#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.51
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 51 | Friday 10th February 2023 | View in browser
Hello again. Fancy a trip to Miami? To sunny Brighton and Hove? To a brighter future for walking and cycling? Step right this way, we’ve got it all.
IT’S NOT ALL GOOD NEWS
Of course it’s not - for where would the highs be without the lows? We still have a lack of road safety (and rule) awareness among some drivers - though one petrolhead in particular has become a surprising voice of reason on both cycling and road safety.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
£200M CYCLE FUNDING BOOST
Active Travel England has announced £200m for active travel routes, and to improve safety for women. The money can be used to create rural paths, develop safe walking routes to school, and improve safety at junctions, but local authorities will need to show they’re taking women’s safety into account. Studies show more than half of women feel unsafe walking near their homes at night.
EN BONITO A MIAMI
The first section of a linear park beneath a metro line has opened in Miami. ‘The River Room’, with grasses, plants for pollinators, and big rocks to pose or sit on, will be part of a 10 mile long park, from Dadeland South to the Miami River, partially in the metro’s shade. From 2025 there’ll be cycle lanes, a running track, basketball, an outdoor gym, more planting and a pleasant public realm beneath it.
60% OF DRIVERS DON’T KNOW HIGHWAY CODE CHANGES
A year after the Highway Code gained a hierarchy of road users, the Dutch reach and safe overtaking distances, most people who drive have no idea. A YouGov survey by Cycling UK revealed the slightly depressing results, and road safety copper Mark Hodson confirms it with his own research of more than 200 pedestrian-driver interactions - and suggests an educational and enforcement campaign to shift awareness.
COUNCIL ‘UNLAWFULLY’ REOPENED RAT RUN
That’s the claim by Cycling UK over Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s reopening of Keyhole Bridge, following a temporary traffic filter installed during the pandemic. Cycling UK said this week unless the council reconsiders closing the road under the bridge,at just six feet wide, the charity could take legal action. The decision to reopen the bridge was based on flawed analysis, it claims.
FIVE MILE CYCLE LANE FROM BRIGHTON?
Plans for a new cycle route from Brighton to Shoreham-by-Sea are out for consultation. The mostly two-way coastal lane (with some shared pavements) would run five miles along the A259, from the Brighton-Hove boundary, where there’s a wand-protected bike lane from Brighton, to Shoreham-by-Sea. After Shoreham’s Upper Shoreham Road cycle lane was removed prematurely in 2020, the government said it wouldn’t fund further schemes in the area - to the frustration of local residents. It’s the same council with a new plan - but no funding yet.
OTHER HEADLINES
JAMES MAY SUPPORTS 20MPH
The former Top Gear presenter told the Today Programme last week he supports 20mph in urban areas, adding “30 does feel too fast”. He says people aren’t machines, and we need to be able to make mistakes. While he feels some new bike lanes’ signs and signals are confusing, he says ultimately, it’s about having a mindful attitude on the roads and changing road user culture.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
Money talks. Last month the European Cyclists’ Federation ranked European countries for cycling, first by identifying national cycling plans, then the funding allocated. These two graphics lay bare the difference between words and deeds. Ireland has pledged, since 2020, to invest €360 million annually into active mobility - 20% of its transport funds (10% cycling, 10% walking) - to achieve a 10% cycle modal share within just 11 years. Source: https://ecf.com/system/files/The_state_of_national_cycling_strategies_second_edition_2022.pdf
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Hierarchy of road users: Among the 2022 Highway Code changes, pedestrians go at the top of the hierarchy, and other road users should pay particular attention and care towards them, with horse riders and cyclists next, motorbikers, car drivers, then lorries. Those in charge of larger vehicles, further down the hierarchy, need to take the greatest care because of their potential to do the greatest harm
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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