Transport Infrastructure

In 42: Better transport I was reflecting on a successful trip to an evening meeting by bike. The sort of thing I don't do enough and the sort of thing that as a country we need to do a great deal more to combat four issues in our society:

• Carbon Footprint: Our love of cars is highly expensive in CO2 emissions.
• Peak Oil: Whether you believe we have past peak oil or not it is true that we are using oil faster than ever before and peak production will be soon if not already past. We are going to have to reduce our dependency on oil.
• Congestion: In the UK our journeys are getting slower and more frustrating all the time. We all know it is happening but live most of the time in denial.
• Obesity: We are getting fatter as we eat more and exercise less

So why don't we cycle and walk more?

Over the years I have changed my view on this. I now believe that the key obstacle to massive increases in cycle use is the infrastructure. My ride to Thrapton is a good example. There is one short piece of cycle path at the roundabout into Thrapston off the A605, it is very short and ends by making you rejoin the road at right angles with nothing to slow vehicles or direct them around you. Totally useless, in fact it seems to me less safe than ignoring it completely (and certainly a lot slower to use it).

One problem is that few people in the UK seem to have ever seen or used a good cycle facility. We just don't realise how bad ours are or how good they can be and the huge numbers of people who will use a good facility.

So I want to point you to a friends blog. David Hembrow is a Brit living in the Netherlands and he he writes an excellent blog with many video examples of good cycle infrastructure. So go and spend a few hours at A view from the cycle path. Only then will you catch a glimpse of what a difference good cycling facilities make. Here is a selection of recent posts by David to give you a flavour of what it could be like to cycle in the UK:

• Stopping ban by schools.
• What separation of cycle routes really means.
• Beauty and the bike.
• Nijmegen's big bridge for cyclists.
• Costings of improvements for cyclists.
• The world's first cycling superhighway. Seven kilometres with right of way.
• Is it too late to start providing for cyclists ? Are the Dutch "too far ahead" ?

Providing high quality cycle facilities in the UK would require significant changes in funding, legal protection for vulnerable transport (pedestrians, mobility scooters and cyclists) and big changes to planning rules.

But it could be done and the evidence from the Netherlands and Copenhagen is that it is highly cost effective.

Going back to my example journey to Thrapston. The majority of the route was along a single carriageway part of the A45. They are currently moving the cutting sides back in order to install gantries and cabling. They could have added a full width Dutch style cycle superhighway at the same time and revolutionised cycle facilities in this area.

Comments

[Richard Hall]

You're right Dave: climate change, health, transport, energy security -- all these issues are linked and need a co-ordinated approach

[Methodist Preacher]

Dave, as you get older you may realise why more do not cycle or walk. It is important to retain an efficient and effective public transport system for those who do not have the use of a car, can cycle or the ability to walk.

My second point is that comparisons with someone from The Netherlands are not helpful in the UK except in the context of Eastern England.

[Dave]

MP,

I quite agree that good public transport is also critical. Again both the Netherlands and Denmark (especially Copenhagen) are good examples.

You will see on David Hembrow's blog a lot of stuff about bike parking at railway stations for example.

Also note that a great cycle infrastructure tends to also mean great support for pedestrians and also for mobility scooters (me remembering the tortuous routes we have take with Mum on her mobility scooter to find dropped kerbs).

Also on David's blogs are examples from the hillier parts of the Netherlands (it is not just Holland) where there is still a lot of cycling.

Having experienced cycling in both Denmark and Netherlands I would say don't underestimate the headwinds in flat areas. They are frequently worse than hills in much of the UK.

I have for example ridden my fixed gear bike (on which I am very bad at hills) all over Wolverhampton with no problems.

I used to think it was about the right equipment, the right training etc but I am more and more convinced that providing a great infrastructure will get loads of people on bikes who have no interest in equipment (in cycling in fact) or in getting properly trained. Instead they love the speed, flexibility, cost and convenience of cycling. That does not happen without the infrastructure.

Oh and as for the age. Make it feel safe, get people used to cycling and they will carry on into a ripe old age (maybe by moving to a trike or getting electric assist). I have seen it.

[Richard Hall]

There's certainly no contradiction (or even tension) between wanting to create better infrastructure for cyclists and an improved public transport system. We need both.

[Angela]

I'd definitely go with you on the infrastructure. Even where good routes exist - we have several around us - they are fine for leisure, but disappear 50m short of the first dangerous junction on the way in to town, only to re-appear when the road has become safe. My daughter lives 1 mile from our town centre but has to negotiate 2 of the most dangerous roundabouts in town before getting to a cycle path, and using it takes her about half a mile out of her way. After cycling 3/4 of a mile she has gone nowhere, been stopped by 4 crossings and taken 10-15 minutes.
She did try the journey but has now given up, largely due to safety concerns and a lack of confidence. Being overtaken by convoys of giant sugar beet lorries, and having to cross three unmarked lanes on a roundabout is just too frightening.

[Dave]

Angela,

Agreed there seems to be an idea that all that matters is the number of miles of useless cycling facility.

Instead there needs to be measures such as reduction in vehicular traffic, increased number of cyclists, more younger cyclists, measures of safe end to end routes, ...