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Steve

@steveessex.bsky.social
139 followers 149 following 594 posts

Art, photography, trains, bikes, travel, beer, whisky, guerilla tree planter, occasionally works as a transport consultant.

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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
There are now four ‘Dutch Style’ roundabouts in Britain, Cambridge (2020), Sheffield (2024), Chichester and Hemel Hempstead (both 2025). How well do they work? And are they suitable for building anywhere? I explored these questions at Active County conference earlier in the week. (more...)
The picture shows the Dutch Style roundabout in Chichester. In the foreground is a zebra crossing and behind that a curved green cycle track marked by white squares. Then comes the roundabout carriageway and in the middle of the roundabout is a large tree.
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Doug Parr @dougparr.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
MPs say UK govt failing to “join the dots” between national security threat from climate crisis & collapse of species, with ongoing cuts to overseas aid & climate finance Astonishing a lot of report on national security threat from nature collapse still secret www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
theguardian.com
UK has ‘no future’ if it fails to act on ecosystem collapse threatening national security
MPs demand publication of full report that outlines catastrophic consequences amid concerns for food security
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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Research is good, but I still think the focus on one feature trying to mitigate a fundamentally broken roads system is misguided because it means nobody has to talk about the bigger picture; and that's a hard subject. Sadly, NFBUK aren't interested. They want cycling for transport banned.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Yesterday I needed to visit the ‘Dutch Style’ roundabout in Sheffield. I went early to avoid the heat. The outbound train was an old one with opening windows. Sitting in a breeze feels far cooler than the usual aircon. The diesel fumes in the tunnels weren’t quite so pleasant though. (more…)
The picture shows a view from a train near Edale in the Peak District. The train is a class 156 with opening windows. Outside the window is a scene including cattle in fields and a hill in the background.
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Leo Murray @crisortunity.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Government have tried to bury some bad news - for Rachel Reeves anyway - today as *their own* cost-benefit assessment of Heathrow expansion plan finds it would LOSE between £21 to £121 billion! A climate catastrophic boondoggle clutched for by a chancellor with no real ideas for ‘delivering growth’
linkedin.com
Today is a very good day to bury bad news, and that's what the government is trying to do. The results of the Heathrow Green Book impact assessment were released yesterday. DfT cost-benefit analys...
Today is a very good day to bury bad news, and that's what the government is trying to do. The results of the Heathrow Green Book impact assessment were released yesterday. DfT cost-benefit analysis s...
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Hi @manbikesdog.bsky.social . This is the cycle path crossing point on Long Hill at Cold Springs proposed by Derbyshire CC. From the right (south) the dimensions are: footway 2.2m, 3.05m traffic lane, 2.1m hatching and 3.17m lane. (more…)
The picture shows a rural single carriageway A road with some hatching in the middle. The photographer is standing on a narrow footway. On the opposite side of the road a car is parked in a gravelled entry.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Yesterday I attended the film showing highlights from the November National Emergency Briefing screened by Sustainable Hayfield. A lot on electrification and EVs, but only one diagram mentioning active travel and then only really about it's health impacts.
Slide from the original National Emergency Briefing presentations showing that Active Transport and a Plant Based Diet is good for climate change, cancer, lungs, diabetes, obesity, stroke, heart attacks, dementia and mental health
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
A bit of weirdness. Trying to book a DFDS ferry to France. If I have a car there is space. If I only have a bicycle it is sold out. I mean, bicycles only get shoved in corners...
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
High Peak BC have a 'Call for Sites' to inform the preparation of the Local Plan. They 'welcome submissions for sites that could be used for... ...community facilities, or other uses'. Think Active Travel! Deadline 2 July 2026. www.highpeak.gov.uk/article/8373...
highpeak.gov.uk
Site Suggestions - High Peak Borough Council
Do you have a site in mind for development, redevelopment or other uses?
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I took a ride. The northern end of the High Peak has for years ended in the middle of nowhere. But within the last few years it has been extended to Sterndale Moor running along the edges of fields. It enables walkers and cyclists to avoid the A515 with its fast traffic and a high number of HGVs.
The picture shows a straight single carriageway road disappearing into the mist. There is a string of vehicles on the road headed by a large lorry. Alongside the road is a tumbledown stone wall and behind that is a soft surfaced path. Hard by the back of the path is a wire fence then fields
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Does any cycling infrastructure geek out there know of any rural toucan crossings over unlit roads?
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
With the ongoing war leading to fossil fuel price and supply volatility, progressive thought is towards renewables and active travel. If you feel your active travel skills need a top up then the IHE has what you need: www.theihe.org/courses/acti... 5/6 May and 2/3 June. Go for it!!
theihe.org
Online: Active Travel - Planning & Design - IHE
This course provides delegates with the information and skills to develop designs for walking and cycling infrastructure within the UK regulatory framework.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
I was just looking through some photos to find one for a course (IHE Active Travel Plannign and Design - highly recommended naturally) and came across this one from Stretford Road in Hulme (Manchester). I suppose most of the cars are mostly in the layby... Note broken glass as a warning not to park.
The picture shows Stretford Road in Hulme, Manchester. The road has a cycle lane along each side. And there is a layby which can be used for parking. However the layby is full so motorists have been parking in the tapered section so the fronts or backs of their cars overhang the cycle lane.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Traffic must be bad if it is worth advertising that it takes 24 hours to travel between Derby and Nottingham.
A bus sits in a queue if traffic on a dual carriageway in Nottingham. In the back of the bus is written "Derby-Nottingham non-stop 24 hours"
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Kicked into action by @owlernook.bsky.social I've done my bit for Greater Manchester by answering a few questions at www.gmconsult.org/transport/tr... The short 'takes 10 minutes' questionnaire took me an hour but you can always just object to the A6-M60 and High Lane bypass if you want to save time
gmconsult.org
Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2050 and Delivery Plan Consultation - Greater Manchester Combined Authority - Citizen Space
Find and participate in consultations run by Greater Manchester Combined Authority
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
As a distraction from events in Manchester, those who cycle, use trains and live or travel in the North might want to participate in this short survey: surveys.northernrailway.co.uk/jfe/form/SV_... There's a free form question at the end for being creative.
surveys.northernrailway.co.uk
Northerneers Survey
Northerneers Survey about Cycling
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Pharmacist on a Pushbike @ppushbike.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
TRAM TRACKS, CYCLISTS & CRASHES: About two-thirds of Sheffield's tram network is on-road, with a lot of cycle crashes as a result. In search of information regarding solutions to this that have been or are being trialled or implemented elsewhere. Grateful for retweets to extend reach.
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Rasmus Koustrup Larsen | Nordic Path @rasmus-k-larsen.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Copenhagen is changing the green wave - from cars to bikes 🚲🚦 15 major streets will now give cyclists coordinated green lights, reducing stops and improving flow. A small but important shift in who the city is designed for. Read more: www.nordicpath.dk/copenhagen-i...
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
That's no orange squash for kiddies then.
Picior a pack of alcohol free beer with Daily Telegraph headline "Labour considers banning alcohol free drinks for under 18s"
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Transport for New Homes @transportfornewhomes.org.uk · 13/01/2026
Could you help us by going on a site visit this year? Sign up to be included in the first mail out. www.transportfornewhomes.org.uk/new-towns-ol...
transportfornewhomes.org.uk
Help us visit new towns: old and new
What is being built in 2026? We want to find out. This year, we will focus on new towns, both proposed and already existing. What worked? What didn't? What can we tell about the locations selected for...
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
So, following the announcement that the Government want to put decisions about controlling pavement parking on local authorities, I've written to the Chair of Potholes (honestly), Highways & Transport in Derbyshire (Reform) to find out the Council's response. Keep you informed...
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Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
⚡2026 is a turning point. UK #climate & environmental activists face both crisis & opportunity. Fascism rises, the #climate agenda is under attack, & political representation is urgent. 🧵A longish thread on why we must unite behind @zackpolanski.bsky.social & the @greenparty.org.uk 💚
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Caroline Russell @carolinerussell.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
A reminder to people discussing the government’s road safety strategy today, bereaved families and seriously injured crash survivors will be listening. The only goal for the numbers of people killed on the road each year is ZERO.
Govt website press release for road safety strategy. With image of busy main road at night.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
The driver is doing what the sign says, unless my eyesight isn't what it was and the sign actually says 'share with cars'. (Long Hill, Buxton)
A shared pedestrian and cycle path has a sign requesting users to 'share with care'. Most of the path is occupied by a parked car
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Karl-on-Sea @karlonsea.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Farage wants to bring a US-style insurance based healthcare system to the UK to replace the NHS. If you vote for Reform, this is what you’re voting for.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Working in St Helens on accessibility. Just found this Coop Food shop and local centre which despite having 43 parking spaces (13 occupied in this view) and three disabled spaces (none occupied), does not have a direct pedestrian access. Surely they could survive with 42 spaces?
The picture shows an aerial view of a reletively new Coop Food shop on Prescot Road in St Helens. It has parking at the front but no continuous pedestrian access. One potential access has a tree planted in it and another is blocked by a wall although that is not obvious from a straight down photo. It has 43 general parking spaces (13 occupied in the picture), three disabled spaces (none occupied),
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
I've responded to the Government's consultation on the third cycling and walking investment strategy. Its 'vision' is fine but its objectives are thin and targets almost non-existant. It skirts around what actually needs to be done to make safer streets. Read it, respond and tell the Government so.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
The New Manchester. Tower blocks, a hoarding promising paradise and a lone tree surviving against all odds.
Tower blocks, a tree, still surviving against all odds with a new world being promised on the hoarding
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
The New Manchester. Vibrant streets.
Grim street with no passive surveillance full of bins and parked cars
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
The New Manchester. With landscaping.
Blank ends of buildingd surround a piece of open space containing bins and two planters
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
The New Manchester. Well designed public spaces. I suppose the grass has been mown.
Blank ends of buildings abut an unused piece of space with a grafettied control cabinet
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
The New Manchester. The landscaping is promised...
Photograph of an architecturally bland building with hoarding in front of it. The hoarding has flowers painted on it
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Further to the brief chat yesterday with @ianwalker.bsky.social, @owlernook.bsky.social and @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social about new bus routes, new developments and modal split, the figures for Northstowe and (South Cambridgeshire) are bus to work 15% (3%) and cycle to work 7% (5%).
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Andy Davies @andydavies.me · 10/11/2025
The ”upgrade” to junction 11 on the M5 is going to cost £363mn (fuck knows where the money goes) and is going ahead Reopening the Stonehouse station on the Birmingham / Bristol line would cost around £25mn but trying to get it funded is impossible
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Time to make those Christmas puddings.
Picture is a close of the Christmas pudding mix part way through. There are chopped nuts, sultanas, raisins, currants, suet, grated carrot, zest and juice of an orange and a lemon. You can't see the mixed spices, Guinness and brandy; I think I put them in rather than drinking them.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Inflation data was released by the ONS this morning, in which they said that the Consumer Price Index rose by 3.8% over the last year. The largest contribution apparently was transport. Comments on whether we should focus on cheaper shorter distance travel probably didn't figure.
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
First newsletter published! simple.ghost.io/what-seems-t... If you like this sort of thing, sign up for more
simple.ghost.io
What Seems to be the Problem?
Can we make any progress on transport while we don't recognise there's a problem to be solved and can't recognise solutions?
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
I'm finding this type of paper railway ticket is much easier to lose the the credit card sized card ones. Hence I'm riding on a single ticket rather than the return part of one I bought earlier.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
The Government's proposed New Town programme is to be welcomed provided that they can break away from the current development paradigm. i'd be worried that any railway station was at the edge of the town separated by a large car park rather than being in the centre of a high density core (more...)
Open Street Map map of England showing the locations of the Government's proposed New Towns. They are, from the North, Leeds South Bank (Hunslet), Manchester Victoria North (Collyhurst), Adlington (Cheshire East), Worcester Parkway, Heyford (near Bicester), Milton Keynes, Tempsford (near St Neots), Crews Hill (Enfield), Thamesmead Waterfront, Brabazon and West Innovation Arc (north Bristol), Marlcombe (east of Exeter) and Plymouth (Devonport).
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
There's a really nice new study using phone data from Americans who relocated from one city to another to look at the effect of walkable environments on physical activity. E.g., people move TO New York and walk more, they move FROM New York and walk less www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Countrywide natural experiment links built environment to physical activity - Nature
By analysing the smartphone data of 2,112,288 participants, in particular observing and comparing the activity of the same individual in two different environments, we find that increases in the walkability of environments result in increases in daily physical activity, providing evidence of the importance of the built environment on physical health.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
I need a coffee. As I'm not at home will have to buy one. Why is it that a bog standard black coffee is now called an Americano? Shouldn't we boycott this americanism and just call it coffee? People with perversions like frothy milk can call their version what they like. But coffee should be coffee
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Anthony's Spinning Circles here too! @circlesspinning.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
I didn’t know rabbits liked trampolines, but then again…..
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Owler Nook @owlernook.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
The Transport Committee has a call for evidence on 'joined-up journeys: achieving and measuring transport integration'. Spread the word.
committees.parliament.uk
Joined-up journeys: achieving and measuring transport integration - Committees - UK Parliament
The Transport Committee is looking at how Government can mould transport services, networks and options around the journeys that people need and want to make in their daily lives. We want to find out ...
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Question (for cyclists probably). Does anybody know where the Liverpool City Region Active Travel Route 11 goes? It's apparently in Runcorn but beyond that I don't know. The route is the first testing ground for a new system of wayfinding which I'd like to look at 'in the wild' so to speak.
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
I've just responded to the Cheshire East Active Travel Strategy. The plans are remarkably light on detail proposing inappropriate design solutions that certainly won't get funding from Active Travel England. Is this just consultants cut & pasting rubbish they got away with for their last plan?
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Peaks & Puddles 🚲 @peaksandpuddles.com · 07/07/2025
Cheshire East’s Active Travel Consultation Including a cycling plan for Poynton that finally proposes protected cycle tracks on London Road North. Sadly still no decent link to Middlewood Way. (The inclines are right there!) surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk/s/ActiveTrav...
surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk
Cheshire East’s Active Travel Consultation
Please take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is important.
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Peaks & Puddles 🚲 @peaksandpuddles.com · 07/07/2025
Hope Valley Active Travel Masterplan survey Plenty of things that should’ve already happened a long time ago. Quite a lot of “signage and wayfinding” where I’m pretty sure it should specify 20mph limits as a minimum intervention. Please do respond! www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/news...
derbyshire.gov.uk
Have your say in Hope Valley travel survey - Derbyshire County Council
How do you get around if you live in the Hope Valley? And what improvements do you think should be made to make walking, cycling and all other forms of ‘active travel’ an easier option?
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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
As promised, my written evidence is now on the @cityinfinity.bsky.social website blog. It has also been acknowledged by Parliamentary support. I hope you understand why I have unusually disabled replies. cityinfinity.co.uk/2025/06/30/b...
cityinfinity.co.uk
Bus Services [No.2] Bill
The creation, debate and adoption and law should probably be boring and something most people don’t need to worry about, but there are things which come up from time to time which people shou…
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Timmons Roberts @timmonsroberts.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
This powerful report really helps refocus on the big picture www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
UN expert urges criminalizing fossil fuel disinformation, banning lobbying
Rapporteur calls for defossilization of economies and urgent reparations to avert ‘catastrophic’ rights and climate harms
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Steve @steveessex.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Random data collection question of the day. How far (approximately) did you cycle on your last recreational cycle trip? Also what sort of bike were you riding? Either just answer or DM me off you prefer. Data will be used in an Active Travel training course. Many thanks.
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