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31 Jan 2012 A funny thing happened when.... admin
Hi all, Mic here.......
Just a quick NewYear story..
I was driving a boat (don't ask!) down the A19 on the 3-lane bit as it flies over the Tees estuary, when I noticed the northbound carriageway was empty (of carriages?).. I have seen this before and feared the worst as blue lights hove into view.. I was just planning to look away from the usual sort of disaster, when there, at the head of 3 lanes of stationary traffic was a magnificent white, majestic, glorious, shining in the equinoctic sun, .. Swan (!), with 3 confused looking police trying to coax it to take-off.. This fantastic scene flew by in moments, leaving me to peruse the meaning, as I continued on my pointless (!?) journey. Having just visited the 'occupy' site in London a few days before, this latest effort struck me as king-size!
Some time later, I was asked at a hbtt meet to do with the occupy and transition movements, 'what I would like to occupy'. My answer would have been this.. "occupy the roads".., not so much, though, in a sit-down way, but more in a rightful user sort of way..
If we could just occupy our roads with e-bikes on their way to work, bikes and trailers loaded with HebVeg and bread and sundry shopping delivering to homes and cafes, milk floats with farm produce, horses and carts with black bark logs, delivering from barges full.., pack mules from the hills.. If we could just... We can, you know! There wouldn't be a whole lot of room for what has sadly become 'traditional' traffic in this scenario! They would soon find the alternative, I'm sure!
16 Sep 2011 Sustainable Transport Solutions - What Are Your Views? admin

Transport being responsible for 25% of global CO2 emissions is obviously a key cause of current problems, and therefore a key part of the solution.
As part of the transition to a more sustainable, locally-based economy and society, there is an inevitable re-learning process needed towards minimising the impact of transport, and withstanding the impact of inevitable fuel supply problems.
Hebden Bridge Transition Town believes in encouraging lower-impact transport options, whether by train, boat, bike/electric-bike and trailer.
There are current initiatives, involving the ATC and CV Sustrans about the development and use of electric-bikes, and the re-charging and storage of bikes and e-bikes. Also issues around bike-awareness and training are being looked into, as well as general road-safety/sharing developments, both from cycle and pedestrian points of view.
Recognising that public-transport is to be encouraged over private in this 're-thinking', current campaigns also include resistance to Network Rail's down-grading plans for Hebden Bridge's station to un-manned status, and the encouragement for buses, and indeed trains, to continue with, and improve bike-carrying facilities.
We want to hear your views on how we can create and improve sustainable transport for Hebden Bridge.

Email your ideas to mic hebdentransport@gmail.com and become a part of the transition.

18 Oct 2010 Ideas and Projects admin
We have Jim and Ian who are really enthusiastic about bicycles. Ian has worked on a cycle project in Lancashire where such things as recumbent bikes for transportation are built, you will have seen them in opperation if you have ever been to the Northern Green Gathering.. He envisages that such ideas would be key to developing bike transportaion here. Martin is also keen on bike ingenuity but his ideas take a different turn. He has been researching the possibilities of the compressed air engine. He is working on a design for a bicycle that can run on compressed air and is looking into setting up a community interest company to develop the product. Martin, Bear and David are all interested in bio - diesel from recycled cooking oil. They have been talking about the possibility of forming a collective of local light van users who would rent a plot where they could have a depot to make the bio-diesel for use in their vans. Amanda is enthusiastic about horses. Her idea is that there is potential for the development of a local horse drawn transport network. A couple of years ago I met some women who keep horses who were talking about this very idea. I will be contacting them to see if they are interested putting their heads together with the Transport group. Jim, Amanda and I all want to work with schools on a creative project. We know that other working groups are talking about this too and we will all be getting together to plan a coordinated programme for this work. We will be working with the Education group on their plans to get some walking buses going. Meanwhile we are all researching books and and materials for our time on the Library shelf. Jim in particular has found some weird and wonderful things such as walking sculptures to enthral and inspire dreams of an imaginative Transport future. Our next meeting is at 7.30pm on Monday 20th September, venue tbc, email Christina. You are very welcome to come along if any of these ideas excite you or you have ideas of your own to share.
14 Jul 2010 After the launch... admin
At the launch, our group of two, Christina and Jim became three we were also joined by Steve from Lancaster Transition Town Transport group, and although small we had a lively and fruitful discussion. Chief among the key aims we identified was the need to reduce the number of cars on the road. It is no great revelation to realise that that we love our cars and that this love affair has been going on for some time. How much money and creativity is invested in glossy ads for cars on television, in magazines and on bill boards? We all know how comforting it is, in spite of congestion, to move along in our own little bubble not needing to engage personally with each other. Many ideas came up about how to make it easier for people to choose other options. But first of all, to find out what people's attitudes and habits are and to get some dialogue going we plan to do a transport survey and a thought provoking creative project in schools. We looked at some improvements that need to be made to make public transport, cycling and walking more viable options. Buses are relatively expensive for short journeys. Accessibility needs to be improved at railway stations and lost stations need to be reinstated. We know that the Upper Calder Valley Renaissance's Sustainable Transport Group are working on rail issues and we will be meeting with them to find out how our two groups can work together. There needs to be more training for cyclists, and measures implemented to improve safety on the roads and a change in attitudes towards cyclists. We will look into infrastructure to assist cycling up hills like there is in Norway. At the second meeting on the 9th of June three new people joined the group raising such questions as the role donkeys or horses could play in local transport and bringing information about organisations such as Bikeability. We will be meeting again on Tuesday the 29th June at 6pm, at the Nutclough Tavern, 6-8 Nutclough, (Keighley Road). Contact Christina by e-mail at coyotedream@riseup.net