#BikeIsBest Advocacy Digest - Edition No. 109

Hello, it's Miles here, and welcome to this week’s BikeIsBest newsletter, your dose of cycling goodness to get you through hump day and beyond.

SUPPORT FOR CYCLING AS HIGH AS EVER

This week a reminder that the majority of people support investment in walking and cycling. Despite the narrative from some quarters, we have more research this week that highlights active travel remains popular in society. 

BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY

SHIFT FUNDING TO WALKING AND CYCLING, SAY MOST PEOPLE. Research from the UK’s biggest active travel survey, Sustrans’ Walking and Cycling Index, underlines there’s majority support for pro-walking and cycling measures. It reveals 56% of people support shifting investment from road building schemes to fund walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, while just 17% oppose. Similarly, 65% support a pavement parking ban, vs 16% opposed. 

£101M TO DO JUST THAT. Active Travel England, the government’s cycling and walking delivery body, announced new funding to get more people active for everyday journeys. Cycling and walking routes, e-cycle loans and side road zebra crossing trials are on the list, as is a new focus on National Parks and rural areas, which are too often forgotten in the active travel world. 

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS CYCLE PATHS TOO. Campaigners in Worcester have calculated cycle paths beside the River Severn are out of action for a month each year due to flooding. This figure has doubled in the last ten years, they say. With extreme weather caused by global heating on the rise, it’s important to future-proof active travel routes, to help cut emissions and provide alternatives to the car. 

VIGILANTES OR? This tongue-in-cheek headline from the Evening Standard sits above a slightly more thoughtful piece following two people taking it upon themselves to tackle dodgy drivers of London. Mike van Erp (aka Cycling Mikey) and Jeremy Vine send some of their helmet camera footage to police, between them reporting hundreds of driving offences. It may not be for everyone but it’s inarguably effective, including as a deterrent to would-be offenders. Van erp also penned a reply in the Standard, explaining his motivations.

FIRST EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CYCLING. A new designation, European Capital of Cycling, was bestowed on Manchester earlier this year. As well as racing events (the British National Track Championships were held there in February) there’ll be new routes, promotion of greater diversity in cycling, cycle training and new cycle hubs across the city, as well as an e-cycles pilot. It’ll be interesting to see where the city takes this new idea.

OTHER HEADLINES

JUST TRYING TO GET AROUND. The Guardian’s Zoe Williams articulates what many of us in the world of cycling feel - that day to day, most of us don’t give much thought to the vagaries of culture wars. When we get on a bike, we mostly just want to get from A to B. And there’s a good chance we have some fun while we’re at it.  

INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK: 

Once more for those at the back: people are into cycling and walking. Source: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/the-walking-and-cycling-index/ 

ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:

Cycling culture. This can mean different things to different people, but it’s about people, and the social aspect of cycling, however you participate. Socialising breeds culture, which is crucial for a community to develop, grow and thrive.

Until next time,

Miles Baker-Clarke

#BikeIsBest