#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No.58
#BikeIsBest Digest Edition No. 58 | Wednesday 29th March 2023 | View in browser
Hello and what do estate agents and anti-ageing agents have in common? That’s right: it’s cycling!
ONWARDS AND SKYWARDS
After last week’s rather bleak news about the future of the planet we have some positivity coming your way in the shape of, well you’ll see.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
PLENTY 20MPH BENEFITS
New analysis of 20mph zones suggests more substantial speed reductions than previously thought. Where a drop of 1mph was previously recorded when roads went from 30 mph to 20 mph, new data analysis by 20’s Plenty discovered at least double that reduction, of 2 mph-6 mph, where faster arterial roads were included. All you need is some signs, the charity says. The data comes from Wales, the Scottish Borders, Edinburgh, Hampshire and others, and shows huge promise for safety.
CAR-FREE LIVING IN AMERICA
New car-free developments - including on former industrial land (hence the reagent reference) - are appearing in Texas, and Arizona. This is creating some understandable excitement across the pond. “The majority of Americans want to live in car-free neighborhoods,” said Ryan Johnson, co-founder and chief executive officer of Culdesac in Tempe, AZ. “We just haven’t been building them since the advent of the car.”
ESTATE AGENT GOES CAR-FREE
There’s few things that say "estate agent" like the branded company car, but one man is bucking that trend, saving himself £500 a month and improving his health too. Sanjive Mahandru, in Smethwick, Birmingham, now uses pedal power to visit the properties he manages, and says he feels far better for it.
CYCLING ADDS YEARS TO LIFE
The Times reports on new research on muscle health and cycling. Muscle strength naturally declines as we age, but cycling, it turns out, is one of the exercise forms that helps slow that process down. In this study of 28 committed cyclists, average age 49, and 28 self-declared ‘couch potatoes’, regular cyclists had more and stronger muscle mass than sedentary individuals.
LONDON CYCLING CAMPAIGN CEO EXIT
Dr Ashok Sinha has headed the LCC for more than a decade, transforming the charity and leading some of its biggest campaigns, including those that persuaded Boris Johnson to build the city’s first major protected cycleways and invest in ‘mini-Hollands’. His influence under the current mayor includes improved lorry safety standards and carbon reduction pledges from the city’s councils. He leaves to become CEO of climate change charity, Ashden.
OTHER HEADLINES
LLOYDS AD SHREDS (IN A GOOD WAY)
Cycling can be empowering at any age, and this Lloyds Bank advert for its new Smart Start kids’ bank account demonstrates this beautifully. The ad shows a young girl cycling with her friends, overcoming challenges and growing up to be a confident and skilled mountain biker. The ad features British mountain bikers Katy Curd and Nina Cameron. It’s really positive stuff.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
Speed reductions in 20mph zones are substantial. 20’s Plenty notes “As well as a reduction in mean speeds, the chart shows a more tightly packed distribution in the 19mph to 25mph range”. Every mph cuts the risk of serious injury and death.
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Car-free neighbourhood. A development either designed (or possibly retrofitted) to reduce or exclude car ownership entirely. Alternative transport modes may include excellent public transport links, shared micro-mobility, car-share and cycling and walking links.
Until next time,
Founder, #BikeIsBest
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