Birmingham Cycle Forum 25/02/15

My notes from the Birmingham Cycle Forum on Wednesday 25th February 2015.



Cycle Revolution update:

• The highway routes have completed consultation and are being submitted to the cabinet for final funding approval.
  
  
  
• There are a number of developments in the city centre that may or may not affect cycling provision, including: the Paradise Circus redevelopment, the metro extension to Centenary Square and Eastside, High Speed 2 and wholesale markets.
  
  
  
• 20mph pilot zones have been or are due to roll out in central south Birmingham, central east Birmingham and the city centre.
  
  
  
• The resurfaced canal towpaths are nearing completion (including the worst stretch by the Ackers site).
  
  
  
• Birmingham City Council are looking at the possibility of a bridge and canal access improvements at the Ackers site (in the form of a shallower flight of stairs with a wheel rail).
  
  
  
• The surface improvements to the green routes have been completed and will be swept in the near future to remove loose gravel.
  
  
  
• Private cycling parking grants have been made available for businesses to bid for.
  
  
  
• The Birmingham cycle design guide is nearing completion and will be out for consultation.
  

Birmingham Cycle Festival

• BCC are looking at setting up a 2 day cycling festival in September of this year, it is intended to be a combination of a community engagement project and a celebration of cycling.
  
  
  
• BCC will be looking to reach out to cycling communities to get feedback on the types of activities that could be featured.  

Lisa Trickett

• The BCR team need some support from cycling communities when they do things right, to provide a backing in confronting road lobby.
  

Hunter's Hill Technology College

• The college is a school for children that have emotional or behavioural difficulties that prevent them from attending mainstream schools.
  
  
• The college has been using cycling as tool to help raise self-esteem and develop positive relationships with other people.
  
  Cycling is embedded in the curriculum with at least one big cycling project at the end of every year and has seen some of the biggest returns out of measures adopted. 
  
  Previously 10 children cycled 740 miles coast to coast to fund raise (as well as doing the 3 peaks challenge).  
  
  The school has been working with Big Birmingham Bikes throughout and will be looking at doing a triathlon from north to south Wales.  
  
  

Bike North Birmingham

• 300 people taught to ride and 400 taught basic maintenance.
  
• 65% are women. 
  
  45% of those that learned to ride exercise more than they used to and 50% of those that did not own a bike have now bought one.  
  
  BNB are being re-branded and replaced as Bike North Birmingham Community Cycling, Offering: Bikeability for young children and adults, Dr Bike sessions, cycle maintenance courses and MTB courses for youth groups. As well as offering cycle surgeries for GP referrals.