Close to home?

Shropshire council have submitted a bit to Government for funds to improve cycling and walking facilities (Shropshire Newsroom 11/08/2020 – Permalink).

How are the facilities to be improved and how will we benefit. How should they be improved? Will the improvements encourage more people to cycle or just make cycling better for those who already do it.

Contact to ask what’s planned to encourage the use of these improved facilities, how can we show that?

Bikeability

“Bikeability is the new cycling training scheme for the 21st Century, which aims to get more people cycling, more safely, more often.”

Shropshire Council website [Link]

Look to see if there’s anything missing from the programme, how could it be improved? It’s a national organisation promoting cycling at local levels, how is it publicised? Could the ‘cycling proficiency test’ in schools make cycling safer and how could that be brought more front-of-mind?

Is it compulsory, should it be? Do children ride or is it unsafe to do so? Is it unsafe because of a lack of training or knowledge of the roads or is it simply unsafe for children to be unsupervised on roads due to other users?

How can we make all road users more aware?

Lockdown caused a 300% increase in the number of cyclists

The Government encouraged cycling as one of the best ways to get around (for those who could) during lockdown. It was encouraged as a safer and healthier alternative to public transport, bolstered by the wearing of face masks becoming mandatory on trains and buses and their ‘Fix Your Bike’ voucher worth £50 as an added incentive (I forgot to take advantage of that one).

“We want to use this recovery to permanently change the way we travel…”

Grant Schapps, UK Secretary of State for Transport.

In what way could this be helped to become permanent? Are there plans in place, what are they and can they be improved?

Are roads just unsafe! No amount of practice will stop the cars hitting you…

Should the traffic be managed better rather than training the better cyclist? What ways can traffic be calmed in built-up areas, outside schools, etc.?

Recent Sustrans article: ‘Traffic-calming dragon appears outside school in Exeter’ [link] shows a different approach to traffic calming – could we design other ways to slow people down?

Could something like this be implemented locally? Would patterns painted on the road make children think it was a safe place to play?

Megan Streb

Partnerships Manager at Sustrans

megan.streb@sustrans.org.uk

Megan has over 10 years of experience working in the charity sector in transport and community engagement. She started with Sustrans as a community officer, and now focuses on transport and planning strategy in Hampshire, with interests in behaviour change and urban design.

Megan put me in touch with Olivia Rutherford who’s trying to establish a women’s cycle project in Falmouth where one aspect is investigating the barriers to cycling.

This was one of the subjects which came up in my reading whilst looking for ‘the thing’ to build a project for. Articles read about the growth in the popularity of cycling but that it’s still mostly men who are taking it up as something new, so what can be done to encourage more women?

I’m a member of a cycling club which consists almost entirely of MAMIL’s (Middle Aged Men in Lycra) and although I’d noticed there where very few female members it’s not something which I’d really paid much attention to. I’d just assumed, without thinking, that more men like cycling than women do.

Cyclists as a whole are targets, metaphorically speaking (though sometimes literally), we’re in the way both on the road and off it, even in the cycle lanes. We should get off the road, pay our road tax, get a proper job, etc., etc.. Shouts like these are commonplace when out cycling to the shop or as part of a group or club, but…I guess women in lycra don’t just get called at to get out of the way.

One of the articles was this one written by Megan: Wheels of change: Empowering more women to cycle

Phonecall – Olivia Rutherford.

Set up a call with Olivia for Friday 23rd Oct to discuss a possible collaboration:

“I’m Liv and Meg from Sustrans just passed me your email as she said you are looking for a project surrounding problems/barriers to cycling!

“I am trying to establish right now a womxn’s cycle project in falmouth where one aspect is investigating womxn’s barriers to cycling! It’s in its early days but I’d be keen for a chat with you if you are interested in collaborating with graphics!”

A bit of background to Olivia’s cause: when she lived in Bristol there were regular bike clinics, and there was a specific night for women helping with bike maintenance, sharing skills with other women in quite an inclusive space.

There’s the possibly to set up a community group where she lives now which could be funded by a cycling charity to provide the tools for maintenance which could regularly accessed.

Olivia is writing her proposal overview over the weekend to forward on in time for Week 6.

Genuine Columbian team kit

Take a second look…