This is a truly excellent blog post, one in a series about the climate crisis. However, it's more than just that. It has something for everyone and is packed full of facts and references.
Did you know that we spend £7billion a year on aviation subsidies? Or that fuel duty has been frozen for over a decade? Or even that making bus travel free for everyone would only cost £2billion?
'An official study of low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) ordered by Rishi Sunak amid efforts to stop them being built has instead concluded they are generally popular and effective and the report was initially buried, the Guardian has learned.'
It was raining just before I left work, so I put on my waterproofs and the weather gods saw me and it immediately stopped raining 😂 #ActiveTravel#BikeTooter#Cycling
Emissions aren't the only consideration for #transportation. This nice graphic from Surrey, BC's Climate Change Action Strategy compares the operating emissions AND the public space footprint of transportation options. #ActiveTravel wins at both! (And SUVs are really bad)
I did my first ride home from the gym in the dark tonight. The fairy lights made a group of runners laugh and I noticed pedestrians pointing.
It's so silly, but I really like that it makes people smile. Hopefully it spreads a bit of positivity 😁 #BikeTooter#Cycling#ActiveTravel
I had to get groceries today, so I cycled to the supermarket at the top of the hill, just so I could zoom back down with my shopping.
I pretend this is for reasons of efficiency, but really it's because my mental age is still be that of a child 😂 🚴 #Quaxing#ActiveTravel#BikeTooter
Advice needed
There is a consultation in my town, about proposed new cycling and walking routes.
This has happened before, and the schemes never went ahead, because motorists vastly outnumber cyclists, so there were more negative responses than positive ones.
Does anyone have any advice / experience on taking part in these consultations and some reasonable arguments I could put forward?
Thank you, friends 😊 #ActiveTravel#Cycling#BikeTooter
I've advocated for the use of the terms "person walking" and "person cycling" instead of "pedestrian" and "cyclist". It may seem pedantic but it frames the way we think about #ActiveTravel and transport in general.
Compare the first Google image results for "cyclist" - a man in lycra and dark glasses travelling at speed - with "person cycling" - a woman in normal clothes cycling leisurely and smiling.
When people object to cycling infrastructure, who are they thinking of as users?
Third day in a row of 40mph winds, so no cycling for me today 😭
If there were safe, separated bike lanes in my area, I'd ride; but the risk of being blown under a vehicle on these awful car-infested roads is too great. Meh. #BikeTooter#ActiveTravel
Body of research grows that indicates the e-bike is a silver bullet for the transport ecosystem in reducing traffic & helping people become more active. Of course, mobile people stay & shop on high streets too, so not bad for the economy either: https://www.cyclingelectric.com/news/study-e-bike-riders-drive-less-trips
'“We need to ensure that every child can walk or cycle to school safely”: All political parties – except the Conservatives – agree “children’s safety should be prioritised over the convenience of motorists” on “red-rated” road network, families say'
In your weekly edinburgh cycle 'digest' (bumper edition 😅): The Search for Political Will; Fundraising Opportunities; Transport & Environment Committee May Meeting Roundup; and @edfoc Kicks Off!
The importance of active travel, and the encroaching era of car-induced lethargy was a topic for discussion in 1963. Except from John McGahern's The Barracks. #books#bookstodon#cycling#activeTravel