World News… Solar Powered Highways Could Improve Hazard Warnings for Road Users (Also in The Washington Post, The Daily Mail and The Huffington Post)
An Idaho company has recently launched a crowd-funding campaign through the site Indiegogo; to raise $1 million to put towards their solar-powered road concept. The idea is to build roads which are made up of hexagonal solar panels. Each panel would be made of 10% recycled glass; with the technology inside each panel providing solar functionality. The support structure above would contain circuitry and LED lights; and on top of that would be a reinforced glass layer with traction support for vehicles which could support heavy duty vehicles. The LEDs would light up to make ‘smart’ road surfaces; which could give hazard instructions to road users; potentially improving safety for cyclists in the process. The crowd-funding campaign follows the award of a contract from the Federal Highway Administration in 2009; allowing them to build a prototype.
UK National News… Multi-Billion High Speed Rail Network Plans Should Incorporate Cycleway
£50 billion is the proposed cost of the new HS2 high-speed rail network. The plan is to build a rail network in this country that complies with the worldwide standard for long-distance, inter-city travel – revolutionizing the transport in this country in the process. Construction of the HS2 railway is not expected to begin until 2017 at the earliest; with the first trains expected to reach Birmingham in just over ten years. Leeds, Sheffield and the North would be expected to wait for at least 7 more years on top of that. There are a great deal of potential positives attached to the project. Vast amounts of jobs would be created; with the proposal claiming ‘that HS2 will underpin the delivery of 400,000 jobs’. It also proudly states that ‘two-thirds of the population of Northern England will be within two hours of London.’ It is also claimed that the load on the roads of the UK will be hugely reduced. Read the full story here.
Sheffield News… Sheffield Cyclists Want Action in Upcoming Elections (Also in The Star)
Cyclists in Sheffield are demanding action from candidates standing in Sheffield’s local elections – urging them to make cycling safer. The move follows the Space for Cycling drive; which primarily aims to improve cycling routes for children and students; as well as aiming to create protected space for cyclists on city streets. The campaign is also designed to encourage the removal of cars on residential streets. Mick Nott – chairman of Cycle Sheffield – told The Star that ‘the idea is to put cycling on the political agenda. The demand that really resonates with people is about safe cycling for schoolchildren. Every child in Sheffield should be able to cycle to school but their parents don’t think it is safe.’ Election candidates were invited to a special ride from Barkers Pool on Saturday 17th May.
Community News… Junior Mountain Bike Course Opens in Isle of Man (Also on BBC)
What a great idea this is. The Archallagan Plantation has opened in the Isle of Man’s first junior mountain biking course. An incredible 80 tonnes of slate have been used during the creation of the course; which is 1km in length and possesses many obstacles and jumps. The Committee’s Kate Evans told the BBC that ‘to develop and build the island’s first dedicated junior mountain bike race is fantastic.’ She also said it was the first legacy facility of the annual End to End race; which attracts nearly 2,000 cyclists each year. The concept was based around the idea to create a family and community facility that allows people to have fun in a secure environment.
Tour de France News… 6 Great Bits of Tour de France News; including:
– Lance Armstrong Set to Testify in Court for First Time
– Sir Bradley Wiggins Wants to Restore US Faith in Cycling
– Rail-Using Tour de France Fans Encouraged to Leave Bikes at Home
Previous News Articles
Cycling News – 20/5/14 – Mr. Pothole Estimates Cost of UK Road Epidemic Could Be 100 Billion
Cycling News – 15/5/14 – New York Mayor Given Huge Budget to Fix Pothole Ridden Streets
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All the work we do here at the Wheelie Good Guys is only possible because of our kind sponsor – Ian Brown. Ian is the Cycling Speedway Commissioner for Yorkshire; and is also a personal injury solicitor with Wosskow Brown.