#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.26

#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 26 | Thursday, August 11th 2022 | View in browser

Hello and I hope August is treating you well, whether you’ve taken your summer break or are yet to. Let’s get straight to it.
EBIKES, SPEED LIMITS AND A CAR DIET?
Everyone is talking about e-bikes again, and while it seems like good news for Europe and the US on e-bike growth, in the UK it’s a different story, with sales plateauing. Meanwhile, ever-larger cars mean calls for ever-larger parking spaces. At least calls for slower traffic speeds seem to be gathering momentum.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
SURREY WITH A LIMIT ON TOP
Surrey county council is trialling 30mph speed limits on its narrow rural roads. The Times reports 80 square miles of roads from Guildford to Dorking will be part of the trial from Autumn. It juxtaposes expanding 20mph urban speed limits with 60mph speeds on rural roads, which see three times as many cycling deaths as urban roads. Other councils are expected to follow suit.
CALLS GROW FOR 20MPH
The Independent reports on growing calls for a 20mph national speed limit after Wales introduced the same last month. Survival rates improve with each mile per hour decrease in speed, and some say default 20mph is the single biggest thing we can do to improve road safety, and encourage cycling and walking - including Rod King, who founded the hugely successful 20’s Plenty campaign.
E-BIKING EUROPE
One bright spot in the cycle sales landscape is e-cargo cycles, which are booming both in household and business use in the UK, according to the latest figures from the Bicycle Association. The Financial Times’ has run a video this week expounding the bright future of e-bikes in Europe and asks whether they can transform our cities.
E-BIKING AMERICA
Even the car capital of the world is buying up ebikes like there’s no tomorrow, with 880,000 sold compared with 487,000 e-cars. Improved battery technology, rising fuel, vehicle and insurance prices and convenience are at play, says the Wall Street Journal.
E-BIKING UK?
Laura Laker asks, in the Guardian, with falling cycle sales, and flatlining e-cycle sales, if we need an e-cycle charging network. With around 16 e-bike charging points against 31,000 e-car charging points, there’s rather a disparity. Cycling levels are still on the up, the article notes, but much more can be done, not least in government e-bike subsidies, building cycle lanes and decent safe parking.
AND GROWING PARKING SPACES
Meanwhile, as our vehicles grow, so too do our parking spaces, apparently. Or at least that’s what the Times says is under discussion from ministers as sales of 4x4s and bigger cars overall grow. But as ETA points out, with finite road space, bigger spaces mean fewer spaces. Sadly they’d also mean even less roadspace for the people outside those vehicles. Bike lanes, anyone?
ACTIVE FREEWAYS
Scotland is grappling with the idea of a national network of routes connecting urban areas with rural, in a bid to grow cycling trips, cut car travel and meet net zero targets. Cycling Industry News explores some of the issues, and challenges, behind the idea, and where it’s at now. With Lee Craigie reappointed under the new title of Scotland’s Ambassador for Active Travel, change could be afoot - and a-wheel.
OTHER HEADLINES
LJUBLJANA BUBBLY
Ljubljana, the city that hosted Velo-City this year, has pedestrianised its old town and one editor pokes fun at the ‘it’ll destroy businesses’ argument for removing motor traffic from urban areas. Looks like the Slovenian city is thriving.
CYCLE HIRE BREAKS RECORDS TOO
In the West Midlands a combination of the Commonwealth Games and free 30 minute rides saw cycle hire trips double to more than 28,000 in the Games’ first week, starting 28 July, compared with the week before. Trips averaged around 2.5km. The Commonwealth Games shows us that if you make driving private cars harder and make sustainable options like public and active transport easier, people will shift modes.
INTERESTING GRAPHIC OF THE WEEK

An illustration of the space new larger cars take up compared with vehicles four decades ago. I can’t find the original source, but the sizes of the 1980 Golf and the 2022 Range Rover are correct.
ACTIVE TRAVEL PHRASE OF THE WEEK; 20'S APLENTY
The highly successful national campaign for a default 20mph speed limit in residential streets, and in towns and villages, but also a fact. Depending on a person’s age, survivability is 7-10 times higher at 20mph than 30mph, and a reduction in speed could cut road casualties by 20%, according to campaigners.
Until next time,

Founder, #BikeIsBest
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