Cycle campaign news June 2022
Major new report calls for radical action to get active travel in Wales’ back on track
Wales led the world when it passed the Active Travel Act in 2013 but, the report says, it has failed to follow through on that achievement. Rather than seeing the massive increase the Act promised, walking and cycling rates have been static.
Huw Irranca-Davies, chair of the Cross-Party Group on the Active Travel Act, sets out the steps that are needed to realise that ambition.
Young people hit hardest by increasing transport costs
New research carried out by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK shows 43% of 18-24-year-olds are considering changing their method of travel due to expected increases in transport costs.
37% of young people who don’t currently cycle to work said they would be more likely to do so if their workplace offered improved facilities, such as bike storage and lockers. 36% also said they’d be more likely to cycle to work if their employer offered financial help to buy a bike.
Cycling UK is calling on employers to do more to support their workforce to switch to a more active commute. Want to persuade your employer to make cycle commuting easier? Check if your workplace is eligible to become a Cycle Friendly Employer, and find out how the Scottish Parliament supports its community of staff and MSPs to cycle to and from Holyrood.
Other stories
How do we improve transport cycling across the UK?
We're decades behind the Dutch, but the UK is finally waking up to transport cycling's potential. In this series of blogs, cycling journalist Laura Laker asks if a new golden age for cycling is realistic in each nation.
Hear expert opinions from:
- Caroline Bloomfield, director at Sustrans Northern Ireland – “When difficult decisions have to be made, that’s where it’s challenging”
- Dafydd Trystan, chair of the Active Travel Board for Wales – It’s about “connecting effective, sustainable public transport with active travel so someone doesn’t need a car. If you can do that you can change the world”
- Keith Irving, chief executive of Cycling Scotland – “Scotland is in the early stages of a cycling revolution”
- Chris Boardman, head of Active Travel England – “I’m very keen to see a lot more people who don’t look like me in this industry”
Abuse on the roads disproportionately deters women from cycling
More women than men are put off cycling - after one too many unpleasant commuting incidents, Cycling UK's Lauren Purdy considers why this is.
90,000 kids march for their right to make safe journeys
Children from 600 schools across the UK took part in a Kids’ Walk on 22 June organised by road safety charity Brake, to shout out for their right to make safe and healthy journeys on safe streets.
Shocking statistics show that six children are killed or seriously injured on UK roads every day. These statistics are available to download by local authority area from Brake, as useful figures to use for campaigning for safer roads in your area.
Active travel to schools in Scotland is holding at levels seen during height of pandemic
The percentage of school pupils travelling actively to school in 2021, either by walking, cycling, scootering or skating, has stayed at similar levels seen during 2020, according to new data from the Hands Up Scotland Survey.
Walking remains the most popular method of getting to school at 44%. The number of pupils cycling to school has seen a small rise, up from 3.8% in 2020 to 4.0% in 2021.
New active travel programme of improvements gets underway in Cambridgeshire
The measures include lower speed limits, new protected cycle lanes and traffic calming schemes.
A whirlwind year: Cycling UK chief executive Sarah Mitchell looks back on a busy 12 months of campaigning
It’s a summary that will surely resonate with many of us in the world of cycling advocacy: “The thing about campaigning is you often feel like you don’t make any progress at all, and then quite a few things seem to come along at once.”
Local campaigning spotlight
Cycling UK volunteer Jill Borcherds kickstarts national union cycling campaign
A Cycling UK member from Hertfordshire, who is also a volunteer local representative with our Cycle Advocacy Network, saw her union’s district motion to promote active travel to schools and colleges adopted by the National Education Union’s Annual Conference in April 2022.
Want to get involved with local campaigning in your area and connect with others across the country?