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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 09/10/2026

New pocket park in Shrewsbury. Secure bike storage, Brompton hire, benches and community garden brightening up this busy gyratory.

A new pocket park lit by festoon lighting. A secure bike storage and bin on the left. Benches and a planter in the middle and a mural and bike hire machine on the right

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Reposted by Mike Manger

Jo Kibble (Political Animal) @politicanimal.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Very grateful that Powys/the Welsh Government decided a year ago to provide Sunday buses to Montgomery. Makes getting home with the baby so much easier. But it is hilarious that Monty (pop 1,200) has a bus every 2hrs, while just across the border Shrewsbury (pop 76,000) has no Sunday buses at all.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 28/09/2026

The green Quiet Lane sign is an official road sign. I think they wanted to make it more whimsical "human" or something. There should be an "except for access" sign at the other end of the lane but I guess they didn't see the point of it here.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 22/09/2026

There is also a fair bit on mandatory helmets/Hi-Viz for "professional cyclists"** and people using personal mobility vehicles (my translation might be off). It'll be interesting to see how this effects scooter hire schemes. ** aka food couriers, presumably the La Vuelta will be exempt

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 22/09/2026

Next month Spain is bringing in some new laws to help protect vulnerable road users (Royal Decreto 518/2026). For motorists this means new overtaking rules and no tailgating cyclists. Local authorities can also more easily bring in two-way cycling on one-way streets.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 22/09/2026

Sonnng stuck in my head alllll week 🎺 (and ppsst might want to check your YT privacy settings - they've added a ridiculous new "feature" that adds your YouTube profile to shared links on mobile)

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 09/09/2026

Small correction but the A49/A5 is maintained by National Highways who are responsible for removing them there. A local group is removing them too. Shropshire Council haven't removed many themselves but I'd guess they're threatening legal action, which appears to be working.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 19/08/2026

Have you tried Operation Snap? Parking on zig zags is something they should take action with. www.westmidlands.police.uk/police-force...

westmidlands.police.uk

Operation Snap

An initiative to educate and prosecute drivers using footage supplied by the public.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 17/08/2026

I've spent some of my summer trying to map some of Shropshire's Quiet Lanes on OpenStreetMap. A 2003 CPRE report suggests that there were 25 QL roads planned for Salop so I'm probably missing a few.🧵

A map showing a rural Quiet Lanes network in blue south of Shrewsbury and Bayston Hill.

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Reposted by Mike Manger

Politics UK @politicsuk.com · 14/08/2026

🚨 BREAKING: The Government will shortly issue an emergency alert to all phones in England and Wales warning them not to light anything that can cause a wildfire

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 11/08/2026

Hilariously you can see the moment the Leader of the council realised they messed up. kent.public-i.tv/core/portal/...

Councillor Jeremy Eustace, Leader of the Kent County Council being advised on what to do

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 22/07/2026

She was interviewed a few times during the Winter Fuel fiasco. She wasn't eligible for the means tested benefits. Poverty is obviously a very real issue but this has the whiff of media shenanigans. uk.news.yahoo.com/energy-bills...

uk.news.yahoo.com

'I only ate seven hot meals last year because I can't afford my energy bill'

Former carer Elaine Yates, 75, from Northamptonshire, said she keeps her heating set to a maximum of 13C due to fears over her energy bills after losing her winter fuel payment.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 20/07/2026

Reminds me of the teamLab exhibits that flow between rooms. Very cool.

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I do wonder how well these schemes translate to the reality of having to navigate the actual road network. e.g. this monster 4 lane roundabout.

Birds eye view of A34 Gaol Square roundabout in Stratford on Avon. The roundabout has 4 lanes with various crossings and paths crossing over the middle of it. There is a very short section of red cycle track on the south side of it.

Image credit Google maps.

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Interesting cycle track for riders to learn on. The layout is a stylised version of Stratford's road system and features crossings, traffic lights and matching road names. Photo credits Ken Lawler (Facebook)

A photo of Stratford Recreation Ground showing a newly refurbished cycle track with crossings, lights and road signs. In the foreground is some play equipment, cycle tracks and benches

A photo of the cycle track. The track is split into lanes with give way markings and signs. A street sign for "Rother Street" adjourns one of the paths. A wooden bench is in the foreground.

I think this 2007 report was pretty damning. "It is clear that there are no plans to reopen the tunnels and the government does not consider the current proposal to introduce 'cabling' in the southern tunnel as a threat to current transport strategies" web.archive.org/web/20160118...

Greg Annandale @gregannandale.com · 13/07/2026

Reposted by Mike Manger

I made an animation which shows the effects of air pollution on pedestrians waiting to cross the road, along with what can be done to reduce its harmful effects: stepback.gregdev.com Thank you to @ianwalker.bsky.social for the inspiration for doing so during a conversation a couple of weeks' back!

stepback.gregdev.com

'Step back' - air pollution at pedestrian crossings

Every busy road produces a cloud of pollution you can't see. Where you stand in it matters more than most people might realise.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 07/07/2026

Controversial opinion but closing this park & ride isn't a big loss. Less than 10 minutes to drive to Oxon P&R. The "walk on" service is expensive and inconvenient. Takes a weird long route into town on Saturdays. Biggest issue is if they stop using it for the football parking.

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** this sounds like it is in the name of pedestrian safety as a result of concerns from The Buttermarket and/or NFBUK (I'm not sure). Ironically whatever solution they cook up is going to cause more conflict with pedestrians.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 07/07/2026

Highlights from the scrutiny group: - Clawback is a blocker - Cllr Mosley asked an awkward Q about no response time data - No detail on how the two options they're exploring will work for cyclists - Keeping Chester Street two way as drivers like that - Fixing the bus stop bypass is not an option**

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 07/07/2026

You can hear Rob's comments below. At 1:09 he says that he doesn't think the scheme is consistent with the Shrewsbury Moves strategy. I'm inclined to agree but the proposed options don't sound very consistent either. It'll all need redoing again at some point. youtu.be/QwrHrz59mp4?...

youtu.be

Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 2nd July, 2026 6.00 pm

YouTube video by ShropshireCouncil

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 02/07/2026

The work they did a decade or so ago was good but just seems to stop short. The busy road going through the Roman Amphitheatre is embarrassing, could be such a nice space.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 26/06/2026

Phone ahead, I'm sure they'll understand. The B4396 is good for cycling. You'll probably have a slight headwind and not much cover from the sun. Going via Pontesbury/Asterley is more shaded but longer (basically Route 44). The hill out of Westbury (Long Mountain) is a bit of a slog. Enjoy!

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 19/06/2026

Thanks for sharing! I like the waterfront aspect, most people don't realise how much space is there. Hopefully they'll stop kicking the can.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 04/06/2026

Have you tried using a motion sickness overlay? I think most laptop ones are paid but the built in one on my phone seems to help.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 16/05/2026

They've done this at the Flaxmill. Bleak. Desperatly needs some trees to give some shade in the summer. Does mean the recent sewage works aren't as noticeable though.

Wide angle photo of the back of the Shrewsbury Flaxmill (taken May 2025). Across a sea of asphalt there is a food truck at the back next to an event happening in one of the buildings. On the right is seating for a cafe.

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Reposted by Mike Manger

Phil McDuff @mcduff.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Major problem in the UK is that we really don't build *apartments* outside of major cities. We are desperately in love with sprawl, unnavigable suburbs, and car dependency. Most homes do not need to be the UK standard "tiny shitty semi detached" pattern.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 28/04/2026

By law motorcyclists have to stop and pay the toll, so they'd be liable if they cashed into the barrier. Cyclists are supposed to pay the pedestrian toll but it isn't enforced so have to navigate the barriers.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 28/04/2026

If I remember correctly the bridge company added them after a cyclist rode into the middle barrier shortly after changing them. I'm guessing their insurance didn't think they'd done enough so more of an advisory liability thing.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 27/04/2026

The design guide aims to phase out all car centric "traditional streets" in the town centre. In the distant future this would transform the busy A458 Smithfield Road (pictured), which runs alongside the river (not that you'd know it).

An artists impression showing what Smithfield Road in Shrewsbury could look like pedestrianised. The drawing has what looks like a minor road snaking around an open area and terracing to allow people to access the river front. The Salopian Pub is show in blue and grey bottom centre.

Taken from the Big Town Plan Master Vision (2021).

A Google Streetview screenshot of Smithfield Road in Shrewsbury. The road has 2 lanes going forward and one going backwards. On the right is a blue "Salopian Pub" and a garage. In the distance is a pedestrian suspension bridge going over the road and River Severn which is below the road on the left.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 27/04/2026

Thinking a lot about this section on street design. I like that there is a distinction for "riverside streets". It doesn't talk about trunk roads because they shouldn't exist in a town centre.

Enhanced Streets
Enhanced Streets are streets where the public realm has been improved and restrictions on pedestrian movement (e.g. guardrails etc) have been removed but conventional traffic controls largely remain.

Informal Streets
Informal Streets accommodate traffic, but at slower speeds, and offer increased space for pedestrians and cyclists. Formal traffic controls are absent or reduced. There is a footway and carriageway, but
typically there is less differentiation between them such that it is typically less than in a conventional street.

Pedestrian Priority Streets
Pedestrian Priority Streets are where pedestrians feel able to move freely and safely anywhere, such that they feel a guest. These streets will typically feature seating and planting with spill out space from the building edge.

Riverfront Streets
Riverfront Streets are Pedestrian Priority Streets but they are located on the riverfront edge, and have different placemaking priorities associated with the river.

A diagram showing the focus for Movement and Place-making across various different CIHT (Consistent with the Chartered Institution
of Highways and Transportation) road types.

The types are: Traditional Streets, Enhanced Streets, Informal Streets, Pedestrian Priority Streets and Riverfront Streets. Traditional Streets are ranked highest for Movement whereas Riverfront is ranked highest for place-making.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 22/04/2026

Committee discussed this and made an amendment to mention the Movement Strategy in the travel plan for the site - likely inconsequential but something. Kudos to Shrewsbury Town Council and rosemary4column.bsky.social for raising this.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 22/04/2026

Listening to yesterday's Shropshire Council planning committee. £130k of Section 106 money towards rejigging a roundabout near a hotel development but nothing for active travel despite there being a strategy to improve infrastructure nearby.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 21/04/2026

Good example of what makes a video go viral - everyone can see a fault but can't decide on the solution.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 17/04/2026

Does seem like an interesting setup - 3 or 4 villages quite close together under the same 30mph area (?). The street lights are mostly attached to telegraph poles. maps.app.goo.gl/d8s1rSRmyGpw...

maps.app.goo.gl

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 16/04/2026

"Shrewsbury Town Centre Design Code" got approve yesterday. It seems like a well written document with lots of modern urban design guidance in it. You can read the draft version here shropshire.gov.uk/committee-se...

Shrewsbury Town Centre Design Code April 2026

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 16/04/2026

I'm optimistic they'll finish it to keep the funding, a lot of the public realm stuff needs doing too. I do worry about damage this has done to rolling out Shrewsbury Moves and the LCWIP.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 16/04/2026

oh no, have I missed something? 🙈 I thought the council had stopped work while they did their scrutiny review.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 14/04/2026

The anecdotal evidence from A&E people is now muddied by people riding illegal electric motorbikes.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 13/04/2026

New solar lighting going up along this shared path in Shrewsbury💡

A phone of a metal lamp post with a triangular solar panel at the top of it. Sticking out is a small light fitting covered in red plastic.

A shared use path going through Greenfields recreational ground in Shrewsbury. There is a guidepost on the left and the new lampposts on the right

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Reposted by Mike Manger

Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Batman knows what's up. 1/

Batman and robin meme with Robin saying Teach Road Safety and Batman saying Design safe systems

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 25/03/2026

Hah yes. I imagine its some sort of a technical issue rather than something malicious. I'll muster up the energy to ask about it.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 25/03/2026

Hey, thanks for the reply. Yes I've since emailed the local councillor. FixMyStreet is a bit of a dead end here as Shropshire Council don't allow reporting if the issue is not on a road.

The location you have selected doesn't appear to be on a road.

Please select a road on which to make a report.

Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 25/03/2026

For the last 3 months the service ran Wednesday to Saturday too so was basically useless for working people.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 19/03/2026

New route into this retail park replacing a muddy desire path.🎉The old official way was over 400 meters further.

Newly surfaced path going through grass into a retail park in Shrewsbury. To the right there is a illuminated sign saying "9 YARDS 👉"

Before shot from 2024 showing a desire path to a busy road with pedestrian crossings.

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Mike Manger @mikemanger.info · 06/03/2026

Apparently some people are doing this to go over Welsh bridge/Smithfield because it's easier to force their way through the lights that way.