Transport for the North (TfN) has recently consulted on its draft Decarbonisation Strategy covering road and rail transport in the north of England. This blog sets out SPACE for Gosforth's response to that consultation. Read more [...] Transport for the North – Decarbonising Transport
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Transport for the North (TfN) has recently consulted on its draft Decarbonisation Strategy covering road and rail transport in the north of England. This blog sets out SPACE for Gosforth's response to that consultation. Read more [...] 
It's almost a year since the wands were installed on Gosforth High Street to assist social distancing and to make it easier to walk or cycle. In that time we've all had a chance to experience Gosforth High Street differently, and to see what an alternative layout could look like. 
Traffic engineering is frequently a compromise between vehicle speeds and people's safety. Higher speed limits and multi-lane junctions allow traffic to pass more quickly but, when collisions happen, people are more likely to be hurt and their injuries are likely to be worse.
Many of us will be aware of Layton Darwood (age 5), Melissa Tate (age 10), George ‘Geordie’ Bilclough, Emma Guilbert, Ann and Lawrence Nickerson, and many others who have been killed in recent years in Newcastle 
Controversies sell papers, so it is hardly surprising that changes that restrict traffic are labelled 'controversial' or 'divisive', or are called 'bans' even though they nothing of the sort. Consultations designed to let residents share their views are wrongly described as 'votes' where opposing sides 'row'. In Gosforth we have even seen potentially criminal attempts to influence the outcome of a recent consultation.
In this blog we look at the so-called controversial low traffic neighbourhoods 
The delayed elections for Newcastle City Council and for the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner are due to be held on 6 May 2021. These were originally due to be held in 2020 but were postponed by the Government because of Covid-19.
This blog looks at what has happened since the last local elections in 2019, and what local candidates and political parties are offering now. 
Six months ago, Newcastle City Council changed the road layout on five bridges so that they could only be used by people walking, in wheelchairs, or on bikes/scooters. The Council's aim in doing so was to achieve safer residential streets by reducing motor vehicles speeding and to remove ‘through traffic’ from residential areas. 
From November 2020 to January 2021 Transport North East held a consultation on their draft transport plan for the North East up to 2035. This is the SPACE for Gosforth response.
We looked at the plan’s vision and objectives, and we looked at the schemes proposed. The vision talks about carbon reduction, health, reducing inequalities, safer streets and sustainable travel. The schemes include link roads, corridor improvements, capacity upgrades, addressing vehicle pinch points, dual carriageways 
In 2020 two people were killed and over fifty seriously injured on Newcastle's roads alone. These are not 'statistics', they were mums, dads, children, friends and neighbours. Four of those serious injuries were on or near Gosforth High Street. Almost two thirds of those seriously injured were classified in official reports as being pedestrians or cyclists.
Although the vast majority of incidents are still not reported in the media, other than to warn of potential delays, thanks to local press 
The Government is reviewing The Highway Code, in particular "to improve safety for pedestrians, particularly children, older adults and disabled people, cyclists and horse riders."
As part of this review, between July and October 2020, the Department for Transport asked for views on proposed changes "on overtaking, passing distances, cyclist and pedestrian priority at junctions, opening vehicle doors and responsibility of road users." This blog sets out SPACE for Gosforth's response to 
Air quality in Newcastle and Gosforth remains poor and, despite a 2018 court order requiring government to ensure legal limits are met as soon as possible, the Government has still not confirmed that Newcastle can implement its Air Pollution Plan to rid Newcastle of illegal air pollution. Since 2010, when current regulations took effect, thousands of people have died and many more made ill because of the failure to address air pollution in Newcastle.
This blog summarises the official NO2 air