#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.50
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 50 | Friday 3rd February 2023 | View in browser
Hello and welcome to February and our 50th #BikeIsBest newsletter. I think we're looking pretty good so far.
RAIN GARDENS, BIKE LANE PAIN, ADS, AND LTN HYPERBOLE
Humans can be a big jumble of contradictions, and changing how we do things is never easy, not least when we have made up our minds about an issue. When it comes to something as important as our streetscape, though, we have to keep trying, even when the going is hard. Right, pep talk over, on to this week’s stories.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
BIKE LANE BOOSTS BUSINESS…BUT DO BUSINESSES BELIEVE IT?
In the year after new bike lanes arrived on Skillman Avenue, in Queens NYC, businesses saw sales rise by 12 per cent, compared to 3 per cent across Queens. However, when asked, only a few store owners noticed the benefits. Wired looks into this confirmation bias phenomenon …and the challenge cities face of winning hearts and minds.
BBC CHANGES TUNE ON LTNS (FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS)
It is interesting to see how the hyperbole around basic traffic management tools, such as LTNs, can creep into mainstream reporting. The BBC had to correct a headline after suggesting Hackney were banning vehicles; rather they’re making driving less direct but maintaining access.
BIKE PRICE DROP IN 2023?
This long read, by BikeRadar, predicts a slowdown in cycle sales growth in 2023. The outlook for the year is rather mixed, it says, with rising cycling levels, caused in part by the price of oil, against a 10-40% increase in the cost of cycles. John Worthington, the Bicycle Association’s head of insights, concludes “the market faces a turbulent and challenging year ahead, with subdued consumer demand affecting the whole industry”. We think there's a huge opportunity to reach new audiences and benefit from a larger addressable market, but it'll rely on diversifying the image of cycling - and of course - decent infrastructure.
ULEZ SCRAPPAGE TO INCLUDE E-BIKES
This week London mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced a £110m ULEZ scrappage scheme, to include e-cargo bikes and e-bikes. The ULEZ scheme is intended to cut air pollution in the city and the new fund is intended to help people make the switch to cleaner vehicles.
WORKING CONDITIONS IN CYCLE LOGISTICS
The University of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy launched a report on how cycle logistics can diverge from gig economy work. Cargo cycle operators tend to want to contribute positively to society, and as the industry grows there’s a chance to make a decent workplace - and this blog (and the report) sets out how to get there.
OTHER HEADLINES
WE CAN, YOU CAN
Our #BikeIsBest adverts are out in the world doing their thing. This week they’ve been spotted in Birmingham’s Bullring and Grand Central and by members of the excellent Miss Omar’s family. We’re spreading the positive message far and wide.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
A neat before and after photo from Cardiff, where rain gardens are progressing rapidly to redirect surface water away from an ageing drainage system and prevent the sewers from overflowing during heavy rainfall. Trees and greenery also reduce street temperatures during heatwaves, and they are great for our mental and physical health.
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Wheeling. I was rightly contacted to be reminded that active travel, last week's word, should encompass cycling, walking *AND* wheeling. Isabelle Clements, Director at Wheels For Wellbeing explained why to Sustrans when they updated their language last year:
“We recommend always using ‘walking and wheeling’ together.
“Both words represent the action of moving at a pedestrian’s pace, whether or not someone is standing or sitting, walking or wheeling unaided or using any kind of aid to mobility, including walking aids, wheeled aids, personal assistants or support animals.”
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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