Category: Other

1. Website “Street Repairs” Expands Public Reach To Help Fix Britain

   Posted on 9:00am Friday 11th Apr 2014

   The developers of the online neighbourhood-problem reporting system, Street Repairs, have taken a further step towards linking local people to their local councils, with the launch of a free website API plug-in.

   By installing the plug-in, website owners can assist with the number of faults reported to councils and gain access to key data including images, trends, hotspots, the number of unresolved problems, and the time taken to complete repairs.

   Street Repairs is an intuitive online tool that enables residents to report street maintenance and repair issues via their mobile phone, at no charge. If something needs fixing such as potholes, street lighting, or fly tipping, local residents can report it quickly and easily to their local council via Street Repairs in real time, then receive instant progress updates via text message and email. This unique information gathering, monitoring and reporting system enables residents to more easily connect with their local council, empowering them to make changes in their neighbourhood. Local councils can integrate the Street Repairs system with their own internal processes to more efficiently record faults, prioritise maintenance issues, plan improvements and report progress.

   Mr Colin Mahoney, software developer and MD of the non-profit system, said "streetrepairs.co.uk API plug-in will raise the online profile of Street Repairs and make information on street maintenance problems more widely available, which in turn will encourage residents, councils and key influential organisations to work together to fix Britain's streets".

   Since its launch just a few months ago, Street Repair's popularity has exploded among members of the public via social media. It now has thousands of facebook fans and is receiving hundreds of detailed reports from concerned members of the public.

   By installing the free API plug-in on their website, newspapers, community organisations, cycling groups, and other interested website owners, can encourage their audience to engage with local authorities, to improve their neighbourhood and community.

   The new plug-in gives an unprecedented level of access to analytical data on a local and national level on the condition of our neighbourhoods. Data can be accessed in real time, and reports can be compiled instantly.

   Analysis of the number and types of reports made, issues resolved, and images submitted, can identify local trends, such as the impact of a rising population, or budget cuts. This information can be reported back to the community, or used to assist the local council to make improvements.

   The plug-in is free to install and use, and the Street Repairs team are available to give full technical support if needed. The cloud-based system will have minimal impact on the host website, and requires limited expertise to integrate. Once installed, residents will be able to report street maintenance problems to the local council via the plug-in, and the website owner will have access to all the data about reported problems, at no charge.

   With the help of Street Repairs www.streetrepairs.co.uk/problems, local residents, local organisations and local councils can work together to fix their local environment. The new API plug-in makes it easier than ever to report neighbourhood-problems, and at the same time the plug-in provides data to community organisations who may be able to use the reports to influence local council policies and standards. The websites exists and funds itself thanks to generous sponsors.

2. Road resurfacing with surface dressing epetition

   Posted on 11:00am Monday 7th Apr 2014

   A cheap but dangerous form of road resurfacing comes in the form of surface dressing which is tar sprayed onto a poor surface and then over dressed with chippings.

   It is not rolled in but left with lose chippings for months. Any that are not stuck down can lay in clusters and as such cannot be seen as they are the same grey colour.

   This is fastest form of surfacing but it appears to be the cheapest but most expedient. However due to the lose chippings not rolled in it is definitely the most dangerous surface for any and all two wheeled vehicles, scooters, motorcycles and now including bicycle. Riding on it can only be likened to riding on marbles or ice or indeed diesel.

   If that is not done then as an alternative perhaps the local authorities could be instructed and recommendations made with safeguards that all such temporary surfaces should be rolled to secure the surface and then it should be thoroughly swept to remove all traces of lose and dangerous chippings

   Sign the petition here

    

3. SIMON PAVEY RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 3rd Apr 2014

   Compass Expeditions is very pleased to announce that Dakar legend, Simon Pavey, is once again returning to Australia to conduct a level 1 & 2 off road training skills course on the weekend of November 1st & 2nd at Mansfield the gateway to the Victorian High Country.

   "Lasts years event in the Flinders Ranges was a massive success" says Mick McDonald Co- founder of Compass Expeditions, "I simply can't believe the change in skill levels, but more importantly, confidence after a weekend with Simon and his team, in fact 2 riders who had never been off road booked the epic 105 Road of Bones expedition shortly after completing the course, it really is that good " continues Mick.

   The weekend course is followed by a 5-day ride out throughout the Victorian High Country where riders can put to practice what they have learnt over the weekend. The route provides a superb mix of easy to challenging dirt with a little pavement mixed in.

   For more info on the course and 5-day ride out, which can be booked separately, click these following links.

   Weekend training 
   5-Day ride out

   www.compassexpeditions.com

4. Public Can Now Report a Street Problem in Under 2 Minutes

   Posted on 10:30am Wednesday 2nd Apr 2014

   Street Repairs is a brand new way of linking local people to local authorities, councils, and highway transport bodies on a nationwide scale.

   It empowers residents to improve their local environment while saving local authorities money on maintenance and administrative costs. The publicly accessible, free-to-use transparent reporting and monitoring system, hands power over to local residents by making it easy to report faults and track the council's progress in addressing them.

   The Street Repairs website is used to capture information about street maintenance issues such as broken pavements, rubbish, street lighting and potholes. Residents can reclaim local streets and work with their council to keep them clean, tidy and safely maintained.

   To submit a report the user simply completes a few simple fields, including the uploading of photos and a brief description of the defect. The built-in geo tracking automatically identifies the user's location and provides exact coordinates which are then overlaid onto a map. This process takes just a couple of minutes and there is no fee to the fault-reporter (normal data handling charges from their service provider apply). Confirmation of the report is sent immediately to both the reporter and the council in question. Regular updates are then made as the report is processed by the council.

   Another big advantage is that the system encourages early reporting of problems, when they are cheaper to fix, thus reducing higher costs to councils.

   Colin Mahoney, the IT Developer behind streetrepairs.co.uk, designed the reporting system to boost engagement between local people and local councils. Evolution of the system is continuing on a daily basis as his team of software developers fine-tune functionality. He stated: "By making the reporting and progress tracking system transparent and freely accessible to the public, residents are now empowered to improve their local environment by flagging faults as the system chases progress updates from the local authorities."

   www.streetrepairs.co.uk

5. Dainese champions present the new collection of jackets featuring GORE-TEX® membranes

   Posted on 10:25am Thursday 27th Mar 2014

   Discover the new Dainese GORE-TEX® jackets with Valentino Rossi, Guy Martin, Andrea Iannone and Nicky Hayden. With their claim of “I'm a racer..and I wanna be”, the four Dainese riders invite you to discover the features of the GORE-TEX® jackets from the 2014 collection.

   For the Touring market Dainese presents the CARVE MASTER GORE-TEX® and RIDDER GORE-TEX® jackets.

   The CARVE MASTER GORE-TEX® jacket has an aggressive look and was designed for those who use their bikes for sports and medium range touring, and for whom ergonomics, comfort and functionality are important. The sporting nature of the jacket is underlined by leather covered thermoplastic pads on the shoulders and by the design that resembles race suit tops.

   Made entirely from Mugello elasticised fabric and with plenty of scope for adjustment, the Carve Master jacket provides exceptional mobility. Reflective inserts are positioned in key locations to ensure high visibility and improved safety on the road.

   The RIDDER GORE-TEX® jacket was designed for motorcyclists looking for a technical garment to use on long trips, but that will also protect from the rain and cold temperatures. RIDDER has been designed to offer excellent comfort; it has a laminated GORE-TEX® membrane, is waterproof and breathable and has a removable thermal lining.

   At the same time it is among the lightest jackets in the category so it does not over strain the body and restrict movement. It also features a padded removable collar, ventilation on the chest and back, many fit adjustments, the possibility of including the Chest Protector and reflective inserts make this jacket an inseparable travelling companion.

   For the City market, Dainese has the CONCORDE GORE-TEX® jacket, which with its laminated GORE-TEX® membrane and soft outer fabric, facilitate quick drying and reduce wind-chill. Thanks to exceptional soft Pro-Shape guards made from an innovative material that adapts perfectly to the body and offers a ratio of impact energy absorption to weight, far in excess of our competitors.

   This hooded jacket offers a similar fit to non-technical garments, while maintaining contained volume near the protectors. Attention to detail includes the reflective inserts and the black metal opaque logo, which perfectly set off the look of this jacket.

   For more information, or to find your local dealer visit www.dainese.com