Category: News

Latest updates from BSTA.

What would you spend £48m on, if not more car traffic? Open meeting on 7th September

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Are you concerned about children’s health and traffic pollution? Take global warming seriously? Want fewer cars on the roads, not more? What would you spend £48m on?

West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Bradford Council want to spend £48m on widening Valley Road, pumping more traffic into Shipley and beyond, and surely attracting more through-traffic and more rat-running.

Bradford-Shipley Travel Alliance is going public on Tuesday 7th September, meeting in the Shipley Kirkgate Centre BD18 3EH at 7.30pm. We’ll review the merits of alternative proposals for what the money could be spent on, and what actions to take to make healthier travel happen between Bradford and Shipley.

You will be very welcome. There will be an online link for those who can’t make it in person: email admin@bsta.org.uk for an invitation (we can’t guarantee the quality of the link though we will do our best).

Five minutes in a cyclist’s day: Birklands Road Shipley to cycle route 66

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Its early morning, bump the bike down the back steps. On goes the high viz jacket, ditto helmet. Check for speeding rat runners (still happening despite 20mph and school street signs)

Take a deep breath and set off down the back street, very slowly. Congestion at the junction with Manor Lane, always cars jockeying in both directions to get through; danger of parked cars.

Make the run down Sunny Bank. Traffic lights stay red. “Been there long” says a taxi driver, pulling up alongside. “lights don’t register bikes you know”. REALLY, who knew?

He’s there…. lights go green. Adrenalin kicks in, Set off.  

Cars and huge lorries. Air filthy. Eyes peeled for potholes and tarmac ‘molehills’. No room to move out on this stretch. Teeth and bike both rattle riding through dips and bumps

Finally… the safety of the pavement at the bottom of Briggate and onto Route 66. The RELIEF!

Certainly got some kicks (apologies to the Stones, Nat King Cole and whoever else covered the song) Ironic that it was all about a road trip.

  • Hear it now for walkers, cyclists and public transport!

Kath Jackson

News and comment summer 2021: Links

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17 September Bradford Climate Emergency Walk. Baildon (1.30) – Shipley (3.15) – Bradford Centenary Square (from 5pm). Route and further details.

13-17 September free zoom conference ‘Real zero in a hurry’, with many talks on decarbonising transport: https://decarbon8.org.uk/decarbon8-conference/

8 September: “An accessible, attractive, and cleaner alternative to car journeys”. Bradford Council consultation on four schemes in central, south and west Bradford, ends 8th September https://bradford.moderngov.co.uk/mgConsultationDisplay.aspx?ID=345&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

“Is this new road OK? It’s only a bit more carbon…” Local authority carbon budgets needed for transport, by Greg Marsden.

The Transport Decarbonisation Puzzle. Comment by Glenn Lyons on the government’s July 2021 Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

From the Transport Action Network’s newsletter: The Government has committed to cutting carbon emissions by 78% by 2035, including international aviation and shipping, while failing to actually show how it will deliver such a radical target. This has led some to predict that there could be many more legal challenges over transport investment decisions.

Further links to government Transport Policy and decarbonisation, and commentary, here.

Come on the streets with active travel

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Last weekend’s door-knocking in Shipley about active travel was very successful – many people were in and grateful for being pointed to the current consultation to stop rat-running and encourage walking and cycling. Around 60 signed up to keep in touch with Living Streets and with BSTA. Thanks for all who took part and especially Will’s organisation from Living Streets. We made good use of the new BSTA flyer.

To make the most of the consultation on Saltaire and Shipley which ends on 17th August, can you join us to do some door-knocking this coming weekend on Saturday 14th between 1 and 4 and Sunday 15th also between 1 and 4?

On Saturday we’ll meet in the car park on Saltaire Road/Exhibition Road, BD18 3JN. If you come later than 1pm then ring Ludi on 07747 565273 to find out where we are. The area Bradford Council are looking at includes Wycliffe so we’ll visit Park Street, Elliot Street and Wycliffe Road and Belmont Terrace which are used as short cuts for through traffic.

On Sunday we’ll knock on doors in Frizinghall. Although the consultation on the Active Travel Neighbourhood in Frizinghall is just finished, it will be good to raise awareness about the issues and begin to sign people up there who are concerned about car-dominance in travel. We’ll meet at 1pm at the top of Shipley Fields Road, BD18 3BL. Again, if you are later than 1pm, ring Ludi on 07747 565273 to find out where we are.

All welcome.

Thank you! If you haven’t commented on the Shipley Active Travel network you can do so here until 17th August: https://activetravelbradford.commonplace.is/proposals/have-your-say

Best wishes, Ludi