Photograph a street you love and you could win a £50 voucher

Photograph a street you love and you could win a £50 voucher from @livingstreets: http://bit.ly/2Z2R6

More information
http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/cms/downloads/0-photo_competition_flyer.pdf

six key barriers to walking - the state of our streets

Cardiff is worse - Walk from the Hilton Hotel and
you want to go across the road to the castle - well this is what we see - as we go down the pedestrain tunnel - it is disgraceful. Time to do away with the tunnels and let pedestrians cross the road safely by the shortest route by a pedestrain crossing.

Tell us about the 'State of our Streets' today

[b]August 2009 marks the 80th anniversary of the formation of Living Streets. Ahead of our big day we want to find out what is important to you about your streets now. Join our survey by following the link below, and help guide our work for the next 80 years!
Read the full articleTuesday 3 February 2009

Living Streets release a joint report with London Councils and Walk London on 'Breaking Down Barriers to Walking in London'
Living Streets collaborated with London Councils and Walk London to produce a report on the primary barriers to walking in London. This report identified six key barriers to walking in the capital that need to be addressed to make it a world class walking city.

Walking accounts for 31 per cent of week day trips in the capital, but Living Streets believe that this modal share could be so much more. This report, produced in conjunction with London Councils and Walk London, identifies six key barriers to walking in London that need to be addressed for walking levels to increase in the capital.

The six barriers identified in the report are as follows: - Giving walking sufficient priority institutionally; - Obtaining integrated funding for walking improvements; - Safety concerns; - Misperceptions of walking speeds and distances; - Unattractive walking environment; - Overcoming existing travel habits.

To read the full report you can download it as a PDF here:
Download walking report Breaking Down Barriers to Walking in London PDF (871Kb)


In cardiff the walk takes you past some very dodgy loking filthy toilets.

20’s Plenty For Us

20’s Plenty

For Us welcomes Transport Committee support for increased use of 20 mph limits

The full report with submissions from all parties may be downloaded from http://www.p

ublications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtran.htm

The latest Road Safety Report from the House of Commons Transport Committee calls for “Ending the scandal of Complacency” associated with road casualties.

It notes that whilst UK had a good international record up to the year 2000 this has been tarnished by lack of progress in death on our roads since then. Road accidents are the largest single cause of death for people between the ages of 5 and 35.

Key points that 20’s Plenty for Us noted in the report were :-

· It both recognised the demand from communities for safer stre

ets and the role that 20 mph for urban and residential streets plays in delivering that safety. Para 60.· It recognises the need to differentiate between casualty reduction and danger reduction. Other countries have gone much further than the UK in adapting their urban areas for safer walking and cycling. Para 87.· It notes that local traffic authorities have been successful at treating accident black spots, but as there are consequently fewer treatable sites there is the need to move toward improving the safety of our infrastructure in a broader and more systematic manner. Para 57.· It calls for a new vision for road safety in Britain, and recognises how casualty reduction, danger reduction, sustainable transport, economic efficiency, climate change, social inclusion and physical health should all be integrated. Para 136.

· It points out the initiative of towns like Portsmouth who have recently set all residential streets to a speed limit of 20 mph at minimal cost. Para 58.

Rod King, Founder of 20’s Plenty For Us said :- “This report reinforces much that has been recognised by road danger reduction campaigners. There is too much complacency in the UK regarding road deaths. We still have the view that they are inevitable, yet other countries are proving far more effective at ensuring that their chil

dren live longer, have more independent mobility and quality of life.

At 20 mph our streets become community public spaces where all road users can bene

fit from equitably interacting and sharing the road.

Most people support 20 mph f

or residential streets and we

now need local authorities to respond to that demand and changing culture to provide a safe environment for their chil

dren and adults to walk and

cycle as well as drive.”

For more information about 20’

s Plenty For Us, including info

rmation on the “Streets Ahead” conference exploring how we can create safer streets for

walking and cycling see www.20splentyforus.org.uk and www.streets-ahead.org

Local Authorities now committed to 20 mph for residential streets with po

pulations:-

Leicester 292,600 Portsmouth 197,000 Oxford 151,000 Norwich 132,200

20’s Plenty For Us campaigns for a 20mph default speed limits in residential streets without physical calming.

mail rodk@20splentyforus.org.uk Website www.20splentyforus.org.uk Conference www.streets-ahead.org

20's Plenty For Us www.20splentyforus.org.uk

City Hall protest - Elgan we came to support you!

A few turned out (see above) but I fear they were drowned out by the schools protests and insole court protest. In the end Elgan resigned rather than sit through an hours character assassination so the motion was withdrawn. Labour did raise the issue of reopening Wood St/St Mary's to private vehicles immediately following the vote a few months ago however. Senior Officers advise against it on safety grounds so that looks set to be the 'battle' for the next few months."

Improve cycling for commuters in Cardiff, keep Bute Park open later
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/butepark/

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

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).

Make walking safer! Walking is more dangerous than going by car, the Social Trends analysis said.

From Social Trends analysis
Measured mile for mile, motorcycles are the most dangerous way to travel, followed by walking, and then bicycles. Motorcyclists are killed at the rate of 169 for every billion miles travelled, it reported. Some 59 pedestrians are killed for every billion miles walked, while 56 cyclists are killed for each billion miles travelled.

Only four car passengers are killed for every billion miles driven. The comparative safety of car passengers means the school run has cut the number of children killed on the roads. The report said: "There has been a steady fall in the number of children killed or seriously injured in road accidents." It noted a fall of 11 per cent in a single year between 2004 and 2005, and a reduction of 68 per cent since 1980. In 2005, 3,500 children were seriously injured or killed in road accidents.

Make walking safer! Welsh elections are coming up so call on the person you vote for to make a commitment to making walking safer - more crossings, speed bumps and traffic calming are urgent.

The parents who want their kids to be safe are making walking more dangerous for the children who walk! Many of these are the most poorest children.

Note that Bus and coach fares rose by 168 per cent between 1997 and2006 in the UK, compared with a rise in the ‘All items’ retail prices index of 93 per cent - doesn't encourage people to travel by public transport.
Make walking safer - join Living Streets

Living Streets Wales calls for BAN on Pavement Parking

Living Streets Wales is calling for:

All pavement parking to be banned

• Clearer guidance from the Welsh Assembly Government on action expected from local authorities
• All local authorities to take on strict enforcement of parking regulations
• A national awareness raising campaign from police and local authorities on the hazards of inconsiderate parking

What You Can Do:

Write to your AM requesting clearer legislation against pavement parking

Contact your local police, local authority and local council to point out areas of persistent pavement parking

Become a Member of Living Streets and join others in demanding better pedestrian conditions.

Visit our website at http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/