Air/car pollution in sheffield, worst ever?

[Glennis 15]

I am aware of the pollution from cars. I used to live in S11, but now having moved to Gleadless and my asthma and cough has improved, this year. I have started using my inhaler again now, for the first time in about three years. I assumed it was the hot weather and little wind blowing the pollution away, cutting down the trees won't help as they make an enormous contribution to air quality, especially on busy roads.

[ads36 217]

True we don't get many ships though, but then don't some of the proposed solutions for local pollution just end up shifting the problem to elsewhere?

 

some of the solutions do, the bad ones.

 

better walking and cycling routes, and better public transport would all help, a lot. With no problem-shifting at all.

 

how about, we create some safe cycle routes, to schools, to help reduce the effect of the school run? and also build-in some exercise to our kids daily routine?

 

it's a cheap, simple, easy solution. with a whole raft of varied health and economic benefits. with few to zero downsides.

 

have we even tried it?

 

nope.

 

it's considered a victory that our councillors are prepared to think about, thinking about, a 'study'... at some point in the future.

 

cue someone whining that they couldn't possibly let *their* kids cycle to school, so the whole idea is pointless...

Edited August 6, 2018 by ads36

[geared 317]

and better public transport would all help,

 

We got a tram line to Rotherham that no-body asked for.

 

What more do the people of Sheffield want?!?

[katkin 10]

I'd love to see more safe cycle routes: I've been cycling part of the week for the past 5 weeks and even though mine is a short journey from Hunters Bar to touwn there's no straight route for me and Ive already had a couple of near scrapes with cars that could have put me off cycling altogether

[Planner1 438]

some of the solutions do, the bad ones.

 

better walking and cycling routes, and better public transport would all help, a lot. With no problem-shifting at all.

 

how about, we create some safe cycle routes, to schools, to help reduce the effect of the school run? and also build-in some exercise to our kids daily routine?

 

it's a cheap, simple, easy solution. with a whole raft of varied health and economic benefits. with few to zero downsides.

 

have we even tried it?

 

nope.

 

it's considered a victory that our councillors are prepared to think about, thinking about, a 'study'... at some point in the future.

 

cue someone whining that they couldn't possibly let *their* kids cycle to school, so the whole idea is pointless...

 

The Council have been working on providing more and better cycling and walking routes and encouraging people to use them (including schoolkids) for many years.

 

It's a good thing to do, but the problem is that everything I've seen indicates that any mode shift you get towards cycling, tends to come from other "sustainable" modes of travel like walking or public transport, NOT from car drivers.

 

The Council are currently trying to introduce Dutch style cycle facilities and the first part of that has been the new route in Broomhall, which doesn't have separate cycle lanes, but seeks to reduce the traffic levels on the route and provide a better environment for walking and cycling.

[ads36 217]

The Council have been working on providing more and better cycling and walking routes ... for many years.

 

really?! - where?

 

i'm struggling to think of even one ... ?

 

(a new route that goes from somewhere, to somewhere, with a high degree of segregation)

Edited August 6, 2018 by ads36

[geared 317]

The weather plays a great role with these schemes as well, obviously they are going to be used far less when the weather is not great.

 

All well and good when we have a brilliant summer like this one, but if we have a cold winter and a wet summer you can bet the infrastructure will only be used by a determined few cyclists.

[ads36 217]

yeah, that's why hardly anyone walks or cycles in Denmark.

 

oh wait...

[Planner1 438]

really?! - where?

 

i'm struggling to think of even one ... ?

 

(a new route that goes from somewhere, to somewhere, with a high degree of segregation)

 

Cycle routes don't have to have a high degree of segregation. Where you have narrow roads, it's often impossible to do it.

[ads36 217]

 

Cycle routes don't have to have a high degree of segregation.

 

yes, they do.

 

if you want people to choose to use them, they do.

 

if you want people to feel comfortable letting their children use them, they do.

 

Where you have narrow roads, it's often impossible to do it.

 

you say "often", i think you mean "sometimes".

 

 

and i'd agree.

 

for now, half a dozen strategic routes would make a massive difference.

 

we've nearly got one: Penistone road, but it's terrible, and disappears at Kelham island.

 

it's really quite frustrating, because the space is there, it's just really badly used. (relentless level changes, giving way to every side street, no crossing lights at major junctions like Rutland road, etc.)

Edited August 6, 2018 by ads36

[Bargepole23 337]

Cycle routes don't have to have a high degree of segregation. Where you have narrow roads, it's often impossible to do it.

 

Cycle routes do need a high degree of separation if you want to make any considerable difference on uptake. To think otherwise is to show that you have little or no experience on commuting by bike in city traffic.

 

It's not impossible to do, full stop. It may be impossible within current budget restraints, or to preserve equal motor vehicle access, but if the council are wanting to create Dutch or Danish levels of cycle use, then something has to give. In the Netherlands, that generally means that cars come second.

[Planner1 438]

To think otherwise is to show that you have little or no experience on commuting by bike in city traffic.

Bike use isn't only about commuting.

 

I ride a bike quite a bit and have no problem riding in heavy traffic on the busiest routes.

 

This is part of the issue. Confident cyclists mostly do not need (or in many cases want) segregated cycle facilities. They just want to get from point A to point B in the fastest time.

 

---------- Post added 06-08-2018 at 13:49 ----------

 

really?! - where?

 

i'm struggling to think of even one ... ?

 

(a new route that goes from somewhere, to somewhere, with a high degree of segregation)

As someone else on here mentioned, Penistone Road is such a route.