#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.03
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 3 | Thursday, March 3rd 2022 | View in browser
Good morning and welcome to the great big hokey cokey of active travel, where it seems to be a strictly one in, one out policy, with some Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) still being scrapped, even while plans for others are afoot.
There was real excitement hearing Chris Boardman and Brian Deegan set out their ambitions for the still-forming Active Travel England during an All Party Parliamentary Group on Cycling and Walking meeting on Monday. Chris calls it a “monumental time” for active travel. In his words: “I think we’re all finding it really exciting, really tiring and what an opportunity to actually go and change a country. There’s not many people can say that they’ve been given the keys to that – so I intend to make the most of it.”
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
50% OF TRIPS BY ACTIVE TRAVEL “ACHIEVABLE” BY 2030, SAYS CHRIS BOARDMAN
Walking will fill a big part of that target, along with an early focus on safe infrastructure for cycling. Plus Boardman wants to use the recruitment of 100-odd staff to boost diversity in the industry - and says he hopes that’s one of his two legacies* from the role. Hear, hear.
*The other being side road zebras, of course.
ANOTHER LTN BITES THE DUST
Greenwich is the latest council to announce scrapping its LTNs, after an 18-month trial. Despite a local Highways recommendation they keep the filters, and the threat of active travel ‘defunding’ hanging overhead like the Sword of Damocles, councillors in the South London borough decided removal was the lesser of two evils. Lesser for whom though, is the question. Greenwich politicians cited rat-running and antisocial driver behaviour on boundary roads in its decision.
IN, NOT OUT
Also in London, Hackney and Newham are making LTNs on their patches permanent.
COMPUTER SAYS ROAD
It’s common knowledge in the transport community, but the Guardian reports a new Create Streets campaign, backed by CPRE, warns road-building computer models favour car provision over walking and cycling. From the car-centric cost: benefit analysis that brought you hated two-stage pedestrian crossings and cycle lanes that give up at junctions, it’s more of the same: more roads, more problems, they say.
BIKES MEAN VOTES
As local elections start to loom on the horizon, Cycling UK has set out its vision for cycling for the devolved nations, with petitions. The overall vision being “where everyday journeys are active travel journeys, our air is cleaner, and our health and wellbeing prioritised”. The reality, the charity points out, is congested, car-dominated streets that keep cycling levels at less than 2% of all trips.
...AND A HABITABLE PLANET
With the latest IPCC report issuing a stark warning for our future the World Resources Institute, the World Bank and the Dutch Government explain four innovative ways cash-strapped local and national governments can fund walking and cycling improvements - helping save life on Earth, and generally making our lives better.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK
Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin haven’t stopped the people of Walthamstow cycling in ever greater numbers. The latest monthly cycle count figures show an increase on even last year’s record-breaking numbers, following the continued rollout of new routes across the North London borough.
Source: Cllr Clyde Loakes, aka Labourstone on Twitter
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK; ZEZ.
No - not nap time, but Zero Emission Zone. Oxford launched the UK’s first this week in parts of the city centre, with only electric vehicles and those on foot or cycling permitted, 7am-7pm.
Until next time,
Adam Tranter
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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