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East Midlands Cycle Event Derby, Saturday 6 th May 2006. Derby Cycling Group. Derby Cycling Group Cycle Demonstration Towns An East Midlands cycle campaign? Cycling trends in selected towns Building an East Midlands cycle campaign. East Midlands Cycle Event. 1 The Derby Cycling Group.
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East Midlands Cycle EventDerby, Saturday 6th May 2006 Derby Cycling Group
Derby Cycling Group Cycle Demonstration Towns An East Midlands cycle campaign? Cycling trends in selected towns Building an East Midlands cycle campaign East Midlands Cycle Event
1 The Derby Cycling Group • Aims • Structure • Strategies
Aims • To increase levels of cycling - enjoyment, health, economy, environment • To achieve modal shift from car to bike - improving conditions for cycling
Structure • High membership (~500) – low subscription • Chair, Secretary, Treasurer + committee elected very year at AGM • Monthly meetings throughout the year
Strategies • Campaigning to achieve better cycling conditions and raise cycling up the political agenda • Promoting cycling to the general public
Campaigning - the political agenda • Quarterly meetings with city council • Consultative report writing • Representation on many different organisations • Web site and quarterly e-newsletter
Promoting cycling to the general public • Dr Bike Clinics • information stalls • cycle parks • cycle tryouts at public events • short, family friendly, cycle rides – aimed at the less confident cyclist
2 Cycle Demonstration Towns • Cycling England (Department for Transport) initiative • Very limited levels of cycling despite investment in infrastructure • Focus resources onto selected target populations of 100,000 • Derby’s bid targeted at under 25s
Derby as a Cycle Demonstration Town • £1.5m from Cycling England, match funded to £3m, for 3 years, for: • cycle training in primary schools • after school cycle clubs • better information and new city cycle route map • cycle rides and events throughout the year • increased cycle storage at schools • filling in gaps in the cycle network • improving cycle route signing • bicycle recycling scheme and a city centre bike park • overall, programme aimed at ‘hearts and minds’ rather than simply providing more infrastructure
3 An East Midlands cycle campaign? Why? – • Transportation policy and planning increasingly at a regional level • Success in Derby may ultimately mean more government investment for cycling • Share experiences and gain mutual benefits
Cycling trends in selected towns • Cycling trends since 1971 • Transport to work census data
Percentage of workforce cycling to work in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, 1971-2001(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)
Percentage of workforce travelling to work by car (driver or passenger) in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, 1971-2001(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)
Percentage of workforce cycling to work in York, Cambridge, Oxford & Hull 1971-2001(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)
Percentage of workforce cycling to work in the six cycle demonstration towns, 1971-2001(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)
Percentage of workforce cycling to work in Hackney, Inner London, England & Wales 1971-2001(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)
5 Building an East Midlands cycle campaign? • Need to reverse the declining cycling trends • Recognise that - • today’s school children – tomorrow’s workforce • cycling must continue into adulthood • must convert car journeys to work (school/shops etc) to cycle journeys
Barriers to cycling • inadequate and inappropriate infrastructure? • marginalisation of cycling in transportation planning? • lack of safety and security? • lack of cycle training? • predominance of the car based economy?
Cyclingfaces: • Rising sea of motorised traffic • Ever cheaper car travel • No effective means of demand management
Consequences - • Cycle infrastructure/training cannot compete with ever growing car traffic • Leisure cycling to the rescue????? • does it really lead to utility, car replacing cycling???? • Must focus campaigns on transportation policies that control car use • Exhortations about health, environment, economy will not do!
“if the quantum leap in cycling that is required is to occur the message about the safety and health benefits [of cycling] must be received and accepted by the general and in particular the car-addicted population as a more than viable alternative to total car dependency” (Chief Executive, Cycling England, Choosing Cycling, Choosing Health Conference, 4th April, Nottingham) • But this quantum leap is highly unlikely to occur as long as car use remains virtually unrestrained?
Three pronged regional cycle campaign Transportation policy Community Cycling Cycling Infrastructure
Three pronged regional cycle campaign Transportation policy Regional Government Office Community Cycling Cycling Infrastructure
What might the campaign do? • Will whatever it does create modal shift from car? - • combat road expansion plans in East Midlands • co-ordinated campaign for increased parking restrictions in urban areas • support speed restrictions in all urban residential areas • help promote car free home zones • better cycle access to all train stations
How might the campaign develop? work through EMTARS and CTC? Website? e-Newsletter? meetings? events? regional city cycle workshops?
Who might be involved? • All cycle campaign groups • Sustrans and the CTC • Sports cycling groups • Mountain Biking groups • i.e. everyone who is involved in anyway with cycling
Summary: 4 key points • 1 not just more cycling needed but more cycling as replacement for car journeys • 2 focusing on infrastructure and ‘hearts and minds’ alone will not be enough • 3 must also campaign on overall transportation policy – demand management • 4 need to draw together the all the disparate cycling groups in the region
Summary: 5 final thoughts • what use is it if levels of cycling increase but only by abstraction from those who walk or use (ever more expensive!) public transport? • what use is leisure cycling if it does not lead to car replacing utility cycling? • if a reduction in (ever cheaper!) car travel is achieved, then is not cycling only one of three options for those leaving the car behind; walking and public transport are the other two? • suppose car use really does decline and yet still nobody cycles as the walking and public transport options are resorted to instead. Could not the objectives of cycling – enjoyment, health, economy and environment - still be realised? • so just what are cycle campaigners, campaigning for and why?
East Midlands Cycle EventDerby, Saturday 6th May 2006 The Derby Cycling Group