Archive for the ‘Living Streets’ category

Why no 20mph in Witney?

April 4th, 2012

Rodney Rose, the county council cabinet member for transport

From today’s Oxford Mail…

…Mr Rose, reacting to a call to impose 20mph limits in Witney, said: “Unless enforced, they are a waste of money.

“It does slow things up a little bit but not as much as an enforced 20mph speed limit would.

“If I got police support for 20mph, I would be much more inclined to put more (20mph limits) in across Oxfordshire. But until it is enforced it is not worth the investment.”

Read the full story with comments from WitneyBUG and 20s Plently for Us here…

New 20mph limits ‘waste of money’ because police won’t enforce them

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Posted in Living Streets, WitneyBUG

Many a True Word…

August 28th, 2011

An Aussie, a Geordie, a Farmer’s Boy from Chippy and a Copper from Yorkshire walk into a club on Corn Street to raise money for Maggies Cancer Caring Centres. It was a scream, but you had to be there. And if you haven’t been there, you really should. Comedy night at Fat Lil’s is a great local night out. Next one’s September 14th, tickets from Rapture in the Woolgate.

I’d never thought about it but I guess it’s no surprise that police work in Scunthorpe is a rich source of stand-up material. I can’t recall all the gags during the evening, but I won’t forget the last.

» Read more: Many a True Word…

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Posted in Living Streets, Transport

What’s The Big Idea?

August 4th, 2011

Most people would like to be more active – so why do so many of us jump in the car when we need to get somewhere? This was the question asked in What’s The Big Idea?, a thought-provoking presentation about the way we travel in town.

Kevin Hickman of Witney Bike User Group (Witney BUG for short) told us that 40% of car journeys in Witney are 5km or shorter, while nearly 25% are less than 2km. Why are nearly a quarter of people getting in their cars to travel distances of less than a mile?

» Read more: What’s The Big Idea?

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Posted in Living Streets, Transport

What’s The Big Idea? – Corn Exchange

June 17th, 2011

Tuesday 21st June at 7:30pm in the Gallery Room of the Corn Exchange.

A presentation this Tuesday at 7:30pm in the Gallery Room of the Corn Exchange by WitneyBUG on cycling in Witney and a discussion about one change that would make it safer to walk and cycle.

Whichever major scheme is chosen to reduce pollution and congestion in the centre of Witney, how can the best outcome be assured for its residents?

Refreshments provided by Sustainable Witney and Living Streets.

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Posted in Event, Living Streets, WitneyBUG

What’s the Big Idea?

June 7th, 2011

Adopt a 20mph speed limit in residential areas – Danny Dorling from What One Change on Vimeo.

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Posted in Living Streets

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A Waiting Game

November 28th, 2010

The organisation 20s Plenty For Us says…

“Already nearly 5m residents live in towns which are adopting or have adopted this policy. Most importantly, through democratic debate those communities have decided that “20′s Plenty Where People Live”. And it is those same communities who have then changed their behaviour to drive slower in residential streets and where people walk and cycle.”

So how long do we have to wait before people are put first on the streets of Witney?

» Read more: A Waiting Game

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Posted in Living Streets, Society, Transport, Uncategorized, WitneyBUG

The Road to Hell

November 27th, 2010

I’ve heard Danny Dorling talk twice now on how choosing to limit the difference between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ is beneficial to the quality of life for all. Great graphics bringing to life the facts and figures of his subject, Human Geography, and the juxtaposition of what are seemingly unconnected statistics make for entertaining presentations. If only I’d known how interesting geogger’s could be.

Now he’s applying it to road safety, and this lecture he gave in Westminster to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety gives a compelling reason for introducing 20mph and for reordering the priority of people and vehicles.

» Read more: The Road to Hell

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Posted in Living Streets, Society, Transport, WitneyBUG

The Sustainable Bookshelf

September 8th, 2010

Meetings on transport tend to be dominated by male engineers and planners, with a focus on figures, discussing the minutiae of inscribed circle diameters and junction capacities. Monday morning in the University Club on Mansfield Road felt very different. Could sociology departments across the country be about to rescue Britain from the hash we’re making of a seemingly inevitable cycling revolution? Let’s hope so.

The 7th Cycling and Society Symposium was far more balanced from a gender perspective, in fact three papers were presented on that particular topic, and a day looking at the cycle’s place in society and the built environment made for a refreshing change.

» Read more: The Sustainable Bookshelf

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Posted in Living Streets, Society, Transport, WitneyBUG

20′s Plenty For Us

August 30th, 2010

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Posted in Living Streets, Transport

Living Streets Meeting, The Plough

August 18th, 2010

Calling all pedestrians, and those who may be feeling like third class citizens in some parts of our congested town. Come along to the next Living Streets meeting at The Plough in Witney on Tuesday 24th at 8pm to see what we can do to improve conditions for those of us going about Witney by foot.

Our current campaigns are to draw up a proposal for Oxfordshire County Council on how Bridge Street could be improved for pedestrians and to work towards getting 20mph implemented here in Witney.

Living Streets is a national charity, you can find more information about it here: http://www.livingstreets.org.uk

Let me know if you can come.

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Posted in Event, Living Streets

Living Streets

June 7th, 2010

Witney Living Streets are holding their next meeting at The Plough in Witney onWednesday  9th June 7-9pm. We will be discussing 20mph in Witney and how we can move this on.  We also want to see if we can start a campaign to make Bridge Street more pedestrian friendly.

Witney Living Streets was founded in 2009 and so far we have campaigned to get the crossing reinstated on Welch Way and we ran an event to highlight World Car Free Day on 22nd September 2009.

If you are interested in joining us please come along on Wednesday and let us work together to prioritise pedestrian needs in Witney.

Living Streets is a national charity working towards making streets more pleasant for pedestrians.

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Posted in Event, Living Streets

Marriotts Crossing

March 18th, 2010

Living Streets met with representatives of Oxfordshire County Council on Welch Way this morning to discuss the missing crossing. Prior to Welch Way being closed at the start of building work, a pelican crossing existed opposite what is now the entrance to the new shopping centre. On completion of the work the crossing had vanished.

Picture from original Witney Gazette article

» Read more: Marriotts Crossing

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Posted in Living Streets, News

Where’s Our Crossing?

January 11th, 2010

The Witney Branch of Living Streets are lobbying the County Council for a pedestrian friendly crossing in Welch Way. Here’s the report in the Witney Gazette.

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Posted in Living Streets, News