'WARMING TO CYCLING' in our ever hotter greenhouse!

Dear Keir - my response in blue to yours in black.

This sounds like a really great opportunity, and it’s good to hear that Dudley Council are supportive.

This is such an important and major 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway that THREE councils are responsible for the state of the route.  Dudley's section is worse but all three councils and the West Midlands Combined Authority need to work together to raise their standards and, to get their priorities sorted.  This scandal has gone on for quite long enough.

However, unfortunately as an organisation we’re not generally in a position to lobby combined authority leaders on what specific schemes they should invest in – we think this is better left to local campaigners who are connected to the area, and have the expertise to know what investments would be most worthwhile.

There is no interest and no support from local campaigners, apart from David Cox who has told me, earlier this year that he will join me in cycling the route.  David told me that the first step is to get an NCR number for the 22 Kms.  Not even that has been done by the cycling/walking organisations or by the authorities!  Ridhi Kalaria, at Sustrans, knows all about the 22 Kms mudway since she interviewed me when I stood as a declared candidate in the election of the W Mids Combined Authority, earlier this year.  But there is no action from her, either!

David and Ridhi are meant to be promoting cycling in the UK to help us all get out of the deadly hot greenhouse we are turning planet earth into.  BUT, EVEN A SIMPLE ACT OF NEGLIGENCE, LASTING DECADES, CANNOT BE PUT RIGHT with an all-weather, wide surface on this business, commuter and leisure route alternative to the infernal car!

Adam Tranter is the Cycling Czsar for Coventry.  But no reply, interest or support from him, either!  He does have the ear of the WMCA but total silence, apathy, nothing.  Absolutely no-one is at all bothered!  So we all sink in the mud and mire of our own making as the planet goes to pot.  And only Greta Thunberg has the guts to say anything.  And Insulate Britain and XR, to act.

While the scheme you mention sounds great, Cycling UK couldn’t lobby for investment in this without also identifying all the alternative schemes potentially needing funding, and assessing these against each other, and unfortunately we just don’t have the resources to do that on a local level across the UK.

This 22 Kms existing route is of national importance.  It must have your national organisation vigorously promoting it to insist that the WMCA and the three councils finally ACT.

Stourbridge Cycling Club has not replied to even a paper copy to their clubhouse address, appealing for their interest and help for a shockingly poor facility they do know all about.  Yet, once again, nothing!  Our only national organisation, CYCLING UK, really should be taking an interest in this national disgrace that is the 22 Kms Mudway through three councils and one Combined Authority area in the heart of Britain.

I would suggest the best thing to do, if you haven’t already, is to try to get in touch with David Cox from Bike West Midlands (david.cox.1@cyclinguk.goassemble.com) or alternatively Push Bikes via their contact form to try and get their support, so that the push for this investment can come from locally, as opposed to from a national organisation with limited on-the-ground understanding of the area and routes in question.

Sorry that I can’t be of more assistance.  But you CAN make all the difference, Keir - along with Duncan Dollimore who rang me a couple of years ago about our major, nationally important mudway.  Promote it and CYCLING UK get all the credit, glory and praise for succeeding.

Best wishes

Tim      (Weller)