For better, safer and more cycling in the Cambridge area

1. CambridgeCyclingCampaign For better, safer and more cycling in the Cambridge area

2. Is cycling a serious mode of transport? • Does it matter? • Alternative futures for cycling in the area

3. The Cycling Campaign • Formed in 1995 to give a voice for cyclists in the Cambridge area • A voluntary pressure group lobbying for better conditions, safer roads, increased convenience and more provision for cycling

4. Around 700 members • Spread evenly across and around the City • Wide range of ages andabilities

5. Why does Cambridge need a cycling campaign? • A good place to cycle? • Years of increasing traffic

7. Why does Cambridge need a cycling campaign? • A good place to cycle? • Years of increasing traffic • Blue-sign-on-the-pavement syndrome

9. Why does Cambridge need a cycling campaign? • A good place to cycle? • Years of increasing traffic • Blue-sign-on-the-pavement syndrome • Bike bans in City Centre

10. Cycling – a serious mode • Is cycling a serious mode of transport? • Does it matter? • Does the question even need asking here in Cambridge? • What does ‘serious’ mean, especially when viewed in a European context?

14. Does it matter? • Drivers might not care, but should • Marginal nature of congestion (wet weather, school holidays) • Cycles using Trumpington Road corridor alone would stretch to Harston if in cars • Of course it matters to cyclists • A sizeable proportion of Cambridge’s population

15. Cycling Futures • What might happen to cycling in the area in the future? • Driver behaviour; cyclists’ frustration • Perception, especially presentation • Settlement and work patterns • Impact on existing cyclists • Ability to generate cycling

16. Cycling Futures • National Cycling Strategy • NCS targets – double journeys from 1996 to 2002; treble by 2010 • “But we’re different here” • Trebling unlikely • Doubling feasible only with primary focus (e.g. Groningen)

17. Scenario A • Cycling levels collapse dramatically • Base of regular, committed, serious cyclists disappears • Only really envisage two triggers • Cycle helmets made compulsory • Use of ‘cycle facilities’ made compulsory

18. Scenario B • Cycling levels decline gradually • Increasing traffic levels • Negative Images • Bad weather

19. Scenario C • Cycling levels stay about the same • Proportion of journeys inevitably falls • Traffic levels rise, but constrained • Quality of provision significantly improves • Road space reallocated

20. Scenario D • Cycling levels increase markedly • Transport strategies focussed on this • Positive marketing • Major incentives/disincentives • New settlement generates trips

21. Cycling Futures • Where next? • In a state of resisting decline • Much depends on development patterns • Impact of new settlement on cycling • Capability of new settlement to support and generate cycling

22. Development impact • Traffic levels will rise • A proportion can be absorbed • Public transport, park & ride, guided bus, cycling • A proportion could be deterred • Levy, restrictions

23. Development impact • Traffic levels will rise • Not convinced settlement location makes much difference to this • New traffic widely distributed • Mitigation needs to be everywhere • New facilities shouldn’t just benefit new communities • Employment areas more concentrated

24. Journey generation • Cycling culture less likely in newcomers • Self-contained settlements internal cycling • Unlikely to be much externally if distances large • Rules out all but City proposal or similar • Lots of other reasons for and against

25. Journey generation • Settlements offer opportunities hard to do elsewhere • People friendly environments • Home zones and low speed zones

27. Journey generation • Settlements offer opportunities hard to do elsewhere • People friendly environments • Home zones and low speed zones • Cycle friendly traffic calming • Links between streets • Local services linked to and near housing • Safe routes to school built with the school

28. Driver attitudes • Not just traffic volume, but also behaviour • Widespread infringement of speed limits • Tempers in Cambridge on a knife-edge • A proportion of highly aggressive drivers • Using cars to intimidate • The ‘Milton Road’ effect

31. Driver attitudes • Marked contrast to European experience • Infrastructure not the main impression • Driver tolerance and politeness exemplified by right turns

33. Infrastructure • Is important • Needs to cater for a wide range • Legacy of poor quality • Continued limited vision • Recognise scope to treat cyclists differently • One-way • Traffic signals

34. Infrastructure • Not just ‘cycle facilities’ • The whole road environment • Speed limits • People-friendly environments • Junction treatments • Bus lanes (but usefulness threatened by bus driver behaviour) • Left-turn lanes

36. Examples abroad • Always continuous • Both sides of road • Integration with signals

39. Positive images & safety • Cycling isn’t an unsafe activity • Somewhat riskier than using a car • In this country • Not the same as ‘unsafe’ • Need to take the benefits into account • Depends how you measure it • Exposure to risk • Dilution effect of long fast journeys

40. Positive images & safety • Over-emphasis on safety • Leads to a wholly negative image of cycling • Outweighs positive effects in minds of potential users • Used as an excuse not to cycle • Results in paranoia • Look at ‘Give-Way’ issue again • Effect is to put cyclists in the wrong

42. Positive images & safety • Helmets say to people ‘cycling is dangerous, don’t do it’ • Dutch experience

44. Positive images & safety • Perceived safety • Remedial measures based on casualty statistics • Personal behaviour based on risk balanced by gain • the two don’t match

45. Some conclusions • So many people cycle here it must be considered seriously • Prospects for cycling not good if traffic increases • Vicious circle as more people turn to cars • Without physical and financial restraint on traffic we get the vicious circle and gridlock – consequences for cycling

46. Some conclusions • Mitigation from new settlement must be City and area-wide • Local expansion round Cambridge is more likely to lead to cycle trips • High levels unlikely given intake • Cycling not the only reason to build people-oriented environments

47. Some conclusions • Quality of provision for cycling, though improved, is still an order of magnitude below the best • Much more effort needs to be devoted to improving the cycling experience • Continued public emphasis on safety is having a negative impact. We need positive marketing and images

48. Penultimate words • Grounds for pessimism • Little to match European cycling experience • Many positive things aren’t happening, many negative ones are • Could end up with ‘Brookside’ developments • Groundswell of dissatisfaction among committed cyclists

49. Penultimate words • Grounds for optimism • Doesn’t have to be like that • There are solutions • Could raise our eyes beyond the mediocre vision • Translating the intellectual acceptance that cycling is a serious mode, and does matter, into a practical result

50. Realized visions • Cycle parking inGroningen and Münster