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House of Commons committee urges government to boost cycling and walking funding

Transport select committee also calls for more ambitious targets to be set for active travel in England

An influential House of Commons select committee has called on the government to boost funding on cycling and walking, pointing out that current levels of spending equate to just 1.5 per cent of England’s transport budget.

Publishing its report, Active travel: increasing levels of walking and cycling in England, the Transport Select Committee said that “the economic, human and environmental costs of inactivity, climate change, air pollution and traffic congestion are huge,” and underlined the role that getting more people travelling by bike or on foot can play to combat them.

The report calls on the government to show leadership on the issue by raising funding and setting “more ambitious targets” for active travel, as well as urging it to reinforce to local authorities that it should be treated as a priority.

The committee’s chair, Lilian Greenwood, the Labour MP for Nottingham South, said: “We know that transport comes with a health warning.

“Road transport is the single biggest contributor to poor air quality and is responsible for some 80 per cent of roadside nitrogen dioxide concentration.

“Around a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transport. However, by the end of 2017, there were over 26 million licensed vehicles in England, an increase of over 35 per cent in the last 20 years.

“We also know that getting active by walking and cycling as part of our daily routine is good for us.

“It’s good for our health and saves on the cost of healthcare. It can reduce congestion, improve air quality, increase productivity and drive footfall in our town centres.”

In a possible allusion to media depictions of some kind of ‘war’ being played out on the country’s roads between cyclists and motorists, Greenwood continued: “There is no battle here – except for hearts and minds.

“In England, the vast majority of journeys over a mile are made in a car or van. Even for distances of one to two miles, more than 60 per cent of journeys were made by motor vehicle and fewer than 2 per cent of journeys are made by bike.

“The government must stand up for active travel,” she added. “It must show real leadership by setting ambitious targets for cycling and especially walking. It must give local authorities the support and funding they need to engage the public and make active travel a priority in their areas. It must do whatever is necessary to persuade more people to get on their bike, or Shanks’ pony.”

The Walking & Cycling Alliance (WACA), founded last year by British Cycling, Cycling UK, Living Streets, Sustrans, The Bicycle Association and The Ramblers, welcomed the report and endorsed its appeal to the government to prioritise active travel and make more money available.

Speaking on behalf of WACA, Cycling UK’s chief executive Paul Tuohy said: “Investing in safe, convenient and attractive conditions for cycling and walking is a hugely cost-effective way to deliver a wide range of benefits, and we commend MPs from the select committee for their diligence in understanding the urgency of this issue.

“After the government admitted its current policies will only deliver a third of what is needed to meet its 2025 cycling targets, it’s now vital that it seriously commits to improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure, to benefit communities across the country and to meet its own environmental and health ambitions.

“We share the opinion of the previous transport minister that the walking target is too low; we need a new target which is much more ambitious. Interventions aimed at increasing levels of walking are very cost-effective and should complement infrastructure spending.”

He continued: “With an ambitious target of ‘net zero’ carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, and with transport contributing to 34% of carbon dioxide emissions, cycling and walking have a pivotal part to play. They will also be integral in helping to prevent a series of long-term illnesses from physical inactivity, including stroke and dementia.

“We are encouraged that the government has commissioned research into what additional resources are needed to meet its cycling and walking targets.

“We now urge them to publish its findings and act on them as soon as possible.”

When it was founded last year, WACA outlined five immediate steps that the government could take to encourage more people to switch to cycling and walking, as follows:

Speed

Lower default speed limits to 20mph for most roads in built up areas and 40mph for the most minor rural roads to make our roads and streets safer for everyone.

Space

Adopt and ensure consistent application of existing ‘best-in-class’ infrastructure design standards to create safe, attractive and inviting places for people of all ages and abilities.

Safety

Revise the Highway Code to improve safety for people walking and cycling, particularly at junctions.

Priority

Prohibit pavement parking to create safer and more accessible streets.

Culture

Provide cycle training for all children during their primary and secondary school years and embed a culture of walking and cycling throughout the school curriculum.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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9 comments

Avatar
burtthebike | 4 years ago
4 likes

Just had the misfortune to hear BoJo's first speech as PM, including a bit about how we are going to invest in electric cars to reduce CO2 and tackle climate change, neither of which will be signficantly affected by a transfer from ICE to electric cars. 

Guess how many times he mentioned Active Travel?  Go on, guess; a very small prize for the first right answer.

Avatar
ConcordeCX replied to burtthebike | 4 years ago
3 likes

burtthebike wrote:

Just had the misfortune to hear BoJo's first speech as PM, including a bit about how we are going to invest in electric cars to reduce CO2 and tackle climate change, neither of which will be signficantly affected by a transfer from ICE to electric cars. 

Guess how many times he mentioned Active Travel?  Go on, guess; a very small prize for the first right answer.

we'll all be cantering around on unicorns and the roads will be turned into wildflower meadows permanently in bloom, fertilised by ice-cream, coz that's what unicorns shit.

 

Avatar
Chris Hayes | 4 years ago
1 like

Seems to me that most of the cycling infrastructure we have has been put in place by regional and local government rather than national (of any colour).  A national strategy is needed, clearly.

In this context Boris offers more promise than his predecessors.  Let's hope he appoints someone sensible to a national position:  someone who makes decisions and implements them. 

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
6 likes

What did Labour do for cycling in 13 years?

Double cycling journeys in 6 years and double them again by 2012, cycling went DOWN during the Labour gov.

Cuts 'car tax' for smaller cars. Blair bends under pressure due to some aspects of the transport bill 'attacking' 2 car owning middle england!

Create a school travel advisory group to plan safe routes for kids - never happened.

Fuel duty escalator abolished in 2000.

2000 Gordon Brown approves plans for even bigger HGVs on the roads

Alistair Darling puts forward £5.5Bn on soending for transport, £3Bn of which on road building/widening.

Labour were an utter failure to help cycling, are the cons any better, clearly not but let's stop this bullshit about 'this government' when it's been every government for at least 50 yerars and more.

Avatar
Simon E replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
1 like

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

What did Labour do for cycling in 13 years?

Double cycling journeys in 6 years and double them again by 2012, cycling went DOWN during the Labour gov.

Cuts 'car tax' for smaller cars. Blair bends under pressure due to some aspects of the transport bill 'attacking' 2 car owning middle england!

Create a school travel advisory group to plan safe routes for kids - never happened.

Fuel duty escalator abolished in 2000.

2000 Gordon Brown approves plans for even bigger HGVs on the roads

Alistair Darling puts forward £5.5Bn on soending for transport, £3Bn of which on road building/widening.

Labour were an utter failure to help cycling, are the cons any better, clearly not but let's stop this bullshit about 'this government' when it's been every government for at least 50 yerars and more.

All true.

However, a lot has changed in a number of ways since then. On the fuel duty escalator there was huge pressure from the public, media, various industries... Either way, I'd argue that New Labour was more Tory-lite, beholden to Audi-buying floating voters, than a party of the people.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 4 years ago
1 like

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

What did Labour do for cycling in 13 years?

Double cycling journeys in 6 years and double them again by 2012, cycling went DOWN during the Labour gov.

Cuts 'car tax' for smaller cars. Blair bends under pressure due to some aspects of the transport bill 'attacking' 2 car owning middle england!

Create a school travel advisory group to plan safe routes for kids - never happened.

Fuel duty escalator abolished in 2000.

2000 Gordon Brown approves plans for even bigger HGVs on the roads

Alistair Darling puts forward £5.5Bn on soending for transport, £3Bn of which on road building/widening.

Labour were an utter failure to help cycling, are the cons any better, clearly not but let's stop this bullshit about 'this government' when it's been every government for at least 50 yerars and more.

Remind me, when was labour last in power?  And how much has changed since then?  I'm sure you're still blaming them for WW1 and WW2 and the crash, but try and get a grip on reality.

 

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to burtthebike | 4 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

What did Labour do for cycling in 13 years?

Double cycling journeys in 6 years and double them again by 2012, cycling went DOWN during the Labour gov.

Cuts 'car tax' for smaller cars. Blair bends under pressure due to some aspects of the transport bill 'attacking' 2 car owning middle england!

Create a school travel advisory group to plan safe routes for kids - never happened.

Fuel duty escalator abolished in 2000.

2000 Gordon Brown approves plans for even bigger HGVs on the roads

Alistair Darling puts forward £5.5Bn on soending for transport, £3Bn of which on road building/widening.

Labour were an utter failure to help cycling, are the cons any better, clearly not but let's stop this bullshit about 'this government' when it's been every government for at least 50 yerars and more.

Remind me, when was labour last in power?  And how much has changed since then?  I'm sure you're still blaming them for WW1 and WW2 and the crash, but try and get a grip on reality.

 

oh deat, so nothing concrete to rebuff, just plenty of socialist/remainer type waffle! Tell me what any labour government has done since WWII for cycling?

Wilson refused to stop the closing of the rail network per the Beeching report despite pressure from his backbenchers.

1950s Labour manifesto, a small sentence/waffle regarding  access to the countryside for walkers and cyclists, the reality, road building for the motor car and this continued throughout the 50s/60s/70s. Labour stood back and did fuck all when they were in power, they basically followed suit of the Conservatives with regards to cycling, that being zero consideration.

Get off your high horse chief, it doesn't suit you!

Avatar
Simon E | 4 years ago
2 likes

"the government admitted its current policies will only deliver a third of what is needed to meet its 2025 cycling targets"

Don't make me laugh! This government doesn't care about those targets.

If appearances are anything to go by then it's like the Titanic, every man/woman for is only out for him/herself.

Especially Boris. He cares for no-one and nothing but himself and his own ambition. This country truly is a laughing stock.

Avatar
Sriracha | 4 years ago
4 likes

Much comes down to parking provision. Cars are well catered for, they are included from the design stage by default. If I'm nipping to the shops I know I can simply roll to a halt a few tens of metres from the shop, exit the car, press a button. I'm confident it will still be there on my return. It's called parking.
If I venture out by bike there might be somewhere to secure the bike, or maybe somewhere conveniently close, maybe somewhere sheltered, but very unlikely all combined. I'm never too sure that all of my bike will still be there when I return unless I invest time in securing it - I can't just dismount and press a button.
So if I just want to get the job done it's likely I'll take the car - it's the path of least resistance.
Now suppose the car park was even just 100m away, but there was a proper sheltered secure bike stand on the doorstep with ample room.

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