This week, we’ve an ambition and some action to tackle suburban active travel in Oxfordshire, some new cycling (and driving) laws in Spain, and some heartwarming stories about the power of cycling. Elsewhere, AI gives with one hand and takes with another, as a robotaxi report raises important questions, and AI-powered traffic enforcement takes one step forward, one step back.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
GREENWAYS FOR OXFORD. While cities in Denmark and the Netherlands are building networks for suburban walking and cycling trips, the UK is lagging behind. Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council and the University of Oxford are aiming to change that with a new greenways masterplan: a long-term vision to connect the city with its surrounding towns and villages. Proposals are for 18 routes on quiet lanes, roadside and traffic-free paths, with some upgrades and some brand new bits. For now, most of the network is aspirational, and needs funding, but it’s a good statement of intent. The best example, for now, is the Oxford to Abingdon route, which follows the Thames Path from the city centre.
QUIET LANE TRIAL. Rural routes can’t always be brand new stretches of tarmac - nor do they need to be. Oxfordshire is trialing its first ‘quiet lane’, using a gate to block through traffic, making it safer to walk and cycle. A six-month trial has begun in Stanton St John, just outside Oxford, after locals raised road safety concerns. The lane will stay open to residents, farmers, businesses and emergency services. It remains to be seen if these dispensations - and the potential for a local business owner rushing through in vans - will undermine safety intentions of the route. Cllr Emily Kerr says it just needs linking up with other routes now.
AI IN THE SKY? Road offences happen all around us, every day, overwhelming police forces’ ability to catch them. New AI-powered cameras can help, but of nearly 19,000 driving violations captured over a two week trial of the cameras by West Midlands Police, precisely zero drivers were prosecuted. This is because the force doesn’t have enough back-office capacity, and the process to issue fines hasn’t kept pace with camera tech. It doesn’t have to be this way. Devon & Cornwall Police identified 297 offences in three days using the same cameras, and sent notices of intended prosecution. It is possible to do the same elsewhere.
A KERB ON ROBO-TAXIS? Transport for London needs powers to cap autonomous vehicle numbers in the city, along with devolved powers to govern - and withdraw - future schemes. That’s according to a new London Assembly Transport Committee report. The report, led by Green Assembly Member, Caroline Russell, says it’s not a given that London should welcome robo-taxis. Among its recommendations are that TfL keeps track of ‘empty miles driven’, to help manage the vehicles’ impact on congestion, and that incident reporting includes data on crashes and near misses, and vehicles’ decision making processes.
THE ROAD IN SPAIN…There’s new cycling road rules in Spain. Road.cc summarises them as ‘ride in the centre of the lane and always wear a helmet’ - unfortunately the latter is mandatory outside of towns, and dispensations for long climbs, heatwaves or medical exemptions have been removed. When overtaking, drivers must do so with a 1.5m gap and at least 20kph below the speed limit, to reduce the differential with the cyclist. If a driver cannot pass in these circumstances, they’ll need to wait. Meanwhile, cyclists are encouraged to ride defensively in the centre of the lane, and can overtake slow moving or stopped vehicles on both sides, but must carry something reflective or luminous at night.
OTHER HEADLINES
TRICYCLE POWER. Cycles come in shapes and sizes far beyond the standard two-wheeled variety. Lots of people don’t know this, however. Wheels4Me is just one organisation trying to change that, by making non-standard cycles available on long-term loans from its specialist fleet. Aged 87, Kevin McGlew was suffering falls from his regular bicycle, and had stopped cycling altogether when he borrowed a tricycle from Wheels4Me. It has transformed his life, enabling him to get out and about and keep active. His story, in this charming video, is a testament to the life-changing potential of cycles, not least non-standard options.
CYCLING SIN BIN. City of London police are trying a new tactic of making offenders watch safety films at the roadside to crack down on dangerous cycling, reports The Times. Under the new approach, City of London police will offer offenders the chance to watch a “hard-hitting” road safety film instead of paying the usual £50 fixed penalty notice. The tactic was launched today at an operation at Bank Junction, a junction now almost entirely devoid of motor traffic, which traffic lights were designed to control.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK:
Oxford’s Greenways aren’t funded at the moment - there’s an aspiration and a map - but what a brilliant idea, for current and future generations, summed up in this video:
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Greenway: A traffic-free route for walking, wheeling, cycling (and sometimes horse riding). A crucial part of inter-urban active transport and leisure infrastructure, connecting places people live with local amenities and recreation.
Until next time,
Adam Tranter
CEO, Fusion & Founder, #BikeIsBest
This newsletter is brought to you by Fusion, the agency for movers, specialising in communications and public affairs for active travel and mobility.
