Walking and Cycling portrayed negatively in over 60% of media articles – new research reveals

25 June 2019

New research by Sustrans Scotland has revealed that despite well-documented health and environmental benefits, active travel continues to be portrayed in the media as risky and unsafe.  

The research, funded by Transport Scotland and conducted by Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit (RMU) analysed 600 articles over a 12-month period from online news outlets papers across the UK and Scotland to explore how walking and cycling is represented, and how people who walk and cycle are portrayed to the general public.  

The research is to be presented in full at this week’s international cycling conference, Velo-City 2019, which takes place in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. 

Researchers analysed articles from four perspectives: “thematic”, looking at the broad news angle; “sentiment”, understanding whether the news article or feature is broadly positive or negative; “discourse, which looks in more detail about how walking and cycling are represented.   The team also did a visual analysis, examining what types of images were used of people walking and cycling. 

It is the first media analysis of this type to look at portrayals of active travel in the Scottish media. 

Key findings include:

News articles seem to zone in on ‘Criminal Acts’ – where a crime is committed by or against a cyclist or person walking, or a person walking or cycling witnesses a crime, or ‘safety’ – reporting an incident or event which results in injury or harm. 

The majority of articles (61%) about walking and cycling are broadly negative.  There are some regional variations, however.  UK National papers have a greater percentage of positive articles about walking, whereas both the Scottish National and regional papers have a much higher percentage of articles that are positive towards cycling.

There were positive themes too. ‘Infrastructure’ is a theme featured in 64% of positive articles about active travel and ‘Health’ is featured in over 93% of articles providing a positive view of active travel.

‘Infrastructure’ articles coded as ‘negative’ were not necessarily anti-walking or cycling, instead discussing poor infrastructure that need to be improved to make these areas safer, again highlighting the perceived ‘dangers’ of active travel.

Health articles were mainly focussed on walking, and found in UK National media. There may be an opportunity to further promote health benefits of cycling in Scottish media.

One of the key findings was in the visual analysis.  Images of active travel in general, and cycling in particular, were predominantly of white males. 

Of those portrayed actively walking or cycling, 50% of images contained only men, while 27% showed only women. This gap widens when looking exclusively at cycling images (63% male and 18% female). Active travel articles significantly over-represent images of white individuals (96%) in comparison to BAME individuals (4%), highlighting the lack of diversity. 

According to the research, images can often make people walking and cycling look vulnerable, or less than human “through the use of isolated or car-dominated locations, a ‘voyeuristic’ camera angle, and content such as showing only someone’s feet, which makes it difficult for readers to connect and relate to the individual pictured.”

“  We in the sector also need to make sure we don’t inadvertently reinforce stereotypes, or add to a climate of fear rather than celebration. ”

- John Lauder, Sustrans UK Deputy CEO, and National Director, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland  

Will Wright, lead researcher, will present the findings in full at Velo-City 2019, in Dublin, an international conference organised by the European Cycling Federation (ECF) with over 1,200 delegates from 45 countries worldwide. 

Commenting on the findings, Sustrans UK Deputy CEO, and National Director, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, John Lauder said: “It was encouraging to see that the Scottish media is reporting health messages on cycling and that the UK media recognise the benefits of walking.

“But there is still work to be done on ensuring both cycling and walking are not stereotyped and associated imagery is much more widely representative. We in the sector also need to make sure we don’t inadvertently reinforce stereotypes, or add to a climate of fear rather than celebration”.

Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit Deputy Director, Nathan Farrell said: “This is one of the most comprehensive overviews of the media portrayal of active travel in Scotland. It explores some of the key challenges that emerge when reporting on cycling. In particular, it highlights how the media’s preference for the types of dramatic and sensationalist stories that appeal to audiences often underplays the more widespread health and environmental benefits of cycling.

“Ultimately, the research points towards the need for a more engaged dialogue between active travel advocates and media practitioners in order to more accurately represent the benefits of cycling”.  

Find out more about our work in Scotland Read the full report

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Despite growing awareness of climate change, UK families still pushed to use petrol vehicles on days out

24 June 2019

More than eight out of ten parents (83%) think an individual’s choice of transport plays an important role in leading a sustainable lifestyle. Despite this, petrol and diesel vehicles remain the main mode of travel for a day out for over half (56%) of UK families.

A YouGov poll, carried out for Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, surveyed 1,089 parents across the UK with children aged 18 and under about their views on sustainability and environmental problems.

Over four-fifths (83%) of those surveyed said their awareness of environmental problems has increased in the last year. When asked what changes they have made to their lifestyle as a result of this, over three in five (61%) have reduced plastic usage, followed by recycling more (57%) and walking for shorter journeys (38%), whilst 9% started cycling for shorter journeys.

The survey also revealed:

Walking tops the mode of transportation that is considered sustainable (81%), followed by cycling (72%) and train (35%). 70% say sustainable travel is not a key factor for determining the destination for a day out. Almost one third (29%) stated a lack of public transport as a key barrier to travelling more sustainably, followed by the inconvenience of planning a journey around being environmentally friendly (27%) and limited budget (26%). Almost half (47%) attributed their increased awareness of environmental problems to televised programmes and a further 42% credited this to newspapers and magazines. 92% of parents think it is important to teach their children about the impact their lifestyle can have on the environment.

Earlier in the year, the average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere hit its highest level in 800,000 years of which transport contributes heavily. New research by the University of Oxford demonstrates that walking or cycling can realistically substitute 41% of short car trips, saving nearly 5% of CO2 emissions from car travel.

MPs also passed a motion making the UK Parliament declare an “environment and climate emergency” following protests organised by pupils across the UK and worldwide demanding urgent action on climate change.

Xavier Brice, Sustrans’ CEO, said: “Environmental problems have dominated media coverage in the last year so it’s great public awareness is increasing. Sadly, transport is the only sector where carbon emissions continue to rise.

“If we are to help everyone travel more sustainably and reduce harmful emissions, we need to make it easier for more people to replace trips that they currently make by car with walking and cycling. Travelling by bike or foot should be as easy as recycling. As the survey shows, people want to travel more sustainably but now they need the right infrastructure to act.

“  Environmental problems have dominated media coverage in the last year so it’s great public awareness is increasing. Sadly, transport is the only sector where carbon emissions continue to rise. ”

- Xavier Brice, Sustrans’ CEO.

“Central Governments recognise the benefits of the National Cycle Network, which makes it possible for 4.4 million people to travel under their own power every year, for both work and leisure. We need to build on the success of the Network and make walking and cycling realistic for more families.

“Dense, high quality networks of walking and cycling paths that connect people to everyday destinations and offer an easy escape to the countryside require cross-government action and large-scale investment.”

The survey has been released to launch Sustrans’ Everyday Adventures campaign to promote the National Cycle Network. Its 16,000-miles span the UK and nearly a third of the Network is on traffic-free paths, providing a safe way to explore our cities, towns and countryside by foot or bike. 

Pauline Castres, Senior Health Policy Advisor at Unicef, said: “Families choosing active travel is not only good for the environment but has health benefits and reduces children’s exposure to air pollution. All children have the right to live, learn and play in a clean and safe environment. Yet every day, one in three children in the UK is breathing in harmful levels of air pollution that could damage their health and impact their future.

“These survey results highlight a clear need for the UK government to tackle this growing health crisis, by putting children’s health at the heart of its work on air pollution. Unicef UK is urging the government to create a Healthy Air for Children Action Plan promoting urban spaces and active travel schemes and ensuring a child-friendly approach to building walkways and cycle lanes away from polluted roads to reduce children and young people’s exposure to toxic air.”

“  These survey results highlight a clear need for the UK government to tackle this growing health crisis, by putting children’s health at the heart of its work on air pollution. ”

- Pauline Castres, Senior Health Policy Advisor at Unicef.

Julia Hailes MBE, sustainability writer and author of the acclaimed Green Consumer Guide, said: “I’m a huge fan of electric bikes. They really make cycling a realistic replacement to travelling by car - even in rural Dorset, where I live.  And, it’s good exercise too.  Creating cycling paths all over the country is an extremely effective route to cleaner air, better health and tackling climate change.”

Nat Taplin, Director of Good Journey, an organisation which champions car-free leisure travel, said: “This survey has a clear message – that tackling the barriers of poor travel information and cost will make it easier for families to enjoy a car-free day out.

"Kids love the adventure of going by train, bus, bike and foot – free from the confines of the car seat. Having a car-free day out is also one of the best ways we can all help reduce CO2, air pollution, noise and traffic. If we can shift one in 100 day trips out of cars, it will save as much CO2 as taking 50,000 cars off the road.”

Mark Fitzsimons, parent of two from Plymouth, said: “Whenever possible I try not to use my car and have been cycling with my son on the back of my bike since he was six months old. I’ve just bought a cargo bike as my other son is starting school in September and I really don’t want to start driving them both.

“They enjoy the freedom of sitting in the cargo bike as they’re not strapped in; everyone who sees them remarks on how happy they look. It’s also electric which means I have no trouble cycling up hills (there are plenty in Plymouth!) and we take the cargo bike pretty much everywhere – the shops, park and when we visit friends.

“It’s a shame driving is so integrated into our way of life as the benefits of cycling are so wide ranging. You only have to look across to the Netherlands to see how much of a difference it can make to people’s health and also the environment.” 

Find out more about Everyday Adventures

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Scrapped plans for a vital walking and cycle bridge – our response

21 June 2019

Today Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it has scrapped plans for a new walking and cycle Thames crossing from Canary Wharf to Rotherhithe in London. This came a day after plans to build the Silvertown tunnel, a four lane motorway in east London, were revealed.

Sustrans back in 2008 proposed a walking and cycle bridge over the Thames to connect south east London to the Docklands peninsular to make walking and cycling possible for thousands of commuters and residents. Our subsequent feasibility study showed the bridge would lead to a crucial new walking and cycling crossing and provide a vital link across east side of the river.

Commenting on the announcement, Matt Winfield, London Director at Sustrans, said:

“We are hugely disappointed that the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf bridge has been cancelled. With so much development planned for east London, it is essential that new walking and cycle crossings over the Thames are built so that it is easier for people to reach jobs and services using sustainable, clean modes of transportation.

Cycling and walking are a vital part of the transport mix but not if we force people to share tunnels with motor traffic. London needs significant change to address the problems of air quality, fairness, congestion and health - the cancellation of this bridge takes exactly the opposite approach.”

Find out more about the ‘bike bridge’

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Dublin inspired by UK Bike Life initiative to chart cycling progress in the city

20 June 2019
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Ahead of the world’s biggest cycling conference, Velo-city, which takes place next week in Dublin (25-28 June), the National Transport Authority (NTA) has announced the Dublin Metropolitan Area is to join the Bike Life programme.

Dublin will now join 17 UK cities and urban areas, including Belfast, in the Bike Life programme which began in 2015 and reports every two years on cycling progress.

Delivered by Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, Bike Life is the UK’s biggest assessment of cycling development, including infrastructure, travel behaviour, satisfaction and the wider impact of cycling on an urban area.

Bike Life is inspired by the Copenhagen Bicycle Account which began in 1996 and has helped transform the Danish capital into a model cycling city where more than 60 per cent of trips are made by bicycle.

Anne Graham, NTA Chief Executive Officer, said she was delighted to join the programme.

“Bike Life gives us an invaluable insight into our progress on cycling in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and the views held by people who live and work there.

“It will help us quantify the health, economic and environmental benefits of cycling, and will provide us with really useful information about the kind of projects that the public believes we should be investing in, if we are to make cycling a safer and more popular mode of transport.”

Xavier Brice, Sustrans Chief Executive, welcomed Dublin to the Bike Life programme:

“It is a very exciting development to welcome Ireland’s capital city to join Bike Life. Since Sustrans began the programme in 2015 it has grown in size and profile with the number of urban areas involved more than doubling in just four years. This is testament to the quality of the data collection and interest by government authorities in the survey findings.

“We know the more cycle-friendly a city is, the more liveable and attractive it is. Dublin has always had a cycling culture but like many UK cities has been blighted in recent decades by the dominance of car traffic. By taking part in Bike Life, our aim is to promote cycling as an everyday means of travel. Dublin will be able to share in learning from the other UK cities and we know the UK can learn from Dublin’s experiences.”

Bike Life surveys a representative group of at least 1,100 people in each of the cities involved covering a wide range of issues including bike ownership, cycling provision (routes and cycle parking), gender and ethnicity, safety and security and perceptions of cycling. The report also looks at the impact cycling has on the health, economy and environment of each city.

The UK cities are Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Greater Cambridge, Greater Manchester, Inverness, Liverpool, Newcastle, Paisley, Perth, Southampton, Stirling and Tower Hamlets borough of London. 

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Sussex school children investigate air pollution and its effects, making every day a Clean Air Day

19 June 2019

25 schools across Sussex have been working with walking and cycling charity Sustrans on a major air quality education project funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs .

Working in partnership with Sussex Air Quality Partnership and Living Streets, Sustrans aims to raise awareness and engage school communities to keep air quality on the agenda throughout the year, not just on Clean Air Day, which falls on 20 June this year.

Sustrans’ air quality project officer, Daisy Addison, is working on the year-long project with primary school children. The project includes monitoring air quality, data analysis, an awareness campaign and clean air route-mapping.

Daisy said: “Our sessions are fun and informative. They encourage young people to identify the sources and effects of air pollution whilst developing an understanding of what can be done to improve it. Clean Air Day provides an opportunity for all schools to introduce this topic to their pupils and raise awareness of the far-reaching effects of poor air quality to human health and the environment.”

Alongside schools from all over Sussex, pupils from St Luke’s Primary School in Brighton have been investigating lichen and using nitrogen dioxide diffusion tubes to measure and monitor air quality around their school. They have been thinking about how people can work together to help minimise air pollution in a variety of ways, including discussing the role of walking or cycling to school.

Fiona Byrne, teacher at St Luke’s Primary School said: “Year 3 were very engaged with the Air Quality Project because it was about their local area and directly related to their experience. It was a great opportunity for them to do some practical science by using test tubes to test the air quality around the school. We are now using the information to plan healthier routes to school, so benefiting the whole school.”

“  “The evidence on air pollution and the risk it poses to the public’s health is clear, so we must take action. ”

- James Cleeton, Sustrans Director for England South

James Cleeton, Sustrans Director for England South, said: “The evidence on air pollution and the risk it poses to the public’s health is clear, so we must take action.

“It is great to see schools, agencies and communities working together on initiatives like this, which help to raise awareness and tackle the issue of poor air quality.

“We hope that everyone who participates in this project will continue to make choices that help reduce air pollution. Enabling people to make walking and cycling a normal part of their day will play a huge role in improving air quality, particularly around our schools, and will protect future generations for years to come.

“To help clean up our air, the UK Government needs to show leadership by helping local authorities fund and deliver better cycling and walking infrastructure, so that every child is able to travel on foot or by bike to school in safety and with confidence.”

Councillor Anne Pissaridou, Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee at Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “This project has raised important awareness about air pollution as a serious environmental risk to human health.

“As we know, road transport is the biggest source of emissions in Brighton & Hove. By encouraging children and their carers to make more journeys on foot, by bike or on public transport, or turning off the car engine when stationary, this project empowers people to respect and make a difference to the air we breathe.

“The sessions run by Sustrans point our school communities towards ways to cut air pollution and to minimise our exposure to it. We will continue to work with Sustrans to support these initiatives which are so important to informing and educating future generations about the difference they can make to improve air quality in the city and protect our local environment.”

Read more about how every day should be a Clean Air Day

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Sustrans invite you to ditch the car for Clean Air Day

19 June 2019

Sustrans are taking part in a wide range of activities across Northern Ireland to promote Clean Air Day on Thursday 20 June. Clean Air Day is a national campaign to raise awareness of the problems caused by poor air quality.

To mark the day, Sustrans are inviting people to ditch the car for the day and either walk, cycle or take public transport in an effort to lower air pollution levels.  In East Belfast at CS Lewis Square you can take part in some fun activities including a pedal powered smoothie bike or a Geocache Walk and fill out a pledge card on what you will change for Clean Air Day.

The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast continually has congestion and car parking problems that contribute to poor air quality in the area, Sustrans Workplaces team will be at the hospital and encouraging staff to walk, cycle to work or use public transport. 

In Derry~Londonderry, Sustrans are supporting Derry City and Strabane District Council in their campaign to lower air pollution levels in the North West. There will be on-street promotions in both Strabane and at the Foyle Arena, as well as a lunchtime walk for Council staff.

Sustrans volunteers will also have a street presence in Armagh, which was found to have the worst particulate air pollution in Northern Ireland according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2017. The WHO surveyed the air quality of the UK’s 51 towns and cities. It found 44 failed the test for fine sooty particles smaller than 2.5 microns across that have been linked to heart disease and premature death.

Armagh was the worst in Northern Ireland with 14 micrograms per cubic metre. Belfast was next on 12 with Derry next on 11 micrograms per cubic metre. London and Leeds both had 15 micrograms of the particles in every cubic metre-sized parcel of air.

Air quality is becoming an increasing problem in towns and cities across Northern Ireland, it is not only damaging our environment but also our health. Every year, up to 36,000 people die from air pollution in the UK.[1]

Anne Madden from Sustrans said: “Road traffic is a major cause of air pollution which is damaging our health and the environment. We need urgent action by government to reduce air pollution. Governments need to do more to encourage less car use, invest in public transport and cycling infrastructure; and enable more people to walk and cycle for their everyday journeys. We believe government must take a “fewer not just cleaner” approach to motor traffic.”

There are some simple steps you can take that will have a big impact on the air you and your family breathes.  Making cleaner travel choices is just one way to make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone.  What will you pledge for Clean Air Day?

To learn more about how air pollution could be affecting you and your family’s health, visit www.cleanairday.org.uk and follow the campaign #CleanAirDay and #LoveAir on Twitter

[1] ‘Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (2018)

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Children at risk of day-long exposure to polluted air inside and outside London Classrooms

18 June 2019

Sustrans has collaborated on a new report, which today has been published by Health & Environment Alliance (HEAL). Entitled “ Healthy Air, Healthier Children,“ it shows the air quality inside - as well as outside - primary schools across Europe must be improved to protect children’s health and ensure optimal learning.

The data for London was built on a citizen science monitoring initiative that measured indoor and outdoor air pollutants at seven schools in Lambeth, which is one of the most polluted boroughs in London. It shows the presence of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) inside and outside all classrooms, highlighting the urgent need to further tackle traffic pollution. The monitoring also found high levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) inside classrooms, indicating the need for better ventilation. 

Jonathan Grigg, Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine at Queen Mary University, said: “This report highlights that exposure of children to toxic compounds in the air not only occurs outdoors - but also in schools. More research is therefore urgently needed on the health effects of these exposures, and health-based indoor exposure limits must be developed for school children.”

Air pollution is the number one environmental threat to health in Europe and globally, leading to 400,000 premature deaths and hundreds of billions of euros in health costs in the EU each year. In the UK alone, around 40,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to air pollution. Evidence demonstrates that children are particularly at risk from polluted air, which can increase the risk of a child developing asthma and lead to an increase in the number and severity of asthma attacks, especially if a child lives close to a busy road. Indeed, the UK has the highest prevalence of childhood asthma across Europe.

Air pollution can also impact a child’s heart, brain and nervous system development, even before birth. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that no level of air pollution can be considered safe. It is already known that London exceeds EU NO 2 air quality standards, with half of emissions coming from road traffic. For the HEAL citizen science monitoring project, particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) were monitored during March-April 2019, with the active participation of schools and children and HEAL’s partner organisation Sustrans. The initiative was also rolled out in five more European capitals - Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Sofia - totalling 50 schools.

In London, outdoor NO 2 (a pollutant coming predominantly from traffic, especially diesel-powered vehicles), measured at the school entrances for one month, came close to the annual EU legal limit and WHO guideline of 40μg/m 3 , with averages of 35μg/m 3 and 36μg/m 3 NO 2 at two schools. These levels are averages, however, and are likely to have been higher during school hours, particularly drop off and pick up times, due to higher traffic volumes compared to evenings and weekends. The project also found NO 2 inside each of the seven classrooms ranging from an average of 12 μg/m 3 up to 26 μg/m 3 . As there are no indoor sources of NO 2 , this pollutant is travelling in from outside.

Yvonne Morris from Hitherfield Primary School, one of the seven schools that actively participated in the project, said: “We take air quality very seriously in our school, as we want to provide the best environment we can for our children inside and outside the school. It was very interesting to monitor the pollution, particularly inside the school. Before we started the project, we didn’t really know much about nitrogen dioxide, the fact it might travel into the buildings and how harmful that could be.” Keeping windows and doors closed to prevent pollution from entering is not a solution, as there is a need to air out classrooms, especially to decrease CO 2 levels. A previous study expressed the need to limit CO 2 to 1,000ppm to prevent a negative impact on academic performance, as higher concentrations can contribute to headaches, dizziness and the inability to concentrate. The HEAL study found levels of between 1,195ppm and 2,750ppm in London classrooms.

Xavier Brice, CEO at Sustrans that carried out the air quality monitoring around the seven schools in London, said: “This report contributes to the mounting evidence that air pollution is a real threat to our health and wellbeing, and in particular to our children’s. Until we end our reliance on motor vehicles for local journeys, the plague of pollution over our streets and inside schools will continue. The UK government needs to show leadership by making it easier for local authorities to close streets outside schools to motor vehicles during drop off and pick up times, and deliver a network of walking and cycling routes to school so that every child is able to travel by foot, cycle or scooter in safety and with confidence. The failure to resolve this denies our children their basic human right - to breathe clean air.”

Jemima Hartshorn, Founder of Mums for Lungs, a network of parents campaigning for clean air, said: “We are really supportive of this project. Lambeth is one of the most polluted boroughs in the UK and the air quality is having a negative impact on children’s health. By measuring the levels of air pollution in schools, where children spend so much time, this project will raise real awareness amongst pupils, parents and policymakers about the urgent need for action – and will allow stakeholders to ensure that the best and most pollution-reducing action is implemented.”

The report includes recommendations for policy-makers, but also for school authorities, parents and the health sector. These focus on the need for comprehensive, long-term monitoring, but also a range of measures that will clean up the air outside, so pollution does not travel inside the classrooms.

Anne Stauffer, Director for Strategy and Campaigns at HEAL, said: “HEAL’s snapshot investigation underlines the need for policy, teacher and parent action on clean air in schools. This should start with policy-makers prioritising healthy schools where children can breathe healthy air. It is unacceptable that the cities in our investigation, and many more in the EU, exceed the EU’s air quality standards. In cities, emissions from cars, buses and lorries are a major contributor to poor air quality, so investments should be made into not only reducing traffic around schools, for example with a ban on engine idling or restricted school streets, but also to finance those measures that will lead to a decrease in car use overall.”

Read the full report

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Your views on cities and towns

14 June 2019

We want your help to shape our work in cities and towns.

If you live in a city or town in the UK we want to hear about your experience and views on what would make them better places to live. Please take part in our survey today.

The survey closes on the 8th July at 5pm.

As most people live, work, study and play in urban areas we believe it is important that the many benefits of living in cities are towns are accessible to everyone and that living in them contributes to our health and happiness.

Sustrans has always worked in cities and towns – from schools to workplaces, transformation of city centres to research on public opinion and a whole lot more – we have been working for decades to make them easier places for everyone to walk and cycle.

We are currently planning the future of how we work in cities and towns – learning from what we’ve done before and setting ambitious new aims for what we do next. 

Your views will be a vital part in shaping our next steps and we’d love to hear them. You can share them via our survey here.

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£6.8 million boost to help thousands more rail commuters travel by bike

14 June 2019

Thousands of new cycle spaces will be added to rail stations around the country thanks to new investment in the Cycle Rail programme.

Xavier Brice, CEO for Sustrans, commented:

“Walking and cycling should be the easiest way for everyone to get to their local station, making our towns and cities better places to live by reducing congestion and air pollution, and improving our physical and mental health. But it’s not always easy.

"Train operators and their partners have come up with a range of schemes that will make it easier for people to get to and from their station under their own power, which we hope will encourage more people to choose cycling and walking as part of their everyday journey.

"The Cycle Rail programme has already tripled the number of cycle parking spaces at more than 500 stations, bringing the total to over 80,000.”

Find out more about the Cycle Rail Programme

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Sustrans Reaction to vote on 20mph

13 June 2019

Sustrans Scotland is hugely disappointed at the Scottish Parliament’s rejection of the 20mph (restricted roads) Bill. 

We had worked alongside many third sector bodies and charities to present evidence of the benefits of 20mph in making our streets safer, and our towns and cities better for people.  This remains Sustrans position and will continue to advocate for 20mph as one of the best ways to improve places for people walking and cycling.

We welcome the contributions made by many MSPs, from the SNP, from Scottish Labour and from the Scottish Greens in support of the Bill.  It is clear that road safety is not just a health issue, but also a social justice issue, and commend the MSPs who highlighted this. 

We are also heartened by the broad support for 20mph in principle, even amongst many who do not support the 20mph (restricted roads) Bill. 

We respect the vote of the parliament and will reflect on the vote against. We are also committed to working with any interested local authorities looking to roll out 20mph.

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Sustrans and Wandsworth organise borough’s first ever Play Street

12 June 2019

We’ve been working in partnership with the London Borough of Wandsworth and Granard Primary School to transform the road outside the school into the borough’s first ever Play Street, making it safer, less polluted and more enjoyable for pupils to walk, cycle or scoot.

Making positive change happen

Our extensive experience with schools and local authorities throughout London means that we can make positive change happen. In Wandsworth, we worked with Granard School on creating a Play Street event for the children and their families and we liaised with the borough on behalf of the school for permission to close the road. We will be monitoring parents’ views of the Play Street and providing Wandsworth with a report and evaluation which is part of our work to support the borough in their ambition to role out regular School Streets more widely. 

“ It’s great to be working with Granard School and the London Borough of Wandsworth, as they take the first step in creating a safer and cleaner environment outside the school. ”

-   Sustrans’ London Director, Matt Winfield Pedal power and freedom to play

Children were able to walk, scoot, cycle and play freely outside their school in the afternoon of Wednesday 12 June 2019 when the council closed Cortis Terrace to motor traffic in the afternoon. By opening the street to children and parents they provided children with a safe space to play. The aim of closing the street outside the school was to ease congestion, improve air quality and road safety. These are issues that many families are concerned about, particularly during drop-off and pick-up time.

Our June Play Street included fun playground games, scooter and bike skills and a smoothie making bike! Everyone had great fun making their own delicious, nutritious drinks using pedal power.

Big step to a safer and cleaner school environment

Organising a Play Street is a great first step to making the roads outside schools safer and less polluted. A Play Street can also lead to a more permanent School Street, where the road restricts motor traffic access every school day at drop-off and pick-up times.

“ By demonstrating that closing the road outside our school is achievable, and by measuring its impact and sharing our findings, we are aiming to encourage more regular street closures. ”

- Headteacher Cheryl Grigg Together we make a difference

We already have a great relationship with Granard Primary School, delivering our bespoke schools behaviour change programme Bike It Plus. Our Bike It officer, Emma, works closely with the school delivering activities such as bikers breakfasts, classroom activities and topical assemblies. 

Sustrans’ London Director Matt Winfield said:

“It’s great to be working with Granard School and the London Borough of Wandsworth, as they take the first step in creating a safer and cleaner environment outside the school.

“All the schools across London are in locations which breach World Health Organisation limits for air quality. Urgent action is needed, and we want national government to support local authorities to make it safer and easier for parents and children to walk, scoot and cycle to school. To do that, the roads outside schools need to feel safe. A great start is eliminating motor traffic at the beginning and end of the school day.

“It’s wonderful that Granard School has ambitions to do this on a more regular basis and that Wandsworth is keen to roll out School Streets to other locations in the borough. Hopefully, others will follow Granard’s example.”

Granard’s Headteacher Cheryl Grigg said:

“The streets around our school are often dominated by idling cars and traffic at drop-off and pick-up times, resulting in air pollution and an environment that is generally unpleasant for walking and cycling.

“By demonstrating that closing the road outside our school is achievable, and by measuring its impact and sharing our findings, we are aiming to encourage more regular street closures.

“Ultimately, we want to affect a permanent change in the way children travel to school and also hope to inspire more schools to try this approach and to raise awareness to the public about travel and its impact on health, well-being and the environment.”

While vehicle traffic is normally prevented from entering any school streets, it does not apply to local residents who live in the streets or drivers with a disability who need access. The schemes apply only during term times.

Read more about our work in London

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Double boost for cycling in Londonderry

12 June 2019

Cycling in Derry~Londonderry got a double boost with two new resources launched in Bike Week (8-16 June).

A new online map was launched by Derry and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) which marks out all local cycling routes, bike parking and useful cycling facilities such as bike repair stations.

Launching the new resource, Derry City and Strabane District Mayor, Councillor Michaela Boyle, said it would be a really valuable guide for people who cycle, especially those new to the area.

“I’m delighted to see the launch of the online map which offers quick and easy access to the latest information on all our local greenways, park cycle paths, shared use paths and on road cycle lanes in our District,” she declared.

“Making it easier for people to travel in a more active way is a key objective for Council as it’s good for our environment, reducing congestion and carbon emissions. And it’s great for people’s physical and mental health.

“With our ever-expanding traffic-free greenway network and the development of our parks and green infrastructure we are making really positive strides towards developing a more sustainable region.”

New bike storage unit

Commuters who would like to cycle but don’t have access to a bike can now benefit from a new bike unit which has opened this week at Ebrington Square in the city.

Six new bikes will be available from the bike storage unit as part of the Leading The Way programme, funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA) in the north west. Sustrans delivers the programme to encourage commutes by cycling or walking to public sector staff from the Western Health and Social Care Trust, DCSDC and PHA.

Krysten Maier, Sustrans Active Travel Officer said: "We’re really pleased to be able to extend the use of six new bikes to employees through the Leading the Way project. Ebrington is a wonderful public space in Derry and it will be a great meeting point for staff across the various organizations to come together for a range of cycle-based activities.

“With a close proximity to the Peace Bridge and Derry’s extensive riverside greenway network, we’re hoping this new bike storage unit will be a great way to break down some of the barriers that staff in the North West face when it comes to cycling and inspire them to get back on the bike more and more.”

View the new cycling map by visiting the Council’s website Find out more about our routes in Northern Ireland To find out more about the Leading The Way programme contact Krysten.  

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John Lauder, Deputy CEO of Sustrans, calls on Scottish Parliament to back the 20MPH (restricted roads) Bill.

12 June 2019

John Lauder, Deputy CEO of Sustrans, and National Director Sustrans Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland calls on MSPs to support the 20MPH (restricted roads) Bill.

On 13 June, the Scottish Parliament will be voting on making 20 mph the default speed limit on residential roads across Scotland.

There is strong evidence that slower speed limits save lives and prevent injuries (studies have shown a fatality risk of 1.5% at 20 mph versus 8% at 30 mph).

There is also major public support with 66% approving plans to lower speed limits on residential streets. Encouraging more people to walk and cycle, helping to create safer places for people to live, work and travel.

A national approach, rather than a local authority by authority roll out, would be cheaper and help avoid confusion amongst motorists.  

Sustrans Scotland believe the evidence presents an overwhelming and irrefutable argument towards lowering residential speed limits and call on MSPs to follow the example set recently in Wales and legislate to set the restricted roads default speed limit at 20mph in Scotland.

Read more about the 20MPH (restricted roads) Bill

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Sustrans response to new Cycle to Work Scheme

10 June 2019

Responding to the Government’s updates to the Cycle to Work Scheme, Xavier Brice Chief Executive at Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, said:

“We warmly welcome the new Cycle to Work Scheme guidance published today which highlights the UK Government’s ambition to make cycling an activity for everyone.

“Removing the cap an employee can spend on a bike will open up cycling to more people, enabling them to purchase specially adapted or electric cycles, which was not previously possible due to their high cost.

“Encouraging more people to get on bikes means that more people can enjoy the National Cycle Network. Sustrans is busy making paths on the Network more suitable for everyone by removing 16,000 barriers, as well as increasing the number of people who can actively travel to work with a smile on their face.

“There’s no doubt that cycling is good for our health and the environment which is why we would like all employers and their workforces to take full advantage of the Scheme. In future we would like to see similar schemes on offer for those not in work so that more people can access cycles no matter their age or employment status.”

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One third of disabled people in UK cities would like to start cycling

6 June 2019

The “Inclusive cycling in towns and cities” report, published today by Sustrans and Arup highlights that women, older and disabled people continue to be neglected in cycling. This is despite the UK having a legal obligation through the Equality Act 2010 to protect everyone from discrimination in wider society.

An estimated 84% of disabled people living in the UK’s biggest cities never cycle for local journeys, yet one third (33%) say they would like to start cycling. The significant interest in everyday cycling is mirrored amongst other demographic groups, including women (32%) and people over 65 years old (15%).

The report uses data from Bike Life 2017, the largest assessment of cycling in seven major cities, and interviews with 12 focus groups consisting of women, older people and disabled people with reduced mobility, learning difficulty, hearing loss, partial sight, or mental health conditions.

Findings

It finds that people from these demographic groups face systematic barriers to either beginning to cycle, or to cycling more, including:

An association that cycling isn’t an activity for people like ‘them’. Heightened safety concerns when sharing road space with motor vehicles. Lack of seamless and dedicated cycle infrastructure to connect people to everyday destinations suitable for different types of cycles. Access to and the high cost of adapted cycles, including electric cycles, and where government support exists e.g. through the cycle to work scheme, it is only available to those in employment.

Interestingly, many participants who cycle only do so for leisure, as they can choose their own routes through parks or along familiar quiet roads. This means cycling to everyday destinations like work, school, the shops and community services is out of reach for them.

“ If I had an adapted bike, I think I would feel less disabled and feel a bit cooler. I would feel more confident getting out and about. ”

- Participant with reduced mobility from Greater Manchester

Barriers to cycling can also often affect people’s independence and confidence to travel, and, in some cases, push people into isolation.

Recommendations

The report sets out a number of recommendations for towns and cities, including:

Ensuring the voices of underrepresented groups are integrated in policy and planning. Creating a dense network of cycling routes within and around where people live and amenities. Reducing through traffic in local neighbourhoods to improve safety. Better access to cycle training and to adapted cycles.

Sustrans and Arup will use the initial findings from the report as the basis for further work to engage with organisations representing women, older people and disabled people to inform the transport sector to make urban cycling fully inclusive.

Xavier Brice, CEO for Sustrans, said:

“Inclusive transport is at the heart of a fairer society, and cycling can play a vital role in enhancing social inclusion. Sadly, in the UK an estimated 70% of the population can face systemic barriers to cycling, which shape and often limit their mobility, life opportunities and independence.  

“Our urban areas are predominantly designed around the car and only those brave enough to share road space with motor traffic currently consider cycling as a mode of transportation. However, women, disabled people and older people, who on average are less likely to regularly drive, suffer from the impact motor vehicles create, such as congestion and air pollution, which is damaging to their health and wellbeing. 

“ Cycle lanes end too quickly. They don’t last very long and you’re back on the road again. I think they’re great, because they are segregated cycle paths. They’re safe, but the fact that they make then run for half a mile is pointless. ”

- Female participant from Glasgow

“This report acknowledges that the UK can achieve big social changes. While it’s clear central governments need to show leadership and prioritise investment in cycling, we urge cities and towns to work with us to make cycling inclusive, safer and attractive for more people, regardless of gender, age and abilities.”

Mei-Yee Man Oram, UK Access and Inclusion Lead at Arup, said:

“Inclusive travel is an extremely important issue and we hope that this collaboration with Sustrans will open up a wider public conversation about ensuring everyone can access the benefits of cycling.

“Given the backdrop of climate change and air pollution in our cities - it’s vital we get more people involved in activities, such as cycling, which are not only good for their own personal health and wellbeing but for the environment.

“We’re excited about moving onto the next stage of this project with Sustrans, we hope our findings will be a valuable tool for the transport sector in making cycling more inclusive.”

Isabelle Clement, Director of Wheels for Wellbeing said:

“We welcome this Sustrans/Arup report, which re-affirms our charity’s own research findings and many of our own recommendations. As the campaigning voice of Disabled cyclists in the UK, we are encouraged to see major players across the cycling world give detailed attention to this agenda.

“Vast numbers of Disabled people are hampered from cycling at all or as much as they’d like to, not by their impairments but by infrastructure, financial and attitudinal barriers to cycling. The resulting costs for them and for society at large are huge (avoidable physical and mental ill-health, social isolation, etc.). Identifying these barriers means they can be removed.

“We very much look forward to working with Sustrans and Arup on pushing for full implementation of the report’s recommendations during phase two of this project”. 

For further information, images and interviews, and the report, please contact:

Anna Galandzij, Senior Press Officer at Sustrans, anna.galandzij@sustrans.org.uk, 07557 915648
Liv Denne, Press and Media Officer at Sustrans, liv.denne@sustrans.org.uk, 07768 035318.

Read the report: Inclusive Cycling in Cities and Towns

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