#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No. 114
Hello and welcome to May, where the lambs are gambolling, the rain is maybe possibly stopping, at some point, and we’ve a Bank Holiday coming up.
ACTIVE TRAVEL UP, CYCLING DOWN
Depending on where you look, active travel levels are up or they are down. We have different ways of measuring active travel and physical activity, and while cycling traffic is dropping, post-pandemic, according to the Department for Transport, Sport England’s annual Active Lives Survey shows more adults took part in ‘active travel’ - cycling, walking and wheeling combined - compared with a year ago.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
CYCLING UP. The Active Lives Survey shows a growth in active travel (walking, cycling and wheeling) is up by 2.1%. That’s a million more adults vs 12 months ago. Being active is good for our mental and physical health, and for our communities. While more than a quarter of people are inactive, doing less than 30 minutes’ activity a week, growing numbers are meeting their 150 minutes of exercise per week. However, digging into the figures, as the next story shows, cycling levels are falling.
CYCLING DOWN. The National Travel Survey also shows a dip in cycling trips, pre-pandemic. After a large spike in cycling during the pandemic, returns to traffic on our streets and, in many cases, a return to normal, has left pedal power at similar levels to 2016. While that’s a ten year growth of 15%, as Forbes’ Carlton Reid points out, figures underline the fact we’re off-target on doubling cycling by 2027.
SCOTTISH CYCLING SUCCESS. New cycleways in Glasgow are bucking the trend, and seeing growing cycling numbers, according to data obtained by the Herald. That, and the fact many people are riding ‘for their destination’ shows the beginnings of a shift in cycling culture is happening in Scotland’s cities, according to the article’s author.
BARRIERS (LITERALLY) TO CYCLING. One thing that stops more people cycling is barriers on off-road routes. Designed to keep out motorcycle riders, chicanes and the like also prevent non-standard cycle users, including disabled cyclists, from accessing safe and pleasant routes. This is one such rider, Debbie’s story. It’s one that anyone arguing for barriers needs to read.
WALES SHOULD ‘HOLD ITS NERVE’ ON 20MPH. That’s what campaigners are saying, amid proposed changes to the default 20mph speed limit, which was introduced last year. The reduction from 30mph to 20mph on built-up roads has attracted a half a million-strong petition. While listening to concerns is crucial we know 20mph saves lives and helps more people walk and cycle, so it would be a shame to see Welsh Labour simply back down now.
OTHER HEADLINES
POTHOLES AND PAVEMENTS. Adam’s podcast co-host, journalist Laura Laker, has written a book about the National Cycle Network. Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network, is out on 9 May. Adam, Ned and Laura discuss it on the latest episode of Streets Ahead. You can listen to it here.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
Growth in cycling on Glasgow’s growing network of cycleways. Source: Herald Scotland
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Lycra lout. An unhelpful term used to generalise misbehaving cyclists. We all need to be considerate and careful on the roads, cyclists included, but phrases like this are extremely unhelpful in bringing harmony and understanding. They are more likely to do the opposite.
Until next time,
Miles
Miles Baker-Clarke
#BikeIsBest
The phrase 'Lycra Lout' may be a bit obnoxious, more boring, but we cyclists have a problem:
in Lycra or out, numerous people riding cycles behave anti-socially, bringing the whole body of cyclists down to the level of car drivers who are apparently out to kill: jumping traffic lights, riding on footways, swerving round people who do not have matching agility, grossly exceeding the speed limit for electrically-assisted vehicles, riding at night in dark clothing without lights, ... .
All cyclists, like vehicle drivers and people on foot, need to recognise that we share the space between our buildings, and that there are not just conventions but laws to enable this to work fairly and unthreateningly.
Of course, cycling could be made safer and easier, this kind of behaviour makes using the roads harder for everyone else – including other cyclists – and turns people who could be our allies into antagonists.
JM