Not all Roman attractions are found above ground. Some are subterranean – and in the case of the Great Quarry of Rome, can be traveled by bike tours. https://t.co/uVHSlHfKPJ
— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) January 6, 2022
As we saw earlier today, Las Vegas may have the fancy new Jeeves-operated Tesla Tunnels, but perhaps Elon Musk would avoid any congestion problems if he looked to one of the world’s oldest cities for inspiration.
2,000 years ago the Great Quarry of Rome, located just a few miles from the city centre, was created: a 22 mile twisting labyrinth of underground passageways which the Romans used to extract pozzolana, a volcanic rock which, when mixed with lime, created a kind of ancient concrete.
Luckily for you, these ancient tunnels can now be explored by bike. Sotterranei di Roma (Underground Places of Rome) organises bike tours of the subterranean network, which accommodate around 40 cyclists at a time. Mountain bikes are preferred, but the tunnels’ hard-packed floor means visitors can use a city bike if they wish.
It might not make you want to scrap your plans for the Dolomites, but this could well be your next cycling holiday…
This is very exciting! I like the sound of Abergavenny the biking mecca of Wales 🚲🚲🚲 https://t.co/gQNUSuF4fi
— CllrLisaDymock (@CllrLisaDymock) December 23, 2021
Now this is promising – Monmouthshire council has formally approved funding to progress plans for a cycling centre near Abergavenny.
The proposed velo park will include training and racing facilities suitable for road, cyclo-cross and mountain biking, while recreational space will also be made available for families and leisure cyclists.
A budget of £28,000 has been earmarked to fund consultancy costs for the project, with the council hoping to receive planning permission by June.
Welsh Cycling, which is working with the council to develop the plans, noted that a lack of suitable road cycling facilities represents “one of the main barriers to the development of the sport in Wales”.
A design and access statement says that the new facility “will be of regional and potentially national importance for the growth and development of cycling and other wheeled sports.
“It will further enhance Abergavenny’s reputation as one of the most successful cycling towns and destinations in Wales.”
Maybe we now won’t have to wait too long for the next Geraint Thomas and Zoe Bäckstedt to emerge…
For someone who devoted his life to cycling, I can think of no better tribute. On 12 January, local cyclists will ride behind the hearse carrying the coffin of South Devon’s ‘Mr Cycling’ Ken Robertson as he takes his final lap of the Torbay Velopark in Paignton.
Ken suffered a heart attack while on a ride with clubmates just before Christmas. He was 85.
Ken, who had been involved in the sport for over 70 years, was a member of Mid-Devon CC and organised the club’s Dartmoor Classic sportive since its foundation in 2007. He was also the tenth longest-serving member of the national committee of the Road Time Trials Council, a position he held between 1981 and 2001. Fittingly, a time trial in Ken’s memory was held on 27 December.
Ken continued to clock big miles on his bike well into his eighties, riding over 200 miles a week, and to celebrate his 84th birthday last year he rode 84 miles for charity.
Mid-Devon CC chairman Mike Gratton said, “It is the intention that the hearse will take a detour around the Velopark so that Ken can have his final ride with his cycling buddies. Those who wish may cycle behind him.”
A private family service will then be held in Torquay, though it is expected that a live broadcast of the funeral will be made available.
Superb letter from a council officer explaining the rationale for #LTNs in #Oxford. 👇
An example of high-calibre communication for @wandbc to follow, to support & promote #Wandsworth's transport hierarchy. Let's learn from best practice! cc @JohnLocker_UK#CPD#walking#cyclinghttps://t.co/IQNG8WD2Ob— WandsLS (@WandsLS) January 7, 2022
Next month Oxfordshire County Council will make a decision on whether to permanently install Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Church Cowley, Temple Cowley, and Florence Park, where trial LTNs are currently taking place. Three new LTNs have also been approved by the council to commence in March.
Unsurprisingly, the proposed East Oxford LTN has divided opinion since its first round of consultation, which saw a majority of respondents give a ‘thumbs down’ to the scheme. Tellingly, however, most of the respondents who actually live in the streets where the LTNs are to be implemented supported the proposals.
In December, Oxford City Council asked the county council to defer their decision until better public transport links were put in place.
This week a constituent opposed to the scheme contacted the local Labour MP Anneliese Dodds, who forwarded on the request for more information to John Disley, the Infrastructure Strategy and Policy Manager at Oxfordshire County Council. Disley’s response was roundly praised online as a “straight answer” and a “high-calibre” rationale for LTNs throughout the country:
The LTNs were funded by the Government primarily because they create safe cycle routes away from traffic (Quietways) by removing most traffic from roads which the cycle route follows. The cycle routes will provide an opportunity for people of all ages (from children to the retired) to have a safe cycle route into Oxford city centre, not only from Florence Park and Church Cowley, but also reaching out to Littlemore and Greater Leys, with areas of high deprivation and poor health.
Many residents do not have access to a car. In Oxford as a whole, the 2011 census showed that there were only 340 cars to every 1000 people. In Church Cowley 42%, Cowley 34% and Littlemore 27% of households do not own a car. The underlying aim of the LTN is to reduce car journeys along residential roads, particularly through traffic, making walking and cycling more attractive and the first choice for travel, and to keep these car journeys on the main roads which are designed to take this traffic.
The findings from research into the impacts of the London LTNs are that the health and travel benefits were far in excess of any other measures that they had previously assessed in promoting public health and reducing car pollution. It found a positive impact on a range of factors - better public health, lower road traffic within the LTN area and no increase on peripheral roads, reduced road casualties, lower car ownership, lower street crime (except cycle theft), and better emergency response times.
The constituent was not impressed, however, and claimed Disley’s reply “gives me no hope or trust in our council whatsoever.” Can’t win ‘em all, eh?
In yesterday’s live blog we featured the very first episode of Undercover Cyclist, the new Channel 4 documentary series where mischievous bike riders get behind the wheel of a car, rampaging around the country doing all those things that careful, law-abiding motorists would never think of doing – like jumping a red light.
In today’s episode the undercover cyclist – in an Audi no less – blatantly ignores the temporary traffic lights, flying past the actual bike rider who (you guessed it) was coming to a stop.
I'm sure the roadworkers were relieved that it was only the 1,850kg Audi which steamed past the red light towards them, and not a lawless destructive 85kg cyclist. Think of the carnage! pic.twitter.com/9AkYtz4Xx1
— JimsWheels (@JimsWheels) January 6, 2022
In the replies, Alan was at pains to point out the filmmaker’s blatant disregard for staunchly-held stereotypes, writing “Stopping at a red light? Call yourself a cyclist?”, while Clare pithily summed up the kind of reaction we’ve come to expect from the “cyclists jump red lights brigade”:
Something something cyclists something something red lights something road tax something something....
— Clare McMenemy (@highpoh) January 6, 2022
I for one think that the Undercover Cyclist has potential, with all the footage of these motorists breaking traffic laws, completely out of character. Now where’s the commissioning editor?
Or maybe it’s an episode of Scooby Doo, where the cyclist gets de-masked at the end to reveal he was a motorist all along. “And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling cyclists!” (Checks notes… the Audi driver actually did get away with it. Ah well, better luck next time Scooby).
Remember “Teslas in Tunnels”, the latest brainwave from tech billionaire and wannabe spaceman Elon Musk?
Well in case you’ve expunged it from your mind, “Teslas in Tunnels” is Musk’s ingenious plan to “solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic” by creating a new subterranean network where users can hitch a lift across town in an electric car. Yes, you heard that right – more roads for cars, only this time underground.
Two 0.8 mile prototype tunnels opened in Las Vegas in 2021, and local politicians have already approved a city-wide expansion of the project.
However, it appears that Musk’s ambition to put an end to traffic jams clogging up our city roads has – and this is a surprise – just moved the problem below the earth’s surface.
With congestion already posing a problem in the congestion-busting tunnels, Chris Boardman didn’t waste any time putting the boot into this latest car-centric transport fix.
Maybe they should build more tunnels, that’ll fix it….. https://t.co/f6509mIdit
— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) January 6, 2022
Incidentally, in March 2018 Musk announced that the underground tunnels would actually prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over cars. Perhaps he should rekindle that particular idea. Or maybe just move the whole thing to space instead…