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Active Travel Funding Why local authority transport planners need to be bold to encourage more

walking and cycling

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Foreward Something extraordinary happened during the height of the global pandemic. People who usually took buses and trains or commuted to work by car, raided their garages, sheds and local cycle shops for a bike and rediscovered their joy of cycling. The government responded with a cash injection for local authorities to make walking and cycling safer. Pop-up cycle lanes, 20mph speed limits in town centres and low traffic neighbourhoods appeared around the country as we looked to be on the cusp of a transport revolution. But then came the protests, small but noisy complaints that active travel schemes were causing traffic congestion, being installed without consultation, not being used and killing business. Some councils felt pressured into ripping out their schemes and a few notable national papers launched campaigns to pressure councils into removing more. And yet multiple national surveys have proven the majority of people are in support of more active travel schemes, like cycle lanes. Data also shows that cycle lanes aren’t the sole cause of congestion and, rather than killing businesses, they can bring new custom. So I’m urging you to be bold. Listen to the evidence. Make brave decisions based on fact not rhetoric. Our report contains a wealth of information which we believe will give you the conviction to press on and deliver high quality schemes that will impact on a whole generation. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let’s not squander it.

Sarah Mitchell Chief Executive Cycling UK

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The last journey I had along the Kensington High Street cycle lane was behind a mother and daughter I had never met before. Caroline, a psychologist based in Hammersmith, had just collected Pia, 13, from school in Pimlico. I caught up with them at the lights as Kensington becomes Hammersmith. Did they know the cycle lane they had just used was being removed? No, they said. Why? It had only just been created! Both were visibly upset. It is not for me to comment on the council’s decision, which was taken after the Daily Mail gave the actor Nigel Havers a full page to complain that the bike path had “ruined his Sunday walk.” Whichever side of the Kensington cycle lane debate you are on — the one-mile stretch of segregated road space is now the most famous cycle lane in the world, even though it no longer exists — it is very important that we all understand why, in an age where political parties are committed to battling climate change and improving the facilities for walking and cycling, more than £300,000 of public money was spent on a road scheme that was torn out less than two months after completion. Yesterday I cycled along the space. Not only are the wands gone, the sockets they were plugged into have been dug out and the holes filled with tarmac. The modest white line that said this was a space for bicycles only has been burnt off. A dark splodge is the only clue that someone briefly tried to mitigate the perils of this very dangerous shopping street. I think Caroline and Pia would like to know why this happened. As would the thousands of people who used the cycle lane during its short life, and who now face extra physical risk on a road Jeremy Clarkson says is “too bloody dangerous” to cycle on. And, as an impartial observer who trusts the council to keep me safe on two wheels, I’d be quite interested too.

Jeremy Vine TV presenter & journalist

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Be bold – listen to the evidence If you believe the headlines, you’d be forgiven for thinking the country is in the grip of widespread opposition to the active travel funding measures councils have introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, local authorities in many of our towns and cities, have felt pressured into removing schemes such as cycle lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods without allowing any time for people to adapt and change their travel behaviour. The truth, which the press has not widely reported, is that the public is largely in support of doing more to encourage walking and cycling, including building more cycle lanes and LTNs. We know this for a fact because of a series of national surveys carried out through the year which revealed the majority of people welcome the schemes. But their voices have not been heard, drowned out by a vocal minority of vociferous opposition.

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In this report, we set out five reasons to be bold in planning and why you should put active travel at the heart of your transport strategy. Five reasons to be bold:

1. The public supports more cycling schemes 2. People overestimate the public’s opposition to the schemes 3. Business benefits from more people cycling 4. Build them and people will use them 5. We can’t afford not to

1. The public supports more cycling and walking schemes

A number of national attitudinal polls carried out through 2020 have proven that the majority of the public is in favour of more separated cycle lanes. In November, YouGov carried out a survey on behalf of Cycling UK. We asked:

In a sample of more than 2,000 people of all backgrounds from across the UK, 61% agreed. Only 19% disagreed.

Cycling Lanes, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK Total sample size was 2094 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th - 13th November 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

Strongly agree, 30%

Tend to agree31%

Neither agree nor disagree, 16%

Tend to disagree, 9%

Strongly disagree, 10%

Don't know, 4%

We should make it easier for people to cycle by building more separated cycle lanes

To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

‘We should make it easier for people to cycle by

building more separated cycle lanes’

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We asked same survey group how far they supported the active travel funding schemes as a means of preventing traffic congestion as people avoided public transport due to fear of catching the virus. More than half of those surveyed (56%) said they were in support.

Cycling Lanes, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK Total sample size was 2094 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th - 13th November 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

Strongly support26%

Tend to support30%

No strong opinion19%

Tend to oppose9%

Strongly oppose10%

Don't know6%

How much, if at all, do you support or oppose these (active travel) measures

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We asked our survey group how they thought it would be best to tackle traffic congestion in their area.

While 52% said they thought improved public transport was a key solution, 24% believed more and better-quality separated cycle lanes was the answer.

Cycling Lanes, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK Total sample size was 2094 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th - 13th November 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

Cycling UK / YouGov

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Which, if any, of the following do you think are potential solutions to easing motor traffic congestion in the area

that you live?

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In the same month, the Department for Transport commissioned Kantar to carry out a public opinion survey on traffic and road use. Its findings chimed with Cycling UK’s survey with two thirds of people supportive of reallocating road space to walking and cycling across towns and cities in England (66%) and their local area / neighbourhood (65%).

Public Opinion Survey on Traffic and Road Use, of 2,211 people conducted by Kantar on behalf of the Department for Transport. November 2020.

Strongly support, 27%

Tend to support, 39%

Tend to oppose, 15%

Strongly oppose, 7%

To what extent do you support or oppose reallocating road space for walking and cycling in towns and cities in

England?

Strongly support, 26%

Tend to support, 39%

Tend to oppose, 15%

Strongly oppose, 8%

To what extent do you support or oppose reallocating road space for walking and cycling in your local area /

neighbourhood?

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To what extent do you agree or disagree that the government should act in local neighbourhoods to…?

Public Opinion Survey on Traffic and Road Use, conducted by Kantar on behalf of the Department for Transport. November 2020.

Strongly agree

Agree

DisagreeStrongly disagree

Increase road safety

Strongly agree

Agree

DisagreeStrongly disagree

Improve air quality

Strongly agree

Agree

DisagreeStrongly disagree

Reduce traffic congestion

Strongly agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

Reduce traffic noise

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In May 2020, YouGov conducted a travel survey of 1679 adults in Great Britain on behalf of Greenpeace which showed 57% in support of increased government funding for cycling and walking .

YouGov / Greenpeace Survey Results. Sample Size: 1679 Adults in GB. Fieldwork: 6th - 7th May 2020

A total of 58% said they were in support of cycle lanes on all main roads in urban areas.

Strongly support26%

Tend to support31%

Neither support nor oppose

24%

Tend to oppose8%

Strongly oppose6%

Don't know5%

To what extent do you support or oppose increasing government funding for walking and cycling infrastructure

to get the Government on track to reaching its target of doubling cycling and increasing walking by 2025?

Strongly support25%

Tend to support33%

Neither support nor oppose

18%

Tend to oppose11%

Strongly oppose9%

Don't know4%

To what extent do you support or oppose . . . introducing cycle lanes on all main roads in urban areas (in the UK)?

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In July, #BikeisBest, a partnership of leading cycling brands, retailers and organisations which aims to encourage more to cycle, ran a public survey with YouGov on attitudes to the emergency active travel schemes. It found:

• 77% of people were “in support of measures in their local area to encourage cycling and walking”

• 70% of people believed cycling would reduce cycling across the country

• 65% of people believed children should be able to play in the street without danger of cars cutting through

Greenpeace / YouGov

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Cycling UK also found encouraging data in a YouGov poll carried out at the height of the first national lockdown in April 2020 which showed many people would be encouraged to rethink their travel habits when the pandemic had ended.

Campaign survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK Total sample size was 2131 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 27th - 28th April 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Strongly agree13%

Tend to agree22%

Neither agree nor disagree

28%

Slightly disagree14%

Strongly disagree18%

Don't know5%

I could do more of my daily and/ or weekly tasks without using my car’?

Strongly agree12%

Slightly agree24%Neither agree nor

disagree27%

Slightly disagree16%

Strongly disagree17%

Don't know4%

I could use motor vehicles (e.g. a car, public transport) less if it was easier to get to and/ or around my local

shops or high street by foot or by cycling

Strongly agree12%

Slightly agree24%Neither agree nor

disagree27%

Slightly disagree16%

Strongly disagree17%

Don't know4%

I could re-think my travel habits in the future when the 'lock down' ends (e.g. to use cars and other motor

vehicles less)

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2. People overestimate the public’s opposition to the schemes Cycling UK’s ‘Cycle Lanes’ survey in November also revealed how people tended to over-estimate others’ opposition to active travel schemes by as much as 50%. This may be explained by the high number of negative headlines about newly installed cycle lanes. Although only 19% of people said they were opposed to new active travel measures, 29% said they thought the public was opposed to them.

The reality v the perception

Strongly support26%

Tend to support30%

No strong opinion19%

Tend to oppose9%

Strongly oppose10%

Don't know6%

How much, if at all, do you support or oppose these (active travel) measures

Strongly support7%

Tend to support26%

No strong opinion26%

Tend to oppose22%

Strongly oppose7%

Don't know12%

How supportive, if at all, do you think the public are of these new (active travel) measures?

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This appears to be the effect of a social psychological phenomenon in which people privately disagree with an idea but go along with it because they wrongly assume they are in a minority and that most other people support the idea. It was highlighted by the #BikeisBest research in the summer, where its survey showed that for every 3.26 people who supported the view that ‘Britain would be better if more people cycled’, one person opposed the view. But when asked what they thought the opinion of their friend or the general public would be, many respondents drastically overestimated the negativity towards cycling.

‘Britain would be better if more people cycled’

You Gov / #BikeIsBest. Total sample size was 2010 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th - 17th July 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Dr Ian Walker, Environmental Psychologist at the University of Bath, said: “Perhaps one reason negative voices find it so easy to sway things their way is that people have a tendency to misjudge public levels of support. The survey showed that, while most people think Britain would be a better place if more people cycled, they also guessed that other people were less supportive, and more hostile, to the idea than they were.”

Agree65%

Disagree35%

What we believe our friends think

Agree64%

Disagree36%

What we believe the public thinks

Agree77%

Disagree23%

What we really think

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3. Business benefits from more people cycling It’s often claimed that active travel schemes promoting walking and cycling, particularly in town centres, kills business. But in fact people who travel actively tend to make more trips to the high street and evidence suggests that cyclists spend more in local shops than the users of most other modes of transport. That’s why improving town centres and high streets for pedestrians and cyclists can increase retail sales by up to 30%. Also it’s worth remembering:

• Retailers typically overestimate how many of their customers travel by car by a factor of 100%.

• Shop vacancy rates are five times higher on streets with high levels of traffic.

• Retail turnover in pedestrianised areas generally outperforms non-pedestrianised

areas. Acorn Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, is a great example of scepticism and concern about loss of trade, followed by a business boom once measures to enable more active travel were introduced.

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An initial critic of plans to change the road from a two-way to a one-way street with two-directional cycling and the removal of car parking spaces, the owner of the local hardware store became one of the schemes biggest fans, recognising that it led to more people walking and cycling on Acorn Road and a more relaxed atmosphere which was good for business.

4. Build them and people will use them It’s natural to fear that after installing new cycle lanes and infrastructure, no one will use them. Our research shows many more people would cycle, especially for short journeys, if safe separated cycle lanes were in place. Currently, only 2% of all journeys in the UK are made by bike but that could be significantly increased with the right infrastructure in place.

Cycling Lanes, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK Total sample size was 2094 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th - 13th November 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+). Our ‘Cycle lanes’ survey carried out by YouGov showed that 37% of people were likely to cycle for short journeys under fifteen minutes if there were safe, separated cycle lanes. That equates to more than 24 million people prepared to cycle.

Very likely17%

Fairly likely20%

Not very likely13%

Not at all likely18%

Don't know3%

Not applicable - I don't cycle

29%

Please imagine there were safe, separated cycle lanes in the area that you live...How likely, if at all, would you be to

cycle for any journeys under fifteen minutes (e.g. to run errands, see friends, go to the shop etc.)?

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5. We can’t afford not to Our streets are already congested, our air polluted by emissions, the NHS struggling to cope with an obesity crisis and climate change threatening our entire planet. Cycling isn’t the solution to all these problems but it can play a significant part – with the right infrastructure to encourage more people out on their bikes.

• £6.1bn - spent by NHS every year on obesity-related ill-health

• 36,000 deaths every year linked to air pollution in UK

• 33% of UK CO2 emissions are accounted for by traffic

• £6.9bn cost to drivers of congestion on UK roads every year

• 7mph average speed by car in London and Edinburgh

• 178 average number of hours lost by road users in congestion every year in the UK

• Only 1% of all vehicle miles in GB are cycled

Duncan Dollimore, Head of Campaigns at Cycling UK, said: “We need local authorities to be brave and to push ahead with more and better active travel projects and not feel bullied into abandoning perfectly good schemes by a noisy minority of protesters. “The simple fact is that we need to make it more appealing

for people to cycle and walk, particularly for short journeys, to avoid clogging up our cities with polluting motor traffic and to help make us all fitter and healthier. “Let’s be bold. Let’s tackle these problems head on and get the country moving again, safely, healthily and cheaply, by foot or by bike where it’s safe and sensible to do so.” Expert voices on how cycle lanes can help ease traffic congestion Rachel Aldred, Professor of Transport at the University of Westminster “Rising levels of motor traffic stem from a failure to provide safe alternatives, like a dense network of protected cycle tracks to give people of all ages real choice about how they travel. Without such changes, motor traffic will only grow further as and when lockdowns are relaxed. Do-nothing means more traffic jams, more road injuries, and more pollution.”

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John Parkin, Professor of Transport Engineering at UWE Bristol “A good way of relieving the pressure as a result of this excess of motor vehicles is for as many people as possible to switch to using more efficient forms of travel. For trips of a typical urban length the bicycle offers a highly efficient alternative. A lane the width of a car lane can carry three to five times as many bicycles as cars. Cities that have made a transition to less car travel and more travel by bicycle are much more liveable cities.” Richard Allsop, Emeritus Professor of Transport Studies at University College London “All users of motor vehicles have to find by trial and error how best to make their journeys, and perhaps which to give up making in their vehicles, as they collectively get used to the enhanced – but from their point of view reduced - network. “This will be a bit uncomfortable for quite a lot of us and really awkward for some. But our share in this discomfort is just our tiny share of the vast price that needs to be faced up to to reduce emissions, decarbonise transport and do our country's bit in keeping climate change manageable for future generations. “So just as we should be proud to take our share in making lockdown and similar work in enabling the NHS and the economy to hold out until we have a vaccine and time to think how we are going to pay off our new debts, so we should be proud to do our bit to make the reshaped road network work for everyone, even if it's awkward for us.” Dr Steve Melia, senior planning and transport lecturer at UWE Bristol “These trends are not just threatening the transport system, they are threatening the future of our cities and our countryside. Britain’s population is still rising, despite Brexit. The government wants to build 300,000 homes – like a city the size of Sheffield – every year. Since the late 1990s most new housing has been built in large towns and cities. Our cities could house many more people, but not many more cars. It’s a simple question of space. “As a nation, we have two choices: house more people with fewer cars in towns and cities, or give up and let car-based housing sprawl across the countryside. If we want to avoid that nightmare scenario then we must remove traffic and improve conditions for walking and cycling in urban areas.” Dr Joshua Vande Hey from the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester “We have to work very hard together to understand the systems-level picture of our cities. This means that we have to develop holistic plans for active and public transport infrastructure and connectivity backed by substantial government investment and make absolutely sure we are not further pressurising disadvantaged groups. “It also means that rather than blaming each other for our problems that we look carefully at the data behind the problems. An inclusive transformation toward sustainable transportation requires us to consider the complex system we are all part of, and how we can make it better for everyone through a cleaner environment and healthier lifestyles.”