Who am I and what am I doing?




These are questions I ask myself frequently, but for the purposes of this blog...I am Tim Baggs, I work in Nottingham city centre for the Royal College of Nursing and I almost always do my commute to work on a bicycle.

 I cycle for commuting, pleasure, fitness training and competition, riding between 5,000 and 6,000 miles a year. I live seven miles away from the RCN’s Nottingham office and I find cycling is the quickest, most convenient and most cost effective way to commute. For me, it’s by far the most enjoyable method, too – I am rarely delayed by traffic congestion and if the roads are too busy I can cycle along the canal towpath into town instead.

In fact, the canalside is sometimes my route of choice because it’s tranquil and free of traffic and stop signals. The 'argh' factor of stopping for a red light just isn't the same as the 'ahh' factor of giving way to an assertive mother duck crossing the path with her ducklings obediently in tow.

 I’ve cycled and run around the streets of Greater Nottingham for nearly 25 years and, compared to many conurbations I’ve been to, Nottingham is actually a really good place to experience on two feet or on two wheels. Yes, there’s a lot of traffic at times but I rarely feel vulnerable and there are lots of route options to get from A to B.

 Having said that, I am worried about the dirty air I breathe, especially during the rush hours when the traffic is moving slowly and I notice the pollution more. 

 My quickest route to work takes me under the Dunkirk flyover. If you didn’t know, this is one of the most polluted parts of the city, and I make a concerted effort to not to breathe too deeply in that area.

 I don’t know if breathing differently makes any difference to my health or not…the question is, should I have to do this?

 When time is not an issue, I can use the canal corridor and bypass the flyover by a good 100 metres…the question is, should I feel I have to do this just to avoid risking my health?

 So, the question I’d like everyone who commutes by car to ask themselves is this. Is there another way I could do this journey…even if it’s only once in a while?

 To try to encourage people to consider the options, during the week in June in which National Clean Air Day falls, I shall be commuting using the following forms of transport and then blogging about each journey and reflecting on the relative levels of convenience, comfort and cost.
  • Monday 18 June - Car (because I want to be able to compare and contrast my experience of commuting by car with the other methods of travel)
  • Tuesday 19 June - Walk/tram
  • Wednesday 20 June - Walk/bus
  • Thursday 21 June - Bicycle
  • Friday 22 June - Walk/train
Please do visit the blog to see how I get on.

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