#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.20
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 20 | Thursday, June 30th 2022 | View in browser
Hello and welcome to this week’s newsletter. Yesterday was the annual Parliamentary bike ride, which took place in central London. The last ride was in 2019 - and a lot has changed in the intervening years. There’s now £2bn for cycling and walking and a national body, Active Travel England, headed by Chris Boardman, starting to lead the charge for positive change.
SAFER ROADS, INSPIRING STORIES AND POLITICAL BUY-IN
All in a week’s work - as legal changes, both impactful and otherwise, and a push for diversity combine to move forward the goal of accessible cycling for everyone a little bit.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
CYCLE LANE ENFORCEMENT IS GO
A story that got many news outlets excited this week was the fact local authorities now have powers to issue penalty charge notices to drivers encroaching on cycle lanes. Previously only police could enforce cycle lane infringements, a major frustration to cyclists and many councils who want to make cycling less of an intimidating experience. Now enforcement is possible via CCTV.
PARLIAMENTARY BIKE RIDE RETURNS
This year saw Chris Boardman speak alongside representatives from groups promoting diversity in cycling. From Wheels for Wellbeing, campaigning for better provision and support for disabled cyclists, to Joy Riders, and Saheli Hub, a women’s cycling club in Birmingham, and Georgia Yexley from the event sponsor, TIER, we heard about different ways to boost access to cycling across society - not just among the usual suspects. Focusing on people, as well as infrastructure, was a common theme.
CYCLING BFF
Last week I visited Saheli Hub, which means in South Asian dialect best female friend, and saw firsthand the huge impact one-on-one support from diverse women can have in getting women from underrepresented communities cycling. Naseem Akhtar, the group’s founder, gave a barnstorming speech at this week’s Parliamentary bike ride, calling for funding for local groups who deliver life-changing programmes some organisations struggle to reach.
CYCLING PRIDE
June is Pride month, and this year was as usual a massive celebration of LGBTQ+ culture. Significantly, Pride turned 50 this year. Pride’s cycling event in London, the Pride Ride, was “a gentle sightseeing route” around the City and the West End at the weekend, with riders of all stripes retracing the route of the first London Pride March 50 years ago. We’re celebrating Pride Month with our special #BikeIsBest ad.
DANGEROUS DRIVING LAW REFORM
Drivers who kill could get life sentences under changes to legislation, including dangerous drivers, and careless drivers who kill while drunk or on drugs. There will also be a new crime of causing serious injury by careless driving. I want to believe that this will make a difference, but even the most extreme cases rarely get near the previous maximum of 14 years.
LONDON ROAD CASUALTY STATS
Cyclists were the only group to see an increase in collisions in 2021 in London compared with 2020 - from six to ten. Shockingly, 197 children were seriously injured and killed in 2021, most of them pedestrians. Not to single one city out, this is part of a national pattern, and though we’ve come a long way since the high casualty rates seen 2005-2009, there’s still a long way to go to improve safety on the roads.
OTHER HEADLINES
NEW MEANING TO DOING A CENTURY
Centenarian William Cooksey is cycling 1000 miles on his trike to raise money for his local NHS trust in County Durham. Riding 20 miles a day for the next 10 weeks in his local area, it just goes to show, you’re never too old to make a difference.
GLASTON-BIKEY
The rail strikes were further inspiration for Glastonbury Festival goers to get on their bikes this year. Apparently a local farmer helped organise parking for bikes for the past decade, as well as providing favourable camping, but this year ramped up with 3,000 bike spaces. One Times journalist recounts his experience with a bag collection service and the ride to the festival.
INTERESTING GRAPHIC OF THE WEEK
Road casualties in London dropped 22% in 2021 compared with 2020, with cyclists the only road user seeing an increase in fatalities, from six to ten - albeit a 40% decrease on 2005-2009. TfL released its casualty stats this week
Source
ACTIVE TRAVEL PHRASE OF THE WEEK; POLITICAL WILL
The desire for change from elected official(s), which leads to committed time, energy and political bravery, and taking political risks if needed to achieve that change.
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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