KatsDekker
Journal 06.05.10
Cyclist's mission to improve safety on city's streets
HAVING their bones rattled over potholes, encountering cars parked in bike lanes and squeezing past pedestrians on shared pavements: cyclists see our roads through different eyes.
Now one woman has begun a mission to make Newcastle city centre safer for cyclists.
Katja Leyendecker has created an online survey and is asking anyone who cycles through the city to fill it in.
By gauging the extent of people’s biking bugbears she hopes to put pressure on the authorities to make the network of cycle routes more accessible and less dangerous for those who use them.
Katja, who commutes by bike from her home in Gosforth to work at the Environment Agency on the riverside at Newcastle Business Park, thinks the city needs more dedicated cycle lanes where people can ride separately from traffic.
She said: “I just feel cycling could be made so much safer.
“I was never sure if it was just me so I thought I would start a survey and see what other people thought.
“Now I know I’m not alone. People are using words like scary, nightmare and dangerous.
“You need to feel safe in order to get on your bike and reap the benefits of reduced journey time, better health and financial reward. Strategic cycle routes are badly needed in Newcastle.”
Originally designed as a survey to find out whether other cyclists felt the same as her, the data collected through Katja’s website will now for a petition to be presented to a meeting of Newcastle City Council in the next few weeks.
Since it was launched more than 550 people have taken the survey, with 200 of them leaving comments expanding on their experiences.
Some comments have centred around road maintenance, such as the prevalence of potholes, protruding drain covers and glass on the road.
Katja now hopes council officers will see the survey as a positive step and work with cyclists to improve the situation.
A council spokesman said: “Encouraging cycling as a sustainable form of transport is high on our agenda.
“We will continue to work closely with the cycling community, primarily through our Cycling Forum.”
The survey can be completed at www.katlayout.co.uk until May 10.
Journal 06.05.10
Cyclist's mission to improve safety on city's streets
HAVING their bones rattled over potholes, encountering cars parked in bike lanes and squeezing past pedestrians on shared pavements: cyclists see our roads through different eyes.
Now one woman has begun a mission to make Newcastle city centre safer for cyclists.
Katja Leyendecker has created an online survey and is asking anyone who cycles through the city to fill it in.
By gauging the extent of people’s biking bugbears she hopes to put pressure on the authorities to make the network of cycle routes more accessible and less dangerous for those who use them.
Katja, who commutes by bike from her home in Gosforth to work at the Environment Agency on the riverside at Newcastle Business Park, thinks the city needs more dedicated cycle lanes where people can ride separately from traffic.
She said: “I just feel cycling could be made so much safer.
“I was never sure if it was just me so I thought I would start a survey and see what other people thought.
“Now I know I’m not alone. People are using words like scary, nightmare and dangerous.
“You need to feel safe in order to get on your bike and reap the benefits of reduced journey time, better health and financial reward. Strategic cycle routes are badly needed in Newcastle.”
Originally designed as a survey to find out whether other cyclists felt the same as her, the data collected through Katja’s website will now for a petition to be presented to a meeting of Newcastle City Council in the next few weeks.
Since it was launched more than 550 people have taken the survey, with 200 of them leaving comments expanding on their experiences.
Some comments have centred around road maintenance, such as the prevalence of potholes, protruding drain covers and glass on the road.
Katja now hopes council officers will see the survey as a positive step and work with cyclists to improve the situation.
A council spokesman said: “Encouraging cycling as a sustainable form of transport is high on our agenda.
“We will continue to work closely with the cycling community, primarily through our Cycling Forum.”
The survey can be completed at www.katlayout.co.uk until May 10.