homeCycle advocacy groups: national
Not all of these groups champion cycling as a single issue, but most argue that Britain would be a better place with more bicycles, used more often and in safer conditions. ETAETA stands for Environmental Transport Association but the ETA no longer majors on this fact. The ETA is the green person's AA, the cyclist's RAC. It offers car breakdown cover and a cycle rescue package but it's also a campaigning organisation with the aim of raising awareness of the impact of excessive car use and help individuals and organisations to make positive changes in their travel habits. The ETA started Green Transport Week in 1992. Held each June, it aims to demonstrate how we can all reduce our dependency on cars. As part of Green Transport Week the ETA started the National Car Free Day. Now it has a day of its own - 22nd September and is worldwide. |
| Critical Mass, London Check this site for London's monthly Critical Mass ride. Here's a definition, albeit dated, of Critical Mass: "First born in San Francisco in September 1992, Critical Mass has spread like wildfire across the globe, and now occurs in hundreds of cities in dozens of countries each month. Originally termed the "Commute Clot", an "organized coincidence" to ride home together, the term "Critical Mass" was inspired by a line in Ted White's classic film, Return of the Scorcher , where the term is used to describe traffic patterns in Beijing. There are no traffic lights there -- so the large numbers of bicyclists pool together at intersections until there are enough of them ("kind of a…a critical mass thing"); to stop truck and car traffic and make their way across." From http://guest.xinet.com/bike/newrider/ |
| CTC The CTC stands for Cyclists' Touring Club but that abbreviation isn't used because the CTC is about so much more than just touring. Campaigning, for a start. |
| Home Zones Jumpers for goal-posts, safe streets for kids: when there were less cars on the roads, children could play safely outside their homes. Not now. Fear of speeding traffic (as well as stranger-danger); keeps kids closeted indoors or in gardens. Home Zones can help, to borrow a phrase from another organisation, reclaim the streets. |
| Living Streets Public spaces have, in many towns and cities, been turned into linear corridors. Why? Because of speeding, motorised traffic. It need not be like this. Indeed, it's not like this in many cities on the Continent. Living Streets aims to bring back the communal feel to urban spaces by creating practical projects to limit car use and encourage walking, cycling and use of public transport. |
| Slower Speeds Initiative Motor vehicles travelling at 20mph are more cycle and pedestrian friendly than motor vehicles travelling at 30mph and above. Reduce speeds, increase the numbers of walkers and cyclists. |
| Sustrans Sustrans - it stands for sustainable transport - is the charity responsible for the ever-expanding National Cycle Network. It also has a Safe Routes to School campaign and many other pro- cycling and walking initiatives. Lovely Christmas cards, too (cyclists crossing the Camel Trail, nr Padstow);. |
| Brake A charity, Brake campaigns for greater road safety. |
| Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth campaigns for sustainable transport, of which cycling is an important element. |
| Cycle Campaign Network The national federation of cycle campaign groups supporting cycling locally, regionally, nationally and in Europe. |
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