Legal eagles, money, and stories from global cities, #222

The flying, the falling and the floundering

This week, the e-bike misinformation story moves on, while English councils finally get long-term funding to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling. Global road deaths “fall” to an eye-watering 1.16m a year, while New York road safety comes under the spotlight, and we hear from one of the planners behind Paris’ school streets success.

BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY

LEGAL CHALLENGE OVER POLICE DESTRUCTION OF TERN BIKE. The Cyclists’ Defence Fund (CDF) and Cycling UK have taken on the case of the rider and bike shop whose hired Tern HSD e-bike was seized, before being destroyed. West Midlands Police stopped Matin Zandi on Birmingham New Street in April and confiscated the bike, issuing him with a fixed penalty notice for not riding with insurance. However, the way the road-legal e-bike was tested - lifting the rear wheel off the ground and cranking the pedals - doesn’t demonstrate how fast a motor propels a bike. The CDF’s Duncan Dollimore wants clearer guidance for police on tackling the growing problem of illegal e-motorbikes, easily confused by the untrained eye with a safe, legal e-bike.

LONG-TERM FUNDING KLAXON. Long-term funding has long been the holy grail for active travel - without it, it’s impossible to plan and deliver large-scale projects and walking and cycling networks. So, it’s good news that Active Travel England has announced four years of walking, wheeling and cycling money for local and mayoral authorities for the first time. This should help with planning and building routes, while offering better value for taxpayers as projects aren’t stopping and starting each year. It’s brilliant to see my old patch, the West Midlands Combined Authority, receive an impressive £36m over four years - the most of any region. Oxfordshire has doubled its allocation in this round, having improved its capability rating (see word of the week).

GLOBAL ROAD DEATHS FALL BY 21% Road traffic danger kills 1.16m people per year - and remains the biggest killer of children and young adults globally. If it were a pandemic, there would be a global emergency response. Incredibly, this figure represents a substantial reduction since 2011, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), despite more than a billion vehicles being added to the world’s roads in that time. The WHO says this is not enough, however, and a UN target seeks to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Tackling the causes of collisions, like speeding, drunk and drug driving and distracted driving, and improving conditions in low- and middle-income countries where 90% of road deaths happen, are among the solutions.

WAYMO’S NYC DRIVERS KEEP SPEEDING. An investigation by NYC Streetsblog tracked traffic violation tickets issued to autonomous vehicle (AV) taxi firm Waymo. After city officials revoked the company’s driverless license in April, journalists found five Waymo vehicles were ticketed for being driven over the speed limit, plus two bus lane violations. As journalist Gersh Kuntzman wryly put it, “Waymo is constantly claiming that its autonomously driven taxis are safer than human drivers — and the company is certainly right … at least when one compares an AV Waymo taxi to the company’s own drivers.”

HOW PARIS TRANSFORMED 300 SCHOOL STREETS. Paris’ journey towards a child-friendly city should be an inspiration for cities around the world. Between 2020 and 2026 an incredible 300 school streets were created, with trees, seating and play space. The transformation started in the pandemic when social distancing outside schools became challenging at pick-up and drop-off time. Trial street closures were the first step. This interview with one of Paris’ urban planners, Priscilla Benedetti, says key to success were things like having a clear political mandate, trialling ideas and upscaling successes, listening to citizens, mapping children’ s journeys and understanding traffic movements. This wasn’t a political ‘fait accompli’, she says, flexibility and adaptability to local needs were crucial.

OTHER HEADLINES

NYC AIMS TO SLASH CYCLE LANE DELIVERY TIMES. Cycle lanes could be delivered 33% faster in New York City if a proposed removal of red tape goes ahead. A commission led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants to streamline the consultation process for bike lanes which, at present, adds months of delay. Legal challenges following backlash to the rapid Mike Bloomberg-era cycle lane delivery, circa 2009, means city officials must consult with a range of agencies for any street redesign, including bike lanes over 1,000 feet or three blocks. The commission cites safety as a driving force behind the proposed changes, which will be voted upon in November.

INTERESTING GRAPH(IC) OF THE WEEK: This image shows how Paris delivers streets as learning spaces. The school street artwork on the light-coloured paving represents the solar system. Source: Priscilla Benedetti/ City of Paris. From: https://cities4children.org/blog/how-paris-transformed-300-school-streets/

ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:

Capability ratings. These are rankings of local authorities in England based on their ability to create schemes that will support walking and cycling. Ratings go from 0 to 4, decided by councils’ local leadership, plans and delivery record. Their ratings help determine the funding they will receive. Read more: https://www.activetravelengland.gov.uk/resources/capability-ratings

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.