Transport Group

Transition Town:- Minutes of Transport Group, 12th November 2007



Present:- Judy Duncan, Rachel Monaghan, Anne Marshall, Helen Gundry, Eden Blyth, Dick Craggs, Nigel Richardson, Bob MaCarthy


1. A local car-share scheme was discussed; needs more discussion to work out the details but seems a good idea in principal. Successful schemes opperate
nationally and internationally (several examples on the internet) so we could complement these with a local scheme. Local employers could be approached to prompte the idea, as regular journeys are often good ones to share. Judy Duncan is involved in the Transition Towns sports group, and could approach local sports teams to see who shares lifts to fixtures. 

2. Nigel Richardson has assisted recently in a traffic survey which is covering the whole of Ryedale. This contains many points relevant locally, including bus-stops, road crossings, cycle routes, parking. The Town Council are awaiting a response. It is not yet clear what funds would be available, or how priorities would be decided. The town counil intend to organise a public meeting on transport issues in February.

3. Some of the traffic congestion in Kirby at lunchtime is due to employees of Slingsby Aviation driving up from ings lane. Those employees who live locally might be tempted by a cycle-to-work scheme, especially if there were financial incentives. Such schemes already opporate elsewhere in the country, and there are tax incentives. Rachel Monaghan volunteered to find out more and to approach Slingsby Aviation.

4.Anne Marshall suggested a town-centre event involving getting people to measure the distance in steps to different parts of Kirby. It was suggested that his could be combined with other publicity ideas in the spring, but Anne was keen to do it before Christmas, and Judy Duncan offered to help.

5. Anne Marshall suggested a contacts list for the transport group, and Nigel Richardson suggested a signed attendance list for each meeting, which might help to get match funding in the future.

6. Helen Gundry had written out a start of an Energy Descent Plan for Transport. The Transition idea needs us to think and explain in different ways to those we tend to use, in order to get the point over, and in order to engage people in change.

7. There was a discussion about how to reduce the amount of cars dropping off outside school during term-time. Nigel Richardson volunteered to have a chat with the Head Teacher about this. It as noted that the Education Group are already making contact with the school, maybe a traffic count could be included in the children's activities? 

8. There was a discussion about the tensions between voluntary and commercial "lift" schemes. Both are necessary for local people to get to hospital appointments etc 

9. There was discussion about the use of renewable fuels. There have been problems with engines being damaged because some of this fuel is not yet refined properly, so high pressure jet systems in new cars can't cope with it. Dick Craggs runs his car on renewable fuel, purchased from an outlet near York. He provided two recent articles (for the transport group's Green Box File)from The Farmers Weekly magazine about growing the fuels nationally. By 2012 10% of all forcourt sales in the uk have to be renewable.

10. There was discussion about using local bus services, fare discrepancies, and bus stops.

11.NEXT MEETING, MONDAY 3RD DECEMBER, 7.30PM, KINGS HEAD HOTEL