#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No. 127

Hello and welcome to your special sporting edition of #BikeIsBest where the Olympics are in full swing across the channel and the sun is shining, for now.

WALKING, CYCLING, RUNNING, WHEELING AND OTHER GAMES

This week is all about movement - but remember to stay hydrated and cool in this heatwave, and watch out for the coming thunderstorms. Weather report over. This week we have tales from Paris, the power of walking, barriers to wheeling, a new seaside path opened just in time for the hols, and a new leaf in Parliament. 

BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY

PARIS BIKE LANES ODYSSEY. Paris built 34 miles of new bike routes for the Olympic Games, in just two years. Thanks to pressure from local campaigners, Mayor Anne Hidalgo was persuaded to include cycling in the city’s Games transport plan. Will the city of lights be the first to make a success of its big cycling plans? The signs look good so far. 

SHINY NEW SEAFRONT CYCLING PATH. A brand-new, £11m cycle path has officially opened, linking Whitley Bay with Tynemouth. The 5-mile Seafront Sustainable route was funded by Active Travel England and Sustrans, and includes improved pedestrian space. It will, eventually, link up to other cycle routes being developed around Whitley Bay and into nearby Newcastle.

WALKING MAYOR. The mayor of one Italian town cites the good living associated with his job, as the reason for gaining 50kg in weight over his tenure. Deciding to slim down, and a sociable guy, Luciano Fregonese now conducts weekly walking meetings with constituents. Recently reelected on this mandate he, up to 215 people and one dog, walk 5km in the hilly surrounds of Valdobbiadene, in the northern Veneto region, each Thursday.

FREEDOM BUT NO ACCESS. A campaigner given the Freedom of the City of London was horrified when she couldn’t reach the stage to accept the award. Anna Landre, who uses a wheelchair, was honoured for her disability campaigning, but the event left her fighting back tears. The City apologised publicly, but Landre says disabled people regularly come up against barriers, despite long standing legislation. 

APPGCW RE-FORMS. The All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) has re-formed following the general election. Incumbent Fabian Hamilton (Lab) stays on as co-chair, joined in the interim by former cycling minister, Jesse Norman (Con). Andy MacNae (Lab), joins as Treasurer, with Olly Glover (Lib Dem), as Vice-Chair. Former vice chair, Lilian Greenwood, is now a Department for Transport minister. 

OTHER HEADLINES

SILLY SEASON ALREADY? Summer is well and truly here, which means silly season may be upon us. There’s actually still a lot going on in politics with the elections so close behind us, and Parliamentary recess only just started, but this indy columnist is ahead of the game. Cyclists doing 40mph on bike lanes? Unlikely, if a momentarily novel thought.

INTERESTING GRAPH(IC) OF THE WEEK: 

If you think adding 20,000 bike parking spaces for the Olympics is impressive (which it is), check out the cycle parking for one recent festival in the Netherlands

ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:

Piste Cyclable - that’s French for bike lane, Rodney.

Until next time,

Adam Tranter

#BikeIsBest