#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.47
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 47 | Friday 13th January 2023 | View in browser
Hello and how is January treating you so far? Are you managing to get out on the bike? It can feel like a slog getting out and getting some fresh air but it can make the world of difference in these dark, grey weeks.Like this do we mean?
CYCLING SAVES MONEY, SAVES THE WORLD
Transport can be expensive, and in many communities, in many parts of the country, people spend more than one fifth of their income just on getting around, day to day. This cannot be right - it stops people from contributing to society, and living full and healthy lives - and there is a solution. You guessed it.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
#BIKEISBEST IN NATIONAL HEADLINES.
Entrenched car culture leaves millions of Britons in transport poverty, our latest research reveals. A representative survey of 2,000 UK adults found drivers are spending up to a fifth of their income on running a car, stressing their finances in already tough times. This shocking finding highlights the importance of providing people with alternative, affordable forms of transport and reveals the true cost of not doing so.
DIVERSIFYING CYCLING IN THE COMMUNITY.
A community cycling group in Toxteth, Merseyside, is breaking down barriers to cycling among Muslim women, kids from low income families and asylum seekers. The BBC interviewed Ibe Hayter, who set up Cycle for Life in 2020, and one of his happy customers, who said the programme has helped him not only cycle but make friends and feel part of the city.
DERBY WOMAN SWAPS CYCLING FOR DRIVING!
Good to see a local paper covering one woman’s story of swapping driving for cycling. Zoe Bird, a mature student, started riding to university with the help of a Cycling UK-funded initiative to help more women cycle, teaching them maintenance and skills. She says it’s more convenient and healthier than driving, but she would like a joined-up network of cycle routes. Just don’t read the comments.
THERE COULD BE MANY MORE ZOES!
Last week BikeBiz reported on Cycling UK research that the UK ‘could be a nation where cycling is the natural choice for short journeys’, given the right support. A survey of some of its 80,000 Big Bike Revival participants in the 12 months to April 2022, who received similar support as Derby’s Zoe, found more than a third were cycling half of the journeys they once drove. It underlines the huge potential of cycling to cut car journeys.
RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR LONDON CYCLE HIRE.
London’s public cycle hire, Santander Cycles, saw a record year in 2022 with 11.5 million hires - a 5.1% increase on 2021. Transport for London introduced 500 electric hire bikes in October, to break down some perceived distance and age barriers to cycling, and these saw 129,232 hires to the end of the year. Access to cycles is crucial, and many people don’t have space to store bikes in cities.
OTHER HEADLINES
RALEIGH CHOPPER DREAMS.
Following the recent death of Tom Karen, designer of the iconic Raleigh Chopper, the Guardian asked readers to share their memories of their machines. The stories people shared remind us how evocative our first bikes are, and how much they can imprint on our lives. Some readers even fulfilled their childhood bicycle dreams as adults.
INTERESTING GRAPHIC OF THE WEEK
One of our graphics from our latest #BikeIsBest research on the scale of “car lock-in” or car dependency.
Source
ACTIVE TRAVEL PHRASE OF THE WEEK; DUTCH ENTRANCE KERBS
I bet you didn't know you loved kerbs, but I guarantee you will after learning what these do. Dutch entrance kerbs make the walking experience a lot better than sloping pavements and reduce vehicle speeds when left turning across cycleways. They've popped up in Coventry and Salford, and you might see more in your local area soon.
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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