Read on Twitter
Ok, we are going to take a break from Twitter as we think the joke may have run its course and there are bigger issues at play, like kids not knowing where their next meal may come from, as we enter the winter of discontent.
But we want to leave you with some final thoughts....
But we want to leave you with some final thoughts....
We would love to see OCC Twitter actually acknowledge that county active travel infrastructure is still poor despite (some/many) people working hard to try and make it better.
If you start from a realistic appraisal of the situation you are likely to win more support. If you keep saying & #39;Oxford is great for cycling why not take your family into town by bike& #39; the natural response from people who know the city is & #39;because my kids might die& #39;
There are some great examples of recent improvements like some of the work on the towpath between Kennington and Iffley.
But there& #39;s still an irrational aversion to segregated cycle lanes by OCC. Often cost is the excuse but you add up all the money wasted on paint and think hmm
But there& #39;s still an irrational aversion to segregated cycle lanes by OCC. Often cost is the excuse but you add up all the money wasted on paint and think hmm
So then space is the excuse, but countless experts have shown that there is space (not on every street but on many) if leadership is brave enough to tackle nightmare political issues like on-street parking
Then Covid came and for a brief window there was money and political will from central gov and our leadership put in one of the tamest, misguided bids for funding, which really shows their lack of ambition and lack of understanding of the societal benefits of active travel
Any number of groups would have been able to tell leaders the key things that make this city&county unsafe and unworkable for people out walking, with pushchairs, on wheelchairs or on their bikes but we failed
And then we failed again with Bus gates. They were a chance to learn
And then we failed again with Bus gates. They were a chance to learn
So when you see @OxfordshireCC going on about how wonderful things are for active travel, what it feels like they are saying to most of us is
& #39;We are not listening and you should shut up and be glad for what you have& #39;
& #39;We are not listening and you should shut up and be glad for what you have& #39;
Meanwhile a number of hardworking councillors, experts and activists are working flat out to try and push the councils to make the small uphill steps needed to lay foundations for a cleaner, more vibrant, healthier, modern city.
Posting & #39;Everything& #39;s peachy download the app and get on your bike& #39; is an insult to those individuals, groups and elected officials who are working so hard to incrementally make this city and county have better active travel alternatives for its citizens
People will walk more when well maintained streets feel safe & healthy without noise and fast traffic
People will cycle more when it is safe for them to do so and that means no paint but a separated space.
People will take the bus more when the buses can escape car congestion
People will cycle more when it is safe for them to do so and that means no paint but a separated space.
People will take the bus more when the buses can escape car congestion
These are the truths that some councillors seem to get but for the last 10 years or so has been consistently disregarded as policy by @OxfordshireCC
There wouldn& #39;t need to be a need to take the piss if the tone was sincere and conciliatory
There wouldn& #39;t need to be a need to take the piss if the tone was sincere and conciliatory
We do need to demand better leadership in key positions. To ensure schemes like CO aren& #39;t watered down and painted over. That means thinking outside of the city and working with other areas and marginals in Oxfordshire to ensure Active Travel becomes an election issue in 2021
