Manchester Gets Ready to Vote on TIF

Manchester has started the referendum on whether to continue to be a clogged-up congested, polluted city or start to bring some sanity to the streets. The vote on whether to introduce a peak-time congestion charge, and use the money raised to improve public transport, cycling and walking facilities continues until 11th December.

Our colleagues in Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign are at the forefront of the Yes campaign and have arranged a series of events including their biggest ever Critical Commute, this Friday the 28th - to join see http://www.loveyourbike.org for details or just turn up with your bike at 8.30am at the Peace Gardens, St Peter's Square.

Meanwhile there will be a Tour De Tiff a Tour of Greater Manchester on Saturday 29th November. The start will be at Swinton Town Hall, (officially called Salford Civic Centre), Chorley Road, Swinton, Salford M27 5AW. The finish, 80 miles later will be at Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square.

Olly Glover, GMCC Secretary says " There is much in the proposals which will benefit cyclists, directly or indirectly, and the behavioural change programmes are the most radical this
country has ever seen."

Please support them in any way you can. See http://www.gmcc.org.uk/ for more information.

===posted by Simon===

CABE describes Waverley proposals as 'disappointing'

CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, has criticised plans for a new town at Waverley, on the Sheffield-Rotherham border. You can read their review here.

==posted by Simon===

New rail service good for cyclists

A new hourly train service between Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham starts in mid December. This means that there will be a half hourly service between Nottingham, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield and Leeds. The good news for cyclists continues because the new Leeds - Nottingham trains are run by Northern, like the current fast Leeds service - bikes go free and no reservations are needed. The new trains call at Dronfield almost every hour, as well as the other stations to Nott'm.

Northern operate a two bikes per train policy but have given their staff the flexibility to allow additional bikes on their trains if it is safe to do so.

East Midlands Trains' Liverpool - Norwich trains still run as now.

With most trains to London becoming Meridians, with very limited bike space, the new service to Nottingham offers an alternative to East Midland towns and St Pancras by going on Northern to Nottingham and then by EM Trains to St P. Most of the Nottingham - London trains will be High Speed Trains with better cycle accommodation.

Services from Langley Mill and Dronfield are improved although Dronfield to Sheffield isn't *that* well served in the peak - departures are 0705 0720 0825 0850. This is a major commuting corridor as Dronfield is virtually a dormitory town for the big Sheffield employment centres (despite being in Derbyshire).

Dronfield is also a handy jumping off point for cycling in the Peak District - take Lea Rd to Church St, left onto High St, left on Gosforth Lane, continue over the by-pass to Cowley Lane and you're away. Should you require refreshment we can recommend the Coach & Horses, next to the Sheffield FC ground, the world's oldest football club, on Sheffield Rd.

For Sheffielders wishing to travel to Nottingham for an evening out the last train home is still very early - 2143 during the week and earlier at weekends, too early for concert and play-goers, so they will presumably continue to drive, although using the park'n'ride off the A610 and the NET is an option. Nottingham folk wishing to come to Sheffield for a night out are better served with a last departure at 2338.

However additional capacity between Nottingham and Sheffield is badly needed and with the service in place there is always scope for improvement in the future.