White City Opportunity Area Framework – Space For Cycling?

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The White City Opportunity Area Framework is currently in a second phase of consultation, it covers the area above. Comments are to be made by Friday 2nd August 2013, you can email them to whitecityOAPFconsultation@lbhf.gov.uk, ensure that you note which sections you are responding to in your comments.

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The Route Masters need a new map

Last week I watched the BBC’s ‘The Route Masters’, a series which has attempted to profile the roads side of Transport for London (TfL) in similar style to that given to their Tube cousins last year. It took until episode five before we finally reached an episode on ‘The Future’ which covered cycling. So, what kind of approach are the BBC taking to talking about cycling? And how much of this is a reflection of the institutional TfL view of it?

EyeTVSnapshot[189]

First mention of cycling comes from Michelle Dix of TfL – “we want to encourage people to use public transport, or of course cycle”

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And of course we get a motorist chatting back from behind the wheel – “how to get people out of their cars, I don’t know whether you can.” We then see some enforcement of yellow box junctions via CCTV and police catching drivers using waste ground beside a dual carriageway to escape a jam via a backstreet. “Drivers are not the only ones who are breaking the rules to speed up their journeys”, says the strangely sober voiceover and off we go to the cyclists section.

EyeTVSnapshot[91]

We start with an aerial shot of cyclists negotiating a multi lane gyratory, this is legal.

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Funny Little Plans

Just over a year ago, I reached a decision. I’d spent the best part of a decade working for Waterstone’s and I decided that for whatever reason the magic had gone and it was time for me to leave.

Of course, I then promptly got hired by Apple and spent a year doing maternity cover. So all those plans went on hold, but with that over I’m back into the pile of ideas and trying to strike on with a few things. I’ve already blogged about one of those, my attempt to write up the family history into something more biographical (and perhaps even fact checked for accuracy). There are some other little plans, so I have F Yeah! Dead Imprints! back up and running as I delve through my bookshelves.

Anyway, I’ll be on here from time to time craving your indulgence for whatever’s taken my fancy. For those of you in the book trade, I will be floating around the London Book Fair (as I was advised to a year ago!) and you can of course nag me if you want to catch up there.