100 cyclists ride out in protest over cars: missed this month's Critical Mass, but it looked like a good turn out! Next month...

Letter: Fine those who block bike lanes: Becky Reynolds writes: "Cyclists should be allowed to cycle downhill along St James's Street, towards the city centre - the logical route for most people with a bike who live east of the city. Cyclists shouldn't be expected to take devious routes away from shops and other facilities just because the road has been designated as a bus route in the opposite direction. If Brighton and Hove City Council wants to encourage cycling (and it has just received the promise of a grant from the Department for Transport to do so), one-way streets should be made two-way so cyclists don't come into conflict with vehicles."

Department for Transport - Press Notice: Six towns in England will share in nearly £17 million to promote cycling Transport Minister Derek Twigg announced today.

The new Cycling Demonstration Towns will lead the way in encouraging local people to use pedal power. The funds will be used to make the environment more cyclist friendly, offering safety training and promotion to encourage take up.

Under the scheme, the towns will receive a total of £8.4 million Government funding over three years and this investment will be matched by the local authority.

The new Cycling Demonstration Towns are: Brighton, Darlington, Derby, Exeter, Lancaster and Aylesbury.

In the Argus

In the Argus
Originally uploaded by fred pipes.

On the day Brighton has become one of the new Cycling Demonstration Towns, with £500,000 a year for three years to boost local cycling, The Argus covers a story about people cyling the wrong way down St James's Street in Kemp Town and the police handing out 30 quid spot fines (when they can catch them!). I love the comment that: 'Some rogue cyclists spotted during the blitz were pedalling so fast that police patrolling on foot could not catch them'.