Cycling & Walking Investment Strategy Report to Parliament February 2020

[trevor brooker]

I was sent this by the Department, makes for interesting reading.

 

[mike killay]

From my point the problem is that it only applies to England.
Will have to hope that the second class politicians that we have in the Welsh Government might do something.
One thing the CV19 crisis has revealed is that they always want to show their independence, so they won't follow England.

 

[Benjahmin]

'Sright, so we can expect plans for a north - south 6 lane motorway any time soon !

 

[georgehenry]

Thanks for posting, it looks interesting and I will have a look when I have time.

How accurate the statistics are could be questioned. Since 2011 I have been riding to work first at one location where I could use a canal tow path and then another where I could travel cross country, so how would government know so to speak.

I do ride between two towns on a B road (about 10 miles) but again how would the government know? Perhaps they are only getting an idea from busy city areas.

 

[flecc]

How accurate the statistics are could be questioned.

I have read it right though and much of it is very suspect. All too often it seems ambitions are being translated into achievements by inference.

There's a lot of emphasis on cycle training, ride to school/work initiatives etc, also projected as achievement when in my experience they are nothing of the sort. In two areas I'm familar with, the cycle training that kids are taken through leads nowhere, it being the only time they are seen on the road on a bicycle.

On my estate and immediately adjoining we have three large primary schools which are all involved in the cycle training scheme. All have open sided cycle sheds visible, most close to the roads inside their perimeter fences. I have yet to ever see a single bicycle in one, showing zero effectiveness in training encouraging cycling.

Three things dictate the level of cycling in any one UK area:

The perception of danger in today's traffic.

Hills.

Weather.
.

 

[Michael Price]

2 comments

a) I know/have known quite a few people who have bought a bike throiugh the 'cycle to work' scheme

most of them had any intention of cycling into work because there was no practical method of doing so (distance etc etc) but I bet their purchase of the bike through the scheme is classed as an extra person cycling to work

b) I used to work in a Primary school - normally cycled in and parked my bike in the bike shed. It was is good shed with hoops to lock the bike to and a lockable fence all round it which was locked as soon as the kids were all in school.
The school also was part of the bikeabiilty scheme.
After the course ran - there was ZERO increase in kids riding into school - I know because the same bikes were always in the shed and didn't change
Of course the scheme is still good as it shows the kids a good way of being safe when riding to other places - but it did very little to get kids to cycle to school - and I bet the numbers on the course are treated as kids now riding to school

 

[Andy-Mat]

I was sent this by the Department, makes for interesting reading.

Very interesting reading.
Thanks for sharing.
Andy

 

[BazP]

2 comments

a) I know/have known quite a few people who have bought a bike throiugh the 'cycle to work' scheme

most of them had any intention of cycling into work because there was no practical method of doing so (distance etc etc) but I bet their purchase of the bike through the scheme is classed as an extra person cycling to work

b) I used to work in a Primary school - normally cycled in and parked my bike in the bike shed. It was is good shed with hoops to lock the bike to and a lockable fence all round it which was locked as soon as the kids were all in school.
The school also was part of the bikeabiilty scheme.
After the course ran - there was ZERO increase in kids riding into school - I know because the same bikes were always in the shed and didn't change
Of course the scheme is still good as it shows the kids a good way of being safe when riding to other places - but it did very little to get kids to cycle to school - and I bet the numbers on the course are treated as kids now riding to school

Would you cycle to school if you could be driven in a nice warm 4x4 and laugh when your parent tries to park it in my crowded cul-de-sac?
To be fair though, I wouldn’t let my 5 to 10 year old cycle on the very busy B road to my nearby Primary.