Slower Speeds Initiative

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The Slower Speeds Initiative is a UK single issue coalition pressure group. It is an unincorporated association, controlled by its management committee, made up of representatives of its founder organisations. Its aims are "to raise awareness of the consequences of inappropriate speeds of road vehicles, to stimulate and contribute to the discussion on vehicle speeds and means of reducing inappropriate speeds and to achieve changes in government policy, driver behaviour and other relevant areas to reduce speeds".

United Kingdom Country in Europe

The United Kingdom, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but more commonly known as the UK or Britain, is a sovereign country lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍—‌the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

Contents

The group advocates:

History

In 1998 the Slower Speeds Initiative was founded by the following organisations:

The Campaign for Better Transport is a UK advocacy group that promotes better bus and rail services and for supportive policies and for less expenditure on road building. It draws together the views of a wide range of organisations including conservation and environmental groups, community groups and trade unions and operates as the Campaign for Better Transport Ltd, of which Michael Palin is the president, and as the Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust of which Jenny Agutter, Steve Norris and Tracy Marchioness of Worcester are patrons. Stephen Joseph is Chief Executive Officer.

The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) is a British carbon-neutral provider of vehicle breakdown, bicycle and travel insurance for the environmentally concerned consumer. Unlike the AA or the RAC which are perceived as pro-car, the ETA aims to raise awareness of the impact that transport has on the environment and help individuals and organisations to make positive changes in their travel habits. They offer breakdown and road rescue for cyclists and mobility scooter users as well as motorists.

Living Streets (UK) other organization in London, United Kingdom

Living Streets is the United Kingdom charity for everyday walking. It was founded in 1929 as the Pedestrians’ Association and became known as the Pedestrians’ Association for Road Safety in 1952. The current name was adopted in 2001. Its mission is to get people of all generations enjoying the benefits that this simple act brings and to ensure all our streets are fit for walking. Voting member of the International Federation of Pedestrians.

Of the organisations above, Sustrans, Living Streets, the ETA and the Cyclists' Touring Club are affiliates of the CBT itself as well as supporting the Initiative. [2]

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Traffic calming slowing or reducing vehicle traffic

Traffic calming uses physical design and other measures to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. It aims to encourage safer, more responsible driving and potentially reduce traffic flow. Urban planners and traffic engineers have many strategies for traffic calming, including narrowed roads and speed humps. Such measures are common in Australia and Europe, but less so in North America. Traffic calming is a calque of the German word Verkehrsberuhigung – the term's first published use in English was in 1985 by Carmen Hass-Klau.

Road traffic safety methods and measures for reducing the risk of death and injury on roads

Road traffic safety refers to the methods and measures used to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured. Typical road users include: pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, vehicle passengers, horse-riders and passengers of on-road public transport.

Sustrans advocacy group

Sustrans is a UK sustainable transport charity.

The National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) is an Australian organisation offering roadside assistance, motoring advice, car servicing, International Driving Permits, travel, and other services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It is a member-owned mutual organisation.

Cycling UK is a brand name of the Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), which is a charitable membership organisation supporting cyclists and promoting bicycle use. Cycling UK is registered at Companies House, and covered by company law. It works at a national and local level to lobby for cyclists' needs and wants, provides services to members, and organises local groups for local activism and those interested in recreational cycling. The original Cyclists' Touring Club began in the nineteenth century with a focus on amateur road cycling but these days has a much broader sphere of interest encompassing everyday transport, commuting and many forms of recreational cycling. Prior to April 2016, Cycling UK operated under the brand CTC, the national cycling charity. As of January 2007, the organisation's president was the newsreader Jon Snow.

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Cycling in London

Cycling in London is a popular mode of transport and leisure activity within the capital city of the United Kingdom. Following a national decline in the 1960s of levels of utility cycling, cycling as a mode of everyday transport within London began a slow regrowth in the 1970s. This continued until the beginning of the 21st century, when levels began to increase significantly - during the period from 2000 to 2012, the number of daily journeys made by bicycle in Greater London doubled to 580,000. The growth in cycling can partly be attributed to the launch in 2010 by Transport for London (TfL) of the Barclays Cycle Hire system throughout the city's centre, which by 2013 was attracting a monthly ridership of approximately 500,000, peaking at a million rides in July of that year.

Active mobility

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Road speed limits in the United Kingdom

Road speed limits in the United Kingdom are used to define the maximum legal speed for vehicles using public roads in the UK, and are one of the measures available to attempt to control traffic speeds. The speed limit in each location is indicated on a nearby traffic sign or by the presence of street lighting. Signs show speed limits in miles per hour (mph) or use the Clearway symbol.

Cycling infrastructure

Cycling infrastructure refers to all infrastructure which may be used by cyclists. This includes the same network of roads and streets used by motorists, except those roads from which cyclists have been banned, plus additional bikeways that are not available to motor vehicles, such as bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks and, where permitted, sidewalks, plus amenities like bike racks for parking and specialized traffic signs and signals. Cycling modal share is strongly associated with the size of local cycling infrastructure.

Road signs in South Africa

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Controversies have surrounded bikeways, particularly in North America and the United Kingdom and specifically between those who prefer to focus on education rather than separated cycling infrastructure and those who prefer to create dedicated facilities to make cyclists safer and make it more inviting to a wider public. Other dissenters say safety is better served by using the road space for parking.

Bikeway selection

Several manuals and procedures are available to aid jurisdictions in planning roadway treatments and cycling infrastructure.

References

  1. The Slower Speeds Initiative Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine .
  2. Affiliates | Campaign for Better Transport