MEPs 2 major votes on climate change

Climate change is the biggest environmental threat facing our planet. Over the summer, we have seen widespread flooding in the UK and in Africa and heat waves and forest fires in Southern Europe. Transport accounts for over a quarter of Europe’s carbon dioxide emissions and they continue to rise placing the European Union’s emission reduction targets in jeopardy.

Your MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) have a golden opportunity to make a real difference on climate change. You can help to persuade them to vote to tackle transport’s effect on the climate.There are two major votes on climate change coming up in the European Parliament:
• Aviation and Emissions Trading. This is the EU’s response to the growing emissions from air travel. Research from the Tyndall Centre shows that it needs to be strengthened if it is going to have any impact.

• Cars and carbon dioxide emissions. The car industry promised to cut emissions but instead continue to produce big, gas-guzzling vehicles including 4x4s. Proposals are being made to make these cuts legally binding.

Go to http://www.transportactioneurope.org and ask your MEP to take action on climate change.Then help spread the word by sending this to your friends, family and fellow campaigners. You could also use web networks like Facebook to ask others to take action.

Thank you!
Simon Transport and Climate Campaign Friends of the Earth

Sign the petition to keep St Mary Street pedestrianised

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/631673943

Haven't you signed it yet?

Paved with gold: the real value of street design

This report presents new research that shows how good street design contributes both economic benefits and public value. It shows that investment in design quality brings quantifiable financial returns and that people value improvements to their streets. It is intended for local authorities, regional government, business, developers and investors. For the first time we can see that the best streets really are paved with gold.

Paved with gold is part of a wider CABE programme that provides research, guidance and case studies aimed at promoting high-quality street design. For more information see www.cabe.org.uk/streets

Date: 25 June 2007

Download the briefing document (919KB)

Download the full publication (3MB)

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Read this publication? Tell us what you think

cardiff planners could learn a thing or two!

Look at Birmingham change to pedestrianisation and beauty

Manual for Streets

Park-and-ride plans held up by dormice!

Sep 11 2007 by Ben Glaze, South Wales Echo

A 1,500-SPACE park-and-ride scheme has been delayed after environmental experts discovered rare dormice.

The Echo revealed plans for the £4.1m project off the A48 Eastern Avenue at the Pentwyn Interchange on the outskirts of Cardiff in January, but the proposals have suffered a setback thanks to the little rodents.

Cardiff council hoped the giant car park, on the Llanrumney side of Eastern Avenue, would be ready by April and slash the volume of cars pouring into the city centre.

But the authority must now work with the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) to decide how to deal with the dormice.

Dormice they are so cute!! Such a shame to destroy their habitat. Why concrete over so much land - every thing in moderation evan moderation.

View Larger Map

Get behind city trial!

Get behind this city traffic trial Sep 11 2007 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo

I AM concerned at the Echo campaigning for Cardiff's St Mary Street to be reopened for car traffic.

The people of Cardiff are quite capable of seeing that the change has made shopping in the city centre a more pleasant experience, increased safety for pedestrians and cyclists and reduced the extremely high levels of air pollution.

Once the pavement widening and other improvements are carried out this will improve things further.

I frequently walk down St Mary Street and have seen no sign that the
ban has succeeded in turning St Mary Street into a bus racing track,
as the article of September 3 alleges.

There is also little evidence that traffic levels increased in either Grangetown or Riverside when the ban came into force.

The Echo should thank the council for taking this sensible and popular step to make Cardiff a better city.

Chris Brown

Janet Street, Splott, Cardiff

Welsh man fined after getting run over - you couldn't make it up!

Man fined after getting run over - Metro

Is this really true? Unbelieveable!!

Daniel Horne of Llanharry, Glamorgan

When a police car swerved off the road and ran over Daniel Horne's foot, he thought he was owed an apology. But instead he was landed with an £80 fine – for denting the car.
Mr Horne, 28, said he was 'speechless' when the PC who had been at the wheel wrote in the fine notice: 'You ran into the nearside front wing of a marked police vehicle causing a dent.'
He said: 'I was in agony, with my foot broken in bits, and I end up being fined for my body damaging the police car.'

The businessman was on his way home from a night out with friends when he was rammed from behind, knocked over and had his foot crushed under the wheels of the patrol car.
The group had pulled over when their own car had a flat tyre, leaving the vehicle with the hazard warning lights flashing to walk to the nearest village to find help.
But a passer-by thought they were dumping the car and called the police. Mr Horne said: 'I was just walking along the pavement and heard the police car siren coming behind us.

'The next thing I knew was that the police car came on to the pavement to stop us.
'The car hit my right leg and I fell over – with my foot being crushed under the front wheel.'
Mr Horne said the police soon accepted they had done nothing wrong and Mr Horne was driven to hospital after the accident in Beddau, near Pontypridd, South Wales.

He added: 'The copper was very helpful and was there with me for about three hours while the doctors examined me.

'He gave me a lift back but then he told me, “Sorry but I've got to do this to cover myself”.'
Doctors have told Mr Horne, of Llanharry, Glamorgan, that he will need to wear a cast for nine weeks. He has been unable to work at the courier company he runs and plans to sue the police for compensation. He added: 'There is no way I'm going to pay the fixed penalty fine. I've spoken to my solicitor and I'm going to fight it all the way.'

A South Wales Police spokeswoman confirmed that a fixed penalty was issued for criminal damage, adding: 'We have received a complaint from Mr Horne and are looking into it.'

Monday, September 3, 2007

Cardiff Bus sellout by LIb Dems

Bus service could go privatePLANS have been unveiled which could lead to a sell-off of a slice of Cardiff Bus, netting tens of millions of pounds. more We want better services not worse!what next .. this is a big mistake - perhaps the councillors who are on the board could have resisted this? Cllr Neale?

Are they skint or what is going on? They are trying to sell of Whichurch Highschool grounds for housing! Is this property developers world or what?

Cardiff Bus Contact Details:
David BrownManaging DirectorLeckwith DepotSloper RoadCardiffCF1 8AFTelephone: 029 2078 7704 email: headoffice@cardiffbus.com
Website: http://www.cardiffbus.com/
Council Representation:
Councillor Joe Carter
Councillor Gareth Neale
Councillor John Dixon
Councillor Steve Pantak
Councillor Cathy Pearcy
Councillor Christine Priday
Councillor John Sheppard

"Mr Davies ..whos he?.. is also looking at a major rationalising of the council’s land and buildings. That could even mean proposals being looked at to sell County Hall and move office staff to a site on the outskirts of the capital. He is looking closely at non-operational buildings and whether a partnership with the private sector could bring in funding in a so-called equity release scheme.
The shake-up could also see several sections of the council becoming “arm’s-length” companies along the lines of the marketing company, Cardiff & Co, but with staff pay and conditions protected.
A report on Mr Davies’ review of the council’s operations will go to the council’s executive on Tuesday. Mr Pantak said: “While I understand a minority shareholding would be involved, I believe this would be the thin edge of the wedge and will open the door to full privatisation of Cardiff Bus which will gradually reduce the service to customers."

Silly enough at present when we have stagecoach buses in cardiff from for wxample Caerphilly and we get a day ticket from Cardiff Bus but can't use it on those buses! Is this why the fares keep going up. People scream about parking prices but for adults going to work it is £3 or to go shopping with the kids?

St Mary's Street petition

A petition has been started re St Mary's street - please go to the link to sign

http://apps.facebook.com/petitions/view?pid=631673943

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/keep-st-marys-street-in-cardiff-pedestrianised

Sign petition to save Penylan trees

31 July residents of Penylan were sent a letter from Cardiff Council informing them without consultation about their plans to remove 8 Crab-apple trees. The trees in question are in fact actually cherry trees and the beautiful blossom in Spring calls into question how 'diseased' as claimed by the Council they really are.

With each tree being 50 years old the felling would mean the destruction in one year of 400 years of tree growth. Please sign our petition and send the link to anyone you may think would beinterested in supporting a worthy cause
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/penylan-trees

Further information on new website http://www.penylan-trees.co.uk/

Facebook group (you need to have a Facebook account to access this)http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5136685997

Background - Friday August 24IC Wales features the article 'Trees are healthy, so please don’t fell them'.find out more at IC Wales

87% say Pedestrianisation of Cardiff's St Mary Street IS working

The Echos Poll

Is the pedestrianisation of Cardiff's St Mary's Street working? The results so far show..it is..

Yes
86.67%

No
13.33%

Support a Greener Cardiff Echo

Unfortunately the Echo headlines say : Time to re-think traffic ban
THE Echo is today demanding an immediate re-think of the city’s controversial St Mary Street scheme.

Write to the journalist: phillip.nifield@wme.co.uk
and the Echo: ecletters@wme.co.uk

The Echo has a question - not entirely fair -
Is pedestrianisation working?
YES 090 12293013
NO 090 12293014

Welsh politicians need to make radical changes as people in Wales are becoming more environmentally aware and expect strong leadership from government to tackle the ongoing threats of climate change, waste mountains and traffic congestion to achieve cleaner more environmentally and pedestrian friendly city. For a greener Cardiff we need support from our local paper too.

Living Streets is a national charity established in 1929 as the Pedestrians’ Association. Cardiff Living Streets campaigns for better streets and public spaces in the Welsh capital, and for a higher priority for pedestrians. Cardiff Living Streets propose that a more appropriate solution would be to liberate St Mary Street from motor traffic all together and convert it into a fully pedestrianised zone. This would bring many benefits. It would much reduce pedestrian congestion on the pavements, eliminate contention between pedestrians and traffic and improve the associated problems of insecurity, noise and pollution - provide many more opportunities for improved pedestrian facilities such as seating, recreational areas, and outdoor eating.

Previously St Mary Street was performing poorly in attracting people aged over 45 and people with children, and probably people with mobility difficulties as well. We ask that you involve these groups closely in the development of plans and before giving up the pilot scheme. A better walking environment = good for local businesses = stronger communities.

Not only do people who walk to the shops spend more per week but overall, the nicer the environment for walking and enjoying, the more people spend.

We ask that Cardiff County Council
• increase the width of the pavements in St Mary Street
• provide cross-overs which carry pavements over side-streets
• create safer and more generous crossing opportunities
• reduce street clutter
• remove unnecessary barriers and railings including those at “cattle-pen” crossings
• prioritise pedestrian movement

High quality traffic calming is a crucial element in restoring peoples freedoms from speeding traffic, for buses too, merely by imposing speeds appropriate for the surroundings, 20 is enough in St Mary Street. But importantly it creates safety, equity and an enhanced environment. Traffic lights can be co-ordinated to encourage smoother driving at lower speeds. But it can not be done on the cheap!

A great deal is currently said about 'zero tolerance' of crime and anti-social activity. Yet motoring offences are dealt with as if they are somehow not as serious as others.

We have made the first step to a greener Cardiff so don't give up just yet, give the pilot a little longer, consult widely and look at ways to improve St Mary Street and meet the challenge to make Cardiff a greener city.

See also The Slower Speeds Initiative

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