#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.41
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 41 | Thursday 24rd November 2022 | View in browser
Hello and welcome to edition 41 of the BikeIsBest newsletter. Hard to believe it’s been four fifths of a year since we started, but we’re glad to have you along for the journey.
ARE THE CRACKS SHOWING IN E-CAR SUPPORT?
While electric vehicles clearly have a role to play in a low-carbon future, it’s a mistake to think cars alone can solve our transport woes. It seems like the message is starting to get through - in a few places at least. The cycling industry has been pushing for e-cycle support to switch more journeys to two wheels, and will continue to do so.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
END OF EIRE’S EV DREAMS?
Ireland will drop its target of a million more electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 in favour of greener transport. Transport minister Eamon Ryan voiced his fears about slow progress on climate change, and the need for a war footing. He said: “The problem is that the current traffic system doesn’t work and we need to change. I think road space reallocation — giving priority to walking, cycling and buses — is the best way to go about it.” A three-pronged approach will include travelling less, more active travel, and some EVs.
END OF PORTUGAL’S EV DREAMS TOO?
Portuguese minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos, echoed these sentiments. Addressing a transport conference in Lisbon, Santos warned a focus on EVs alone wouldn’t solve congestion, collisions and “the struggle for public space”. “The most effective instrument for the decarbonisation of transport”, he said, was a shifting to walking, cycling and public transport.
LONDON’S MOST DANGEROUS JUNCTIONS
The London Cycling Campaign has named the city’s most dangerous junctions for cycling. Junctions are where most cycling collisions happen and Holborn gyratory, the Shoreditch Triangle and Kings Cross, named as among the worst, are on successive mayors’ hit lists. While improvements for Holborn were announced last month, funding remains an issue for many more.
ONLINE TOXICITY SPILLING ONTO THE STREETS?
The Evening Standard reports on “dehumanising” language that spills over into real-world aggression on the roads. British Cycling’s Nick Chamberlain says the problem is at its worst in the capital where more people cycle, and users of closed and community Facebook groups and forums are the worst offenders. The piece refers to personal and sometimes gendered abuse towards cyclists, and commenters on news items bragging about deliberately hitting cyclists.
LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOODS REDUCE AIR POLLUTION
A new study has measured a drop in NO2 pollutants both within LTNs and on boundary roads. Air quality monitoring from three LTNs in Islington, north London, revealed traffic levels dropped both within (5.7%) and outside (8.9%) the LTNs, as did NO2 levels (58.2% and 13.4% respectively). Researchers concluded: “LTNs have the potential to substantially reduce air pollution and traffic in target areas, without increasing air pollution or traffic volumes in surrounding streets.”
OTHER HEADLINES
DUTCH INVEST EVEN MORE IN BIKE LANES
The Dutch are pretty good at integrating active travel with places people need to go, but the work isn’t finished. As house building continues, so does the construction of cycleways, with €780m pledged for active travel. While there’s also €2.7bn for road expansion and €4bn for public transport, it’s notable all transport modes, not just motor traffic, are designed into new developments.
INTERESTING GRAPHIC OF THE WEEK
The impact of LTNs on NO2 pollution on internal, boundary and external roads.
Source
ACTIVE TRAVEL PHRASE OF THE WEEK; NON STANDARD CYCLE
Cycles come in many forms, from tricycles to cargo cycles, to hand cycles. We are #BikeIsBest but it's good to remember it's not just about two wheels. Cycles can be people’s mobility aids - for some cycling is easier than walking - as well as carrying cargo, children and even pets.
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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