Forum Topic

A Valentine’s Card to the Chiswick Cycle Lane

Children from the W6 Safe Cycling Families group have worked really hard on this Valentine's Card to the new Chiswick High Road Cycle Lane, which can be viewed here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vDDjXh0Jwsi5UMEV_He6Gtzt0KYSC8EP/view?usp=sharing The new protected route has completely transformed the experience of local families cycling from Hammersmith to visit shops and amenities in Chiswick and beyond, and we felt it was important to express our gratitude for this positive transformation. The voices of children and families are seldom heard in the often vitriolic debates over changes which aim to make our streets safer, greener and more pleasant places to live, work and travel. All of the children's original artworks can be viewed in this folder - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gzfrIbwiR43jXzDuXI1UUPWogMF-n3yw?usp=sharingEnjoy!Leo

Leo Murray ● 2082d22 Comments

Well done them. Forgive my cynicism but I have noticed that children are more and more being drawn into this debate. I do hope it's not an even more cynical ploy by responsible adults now that the negative effects of some cycle lanes on the elderly and disabled have been legally challenged. It's a pretty low game if that's the case.

Bruce Hammal ● 2082d

A valentines card for an inanimate object !

Paul Jennings ● 2082d

Love it. A lot of kids I see in the Lane are on/in cargo bikes too.

Ken Munn ● 2082d

Leo I was on Cw9 yesterday and saw a mum and her 2 kids using the cycle path, to see the kids enjoying themselves was such a welcome sight in an otherwise miserable lockdown. Ignore the usual cynics who seem to have taken over this forum and who post all day everyday.

Matthew Swain ● 2082d

“ The new protected route has completely transformed the experience of local families cycling from Hammersmith to visit shops and amenities in Chiswick ”Disgraceful. The government has ordered people to stay at home and to exercise LOCALLY when they need to exercise but now some irresponsible people are promoting cycling from Borough to Borough to ‘visit shops and amenities’. Appalling. What part of ‘pandemic’ don’t these morons understand?

Steve Taylor ● 2082d

I suppose you could argue that Republican-style they're just following the leader.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/12/boris-johnsons-bike-ride-a-storm-in-a-teacup-or-eroding-public-confidence

Bruce Hammal ● 2082d

As another poster said, this whole issue is now so polarised that it is impossible to have a sensible debate. The cycling lobby remains laser focused, spectactularly uninclusive and does not care about any other transport users. Bringing in children is now incredibly low. What about those with young children that rely on local buses, or the many families living on streets seeing more traffic and pollution due to the reduction in capacity and diversions the new CS9 creates. There is no vocal lobby group for them.The whole thing is more nuanced than most insist. For example much of King St has wider carriageway and fewer major junctions and pinch points, so can accommodate a cycle lane. The stretch through Chiswick cannot cope with this temporary version. All the money wasted on temporary schemes, many of which are illegal, should have spent on the full version. The one that was modelled and widely consulted on.

Paul Green ● 2082d

I prefer to see children in warm cars in this arctic weather.  In the Summer it was one thing, but a child static in a cargo bike as opposed to actually cycling, not so sure.

Maggie Dodge ● 2082d

Children are not new to the debate. The only children that matter are those of cyclists. We've seen children used as physical barriers to debate with parents putting them between themselves and others while trying to discuss anything. We've seen them trotted out at council meetings. We've heard the likes of Jeremy Vine rant about his 11-year old daughters for years. Odd, they are always 11, year in year out. He thinks its a good idea for pre-teens to be able to cycle, alone, into the center of city by themselves at night. Make no mistake, children are a talking point. A prop.What we have NEVER once seen, is these same parents go on about safe travel for all children. We have never once seen them advocate for tube stop accessibility being prioritized yet we have kids in Chiswick with limited mobility. I thought it took a village. But apparently it only takes parents looking out for their own and their preferences only.

David Lesniak ● 2082d

David is spot on especially about Vine dragging his children into the debate.

Steve Taylor ● 2082d

Children used to be able to cycle to school.  It is a life skill like swimming.  The increase in traffic often unnecessary has been pushing cyclists off the road onto the pavements making pavements more dangerous for pedestrians and turning park paths into cycle racetracks.

Philippa Bond ● 2082d

Love the pictures in the Valentine's card!

Philippa Bond ● 2082d

Children used to also walk to school. Bicycles were expensive so only privileged kids could cycle to school. What’s happened to walking?

Steve Taylor ● 2081d

Shame that it's wrecked the high road, caused massive congestion and pollution, delayed emergency vehicles and remains largely empty because it is too cold/wet/windy/icy for the fair-weather cyclists. The streets, far from being safer, are far more dangerous for pedestrians as it hasn't stopped the cyclists that are out from riding on the pavement next to the empty cycle lane and now one has to stand in the middle of the road in order to catch a bus, not to mention suffer the traffic displacement.

Charlotte Kasner ● 2081d

'Bicycles were expensive so only privileged kids could cycle to school.'You wouldn't say that if you'd seen the scrap heap Rudge bike I used to ride to school.

Ken Munn ● 2081d

There is much more room when you get used to having the right clothing for the weather.  Those big metal coats just take up too much space.

Philippa Bond ● 2081d

"Those big metal coats just take up too much space"Sounds like @philippa is anti-bus.

David Lesniak ● 2081d

...for all the angry people on this website. If you look carefully it's the same half-dozen angry people over and over again, so don't take any notice.

Simon Pedley ● 2081d

"If you look carefully it's the same half-dozen angry people over and over again..."Simon, it's rather like the Pot calling the Kettle black and surely you see the irony of your above comment - think Michael, Edward, Tom, Tony, Paul to name but a few. 

Loraine Pemberton ● 2081d

I also had an old Rudge and painted all the spokes silver so that it would look  a bit smarter but I always accepted that I was more privileged than others who had to walk to school.

Steve Taylor ● 2081d

Simon gets teachers gold star sticker for the most unthought out response of the day

Julian Pavey ● 2081d

And of course Leo is only doing his job.

Bruce Hammal ● 2081d