as end to Blair's nuclear plan for Scotland.
Greenpeace Press Release 11th May 2007

Rethink Draft Biofuels Policy

Good intentions lain to waste:-
The Governments draft biofuels policy, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), could see businesses producing biofuels by destroying rainforests and wetlands.
This dash for biofuels:
Is poorly thought out
Lacks appropriate safeguards
Could create more problems than it solves
Greenpeace, RSPB, WWF and Friends of the Earth are all demanding that the RTFO is strengthened so that it truely benefits the environment.Tell the Minister of State for Transport to choose the right biofuel.

New nukes, roads, bigger airports

Proposed planning reforms, say critics, will enable ministers to sidestep public opposition and smooth the way for bigger airports, roads, power stations and other major building projects.
Guardian 9th May 2007

Living Streets on Prosecuting Bad Driving

Living Streets Response to the Crown Prosecution Service consulted on its advice on prosecuting bad driving in the light of changes resulting from the Road Safety Act 2006. You can download the response from Living Streets below (pdf, 133kb).

'Six Degrees' book launch with author Mark Lynas

SIX DEGREES -

OUR FUTURE ON A

WARMER PLANET

SLIDESHOW & DISCUSSION WITH MARK LYNAS

Mark Lynas, Journalist & Author of the bestseller "High Tide"

launches his latest book "Six Degrees" in Cardiff!

Thursday 17 May at 7pm
Main Building
Cardiff University
Park Place
(opposite Student Union)

By the end of the century, the Earth could be more than 6C hotter than it is today. We know that would be bad news - but just how bad? How big a rise will it take for the Alps to melt, the oceans to die and desert to conquer Europe and the Americas? Mark Lynas sifted through thousands of scientific papers for his new book on global warming. This is what the research told him . . .

'An apocalyptic primer of what to expect as the world heats up...it's sobering stuff and shaming too.' Financial Times

'Buy this book for everyone you know...it might just save their lives.' New Stateman

Copies of Mark Lynas's critically acclaimed new book will be on sale after the meeting and Mark will be available to sign copies.

Organised by Cardiff Campaign against Climate Change
www.campaigncc.org

For more info. email - CardiffCCC@hotmail.co.uk