by Michael Smith
While certain American politicians complain about a million dollars being included in the country's energy plan to promote bikes, in Britain is investing £140 million (about US$ 280 million) to create dedicated bike lanes, provide bike parking, safety training, on-street bike rental networks and a campaign to promote bicycling in 12 Cycling Demonstration Towns.
£100 million of the money, granted to the 12 Demonstration Towns, will be used to create dedicated bike lanes, provide bike parking, safety training, on-street bike rental networks and a campaign to promote bicycling. The towns include Blackpool, Cambridge, Chester, Colchester, Leighton/Linslade, Shrewsbury, Southend on Sea, Southport with Ainsdale, Stoke, Woking and York. The project will be coordinated by Cycling England, a national agency that was formed in 2005. The additional £40 million is allocated to safety and training, particularly for children, as well as infrastructure to encourage cycling to school.
The Transport Minister, Ruth Kelly says "A quarter of journeys made every day by car are less than two miles. Cycling is an alternative that could bring real health benefits to millions of adults and children, as well as helping them save money and beat congestion."
"The first step in persuading people to leave their cars at home is to offer them a real choice," said the minister. "Providing a step change in cycling facilities, dedicated cycle lanes, more training and information will have a big impact on how people choose to travel."
We at the Green (Living) Review have been calling for dedicated proper cycle lanes, modeled on those in Germany and the Netherlands and, maybe, we are now finally getting those, if the minister is to be believed. This is, certainly, not before time.
As I have already said in my previous article about the bicycle and the law maybe a change in the law is required that will make it legal for cyclists, as long as it is done with caution and pedestrians given priority, to use sidewalks where no dedicated safe cycle lanes are available.
The UK need not look far to see the opportunities for cycling that can come from this investment. Britain's neighbor, the Netherlands, are known as a cycling paradise, and further north Denmark too is more or less the same. Germany also is a leading light as far as cycling is concerned and, to some degree, has always been. England has a good case for believing that they can meet their goal of getting 2.5 million Brits to take up cycling, including that a quarter of all car trips in the UK are less than 2 miles.
While Britain still has a way to go to get the infrastructure right and especially the laws in place, together with education, and not only of cyclists but especially of motorists, this can but be seen as a good start.
We also, as said, do not have to look far afield to see models of how things can work. On the near continent we have good examples from which the British government can but learn. Let us just hope it does not take another 10 years or so of expensive studies and pilot projects before we are even starting to get the infrastructure in place.
© M Smith (Veshengro), November 2008
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Britain invests big money in bicycles
