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Week
Commencing 20 May 2002
Survey
says walking to school is socially important
Nearly
nine out ten parents who walk their children to school see it as
a good way to meet new people, according to a new DTLR survey. The
survey, which was released in the run-up to Walk to School Week,
is part of the Government’s campaign to promote the environmental
and health benefits of walking to school.
Many of those questioned said that the school gate is a better place
to meet new people than pubs, clubs, evening classes or the supermarket.
Over half considered their walk to school to be an important opportunity
to socialise and catch up on news.
"We know that walking to school has significant benefits for
both children and parents’ health and for the environment,
yet what this research has shown is that it is also an activity
that parents can enjoy," said Lilian Goldberg, Walk to School
Week co-ordinator. "With increasing time pressures on those
looking after children, it can often be difficult to fit socialising
into a busy schedule. The walk to school can be an opportunity to
make new friends, meet with old ones and catch up on the news in
an easy and informal way."
More @ http://www.press.dtlr.gov.uk
New siting guidelines challenge some camera partnerships
At least
one safety camera partnership is having to take some of its cameras
out of use because they do not meet the Government’s new siting
criteria. The new criteria state that cameras should only be sited
at locations with four killed or seriously injured accidents, or eight
personal injury accidents, in the last three years. The Thames Valley
partnership estimates that between 12 and 20 of its cameras may have
to be switched off.
Local Transport Today, 9 May
Boost
for Northern Ireland’s road network
Northern Ireland’s road network is likely to benefit from a multi-million
pound regeneration fund announced earlier this month. The peace dividend
deal offers the province low-cost borrowing and disused prison and
barracks sites for development, in a bid to accelerate the pace of
infrastructure investment.
Surveyor, 9 May
DTLR
announces new funding for travel projects
The
drive to encourage more environmentally friendly and healthier travel
to school was boosted last week with the announcement of Government
funding for two travel information projects.
Transport minister Sally Keeble announced funding for the continuation
and development of Young TransNet, an Internet tool for young people
providing information on the environmental impact of travel plans,
and for the TravelWise Walk to School website.
"The Government is keen to encourage parents and children to
think about the way they travel to school and to make healthy and
environmentally friendly travel choices whenever possible," said
Sally Keeble. "We are therefore extremely keen to support these
two important projects. The Young TransNet project helps bring school
travel issues into the classroom and the Walk to School website encourages
more children to walk to school, where it is safe to do so."
More @ http://www.press.dtlr.gov.uk
BMJ
publishes special road injury issue
The
British Medical Journal has published a special issue looking at road
deaths and injuries. The issue, entitled ‘War on the roads’,
is available free of charge, online at http://bmj.com/current.shtml
Westminster
challenges congestion charging
Westminster
City Council has launched its expected legal challenge to Ken Livingstone’s
plans to charge drivers for driving in central London. The Conservative
authority went to the High Court earlier this month in a bid to nullify
the £5 daily charge, which is due to come into effect from February
next year.
Surveyor, 9 May
Regional
team appointed to boost cycling
John
Spellar, minister for transport, has announced the creation of the
new English Regional Cycling Development Team in a bid to bring
about improvements in conditions for cyclists throughout England.
The new team will have wide ranging responsibilities including:
auditing how well local authorities are currently providing for
cyclists; ensuring that advice on cycling is getting through to
the right people; establishing new channels for sharing information
and best practice; and providing support for the promotion of adult
or child cycle training.
"The Government is committed to putting resources on the ground
to ensure that people’s travel choices are well informed and
supported," said Mr Spellar. "This new team of experts,
working in partnership with local authorities and others, will build
on existing experience and will give the NCS Board powerful support
to ensure progress is made towards the demanding targets in the
National Cycling Strategy."
The Chairman of the NCS Board, Steven Norris said; "The delivery
of the target of quadrupling the number of cycle trips by 2012 will
be a challenge but I am confident that the NCS Board, supported
by this new team, will achieve considerable improvements for cyclists
throughout England."
More @ http://www.press.dtlr.gov.uk
Question
mark over Home Zones in tenement areas
Efforts
to establish a pilot Home Zone in a tenement housing area of Edinburgh
are being hampered by residents’ desires for car parking spaces.
The pilot, in the Caledonian area of the city, is one of four established
to test the Home Zone concept in different types of housing area.
Although there appears to be considerable support for the pilot in
the area, there is also concern about the need to have adequate parking
provision. A spokesman for the council’s city development department
concluded that, "Home Zones may not be suitable for tenement
areas".
Local Transport Today, 9 May
Traffic
up three per cent in first quarter of 2002
Estimated
traffic levels rose by three per cent between the first quarter of
2001 and the same quarter of 2002, according to figures published
recently by the DTLR. The rise partly reflects the impact of foot
and mouth disease on traffic in the first quarter of 2001. It is estimated
that the underlying rate of growth continues to be about one to 1.5
per cent per year.
More @ http://www.press.dtlr.gov.uk
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