So, last week I got all excited about a new cycle parking hub in Richmond. Well, there was much more to that than meets the eye - and not in a good way. Meanwhile, SUV drivers will soon have to cough up in Cardiff, Glasgow’s new city centre bike lane is doing big numbers, and we’ve a tale or two of political courage thrown in for good measure.
BIG STORIES FOR CYCLING ADVOCACY
HUBGATE. Steps: safe to say, they are not the friend of cycling - they are an insurmountable barrier to those who can’t lift their cycle (or even if you have a bike with pannier racks). The idea of step-only, as opposed to step-free, access to Richmond’s new 650-space cycle hub therefore was, frankly, inconceivable. Last week, after quickly browsing press reports, I got prematurely excited about said hub. Sadly, we’ve since been set straight and told yes, you can only get to the new cycle parking up a load of stairs. London Cycling Campaign’s Simon Munk also tells us the hub is open 24/7, without either keyfob entry or CCTV for security. He predicts: “Either hardly anyone uses the cycle parking. Or their bike gets nicked. Or both.”
Shame, although step-free and easily-accessible parking is available on the ground floor. For cars.
WHY SECURE BIKE PARKING MATTERS. Westminster councillor, Max Sullivan, has written a blog post on the politics of reallocating roadspace to cycle hangars - and why it matters. Inspired by a letter from a resident - an NHS worker - who had lost several bikes to theft, Sullivan lists and responds to the usual objections from nearby residents to reallocating road space to bike parking. He points out on-street cycle parking is partly about normalising cycling. People see it, they get used to it.
TURNS OUT IT’S NICER. New research studies what happens when politicians back policies that reduce motor traffic in urban areas. It turns out people like them. This Masters thesis, from Eindhoven, combines interviews with political leaders and decision-makers, media articles and government documents. It finds opposition - often from a loud minority - peaks around implementation, declining as people realise fewer cars make for nicer places. In other words, people need to see it to believe it. However, successful measures must meet certain criteria including being easy-to-understand, fair and adapted to the local context.
BIKES OUTNUMBER CARS ON GLASGOW ROUTE. An unexpected poster child for cycle routes has hit another home run, and now Glasgow can boast that on Victoria Road there’s more cyclists than motor vehicles. That’s thanks to the 3km South City Way, a fully protected cycle route, running from the city centre to Southside, south of the river Clyde. Completed in summer 2024, it has been a roaring success: within its first year cycling numbers had grown 46%.
CARDIFF INTRODUCES SUV CHARGE. Cardiff will be the first UK city to charge more for heavier vehicle parking following a vote this month. Owners of vehicles weighing more than 2400kg fully loaded, known as revenue weight (as opposed to kerb weight), will be impacted. Dan De’Ath, Cardiff councillor for climate change and transport, says the aim is to reduce the size and volume of vehicles in the city centre, and improve road safety. A consultation returned two-thirds support from residents, following a petition calling for fairer parking charges based on vehicle size.
OTHER HEADLINES
VERGE PARKING: GOOD; PREVENTION BOLLARDS: BAD. Some of us have become so accustomed to being able to park anywhere that we don’t see what an inconvenience it is for others, let alone an eyesore. Two very similar stories, from Crawley and Gloucester, somehow made the news this week, of local authorities taking flak for stopping people parking their vehicles on grass verges. The rocks and concrete blocks preventing illicit parking have been criticised for their looks - as if parked cars are any better. Which just reminds us, change is hard.
INTERESTING GRAPH OF THE WEEK: Support for traffic reduction measures over time. This graph, adapted from Professor Phil Goodwin’s research, shows how brief snapshots of public opinion can vary hugely, depending on when they are taken. In other words, acceptance and enjoyment of change takes time. Original source: https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/7207/the-gestation-process-for-road-pricing-schemes/
ACTIVE TRAVEL WORD OF THE WEEK:
Kerb weight. That is the weight of a vehicle alone, including its fuel and fluids, and its standard equipment. The gross weight or revenue weight, meanwhile, includes passengers and cargo. Cardiff City Council is basing its SUV parking charge on the latter.
Until next time,
Adam
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.
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Like you, I was excited about the new cycle parking hub in Richmond. Surely, I thought they can’t have made the same mistakes as the unused white elephant in Kingston. From your article it sounds much the same, step access and no security. What on earth are they thinking? Huge waste of money that very few people will use. I thought humans were meant to learn from mistakes, someone didn’t do their research….