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Boris Johnson reveals how he will bring in “new golden age for cycling”

British Cycling's Chris Boardman welcomes government's vision but warns, “the hard yards start now.”...

Prime minister Boris Johnson has tonight announced how he plans to bring about the “new golden age for cycling” he promised for England in May, with the government pledging, among other things, cycle training for young and old, national standards for infrastructure, and bikes available on prescription to help tackle obesity – the latter an issue we covered earlier this evening on road.cc.

The government has also pledged to help local authorities build “thousands of miles of new protected bike lanes,” financed by spending of £2 billion on active travel announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak back in February and subsequently reconfirmed in May by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

> Fix Your Bike voucher scheme opens to public tonight – here’s how to get one

British Cycling policy adviser Chris Boardman has hailed the announcement as “the culmination of years of work, campaigning and patience,” but warned that “the hard yards start now.”

The plans announced by the government this evening and detailed in a document called Gear Shift: A bold vision for cycling and walking, include:

Transforming infrastructure through building thousands of miles of protected cycle routes in towns and cities; setting higher standards for cycling infrastructure, to be overseen by a new inspectorate; and improving the National Cycle Network.

Boosting investment by creating a long term cycling programme and budget to ensure a guaranteed pipeline of funding.

Making streets safer by consulting to strengthen the Highway Code to better protect pedestrians and cyclists; improving legal protections for vulnerable road users; raising safety standards on lorries; and working with the police and retailers to tackle bike theft.

Supporting local authorities by empowering them to crack down on traffic offences; and consulting to increase metro mayors’ powers over key road networks.

Improving air quality and reducing traffic by creating more low traffic neighbourhoods to reduce rat running, including by consulting on communities’ right to close side streets; putting in place more “school streets” to reduce traffic by schools; intensive funding of 12 new areas to become more cycle friendly, known as ‘Mini Hollands’; and creating at least one zero-emission transport city centre.

Helping people live healthier lives by piloting a new approach in selected places with poor health rates to encourage GPs to prescribe cycling, with patients able to access bikes through their local surgery.

Increasing access to e-bikes by setting up a new national e-bike programme, to help those who are older, have to travel long distances or are less fit to take up cycling.

“From helping people get fit and healthy and lowering their risk of illness, to improving air quality and cutting congestion, cycling and walking have a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face,” Johnson said.

“But to build a healthier, more active nation, we need the right infrastructure, training and support in place to give people the confidence to travel on two wheels.

“That’s why now is the time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel – so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling.”

Shapps added: “We’ve got a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a shift in attitudes for generations to come, and get more people choosing to cycle or walk as part of their daily routine.

“The measures we’ve set out today in this revolutionary plan will do just that. No matter your age, how far you’re travelling, or your current confidence on a bike – there are plans to help and support you.

“By helping to fix your bike – or get an electrically powered one; by increasing storage space at stations, on trains and buses; and by introducing more ways to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, we’re making it easier than ever to make active travel part of your daily life, and leading England to become a great cycling nation.”

Reacting to the government’s announcement, Boardman said: “The Prime Minister promised back in May that Britain was about to enter a golden age for cycling, and the package of measures announced today shows exactly the level of ambition required to transform the country.

“Many will focus on the health benefits of more people getting around by bike or on foot, but we know that these are changes which reap dividends in all walks of life, not least the quality of the air we breathe, the congestion on our roads and the economic benefit for shops, cafes and bars.

“Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of work, campaigning and patience, but in truth the hard yards start now. Recent trials with temporary bike lanes show that now, more than ever, we need to hear from those saying yes to safer, healthier and cleaner streets, and less from those standing in the way.”

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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45 comments

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Bungle_52 | 3 years ago
4 likes

Infrastructure is very useful for getting people on their bikes as some of it ensures a safe cycling experience for beginners. Once this phase is complete, however, you need to get on the roads in order to commute, do the shopping, go into town for a coffee, etc. etc. At this point the attitude of drivers comes into play and puts many people off. I was talking to a couple down the allotment just last week. They had been cycling down during lockdown and are now too frightened to cycle with the increased traffic. I can't see a local segregated cycle lane from their house to the allotments being put in place so that's that.

Once the majority experience cycling on the road they will be more careful around cyclists when in their cars and cycling becomes safer. Unfortunately its a vicious circle and needs to be broken into.

How do we change driver attitudes? More convictions for dangerous driving with meaningful sentences. Make passing cycling proficency mandatory before learning to drive and taking the test. Bring in presumed liability for drivers. Make cycling part of police training. More 20 mph speed limits. I'm sure there are others but we need something in addition to infrastructure.

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Nikhps | 3 years ago
4 likes

I would echo many of the sentiments here. For me though the biggest issue is the huge oversight of British suburbia. I  live in a relatively wealthy commuter town of about 20k people. The town is circumnavigated by two main roads whilst the interior is criss crossed by many minor interconnecting roads. From the main shopping centre to the outskirts of the town is no more than 1.5 miles. And you guessed it everyone drives. Hundreds and thousands of journeys under 2 miles are made every week in an environment that's perfect to cycle and walk. For 99% of people living in my town this is the default position. I suspect there are hundreds of other similar settlements in Britain with similar behaviours. London and it's cycle super highways and the token gestures in other major urban areas are all well and good but until people can be enlightened to  walk or cycle to get the tin of dog food 500 yards down the road we are pissing in the wind. 

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HarrogateSpa replied to Nikhps | 3 years ago
3 likes

Well, point closures are emphasised in the Gear Change doc - bollards to stop through traffic on residential roads.

It sounds as though they would be very effective where you live.

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RoubaixCube | 3 years ago
3 likes

Like most people here - I'll believe it when i see it.

For the time being my level of confidence that anything will be done leans heavily on the scale of doubt.

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0-0 | 3 years ago
3 likes

Didn't the Golden Age of Cycling last for about 2 weeks, back in March or April. When there was fewer cars on the road?

All the things mentioned in the article, can be filed under total bollocks.

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hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
3 likes
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jollygoodvelo | 3 years ago
6 likes

On the face of it this is all wonderful news. 

But after so long, and with so many vocal opponents of anything being built, it's difficult to resist the suspicion that power being pushed down to local authorities means it's being distributed around to more people who can, individually, continue to do sod-all as they always have without it being "the government's fault" that nothing gets done. 

They can say "we made funds available" knowing full well that they won't be taken up, because Ken T Councillor wants to keep getting re-elected in Gammon-in-the-Wold and will therefore not do anything to upset the local community.  Ken doesn't care that young families have no safe way to get to school, because they don't vote in local elections anyway.  He doesn't care that old people can't safely ride to the post office, because he can get a photo in the local paper in front of a charity minibus.

The requirement that all new infrastructure must be built to official standards ( https://cyclingindustry.news/what-do-the-new-cycling-infrastructure-desi... ) looks great, but in reality it means a large number of projects will get rejected as not meeting the standards.  "Oh dear, how sad, we wanted to support it but..."

Some people will be lucky to have enlightened local councils, but mostly... I'll believe it when I see it.

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HarrogateSpa replied to jollygoodvelo | 3 years ago
0 likes

I understand your scepticism, but there is no choice but to ask local authorities to do the work - because they are the Highways Authorities.

Only motorways and trunk roads are more directly under government control through (the useless) Highways England.

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mikiebikie | 3 years ago
1 like

There are two petitions on Change.org. One is to push for converting the Monsall Trail back to a railway. The second is to retain it as a walking/cycling/horse riding trail. It is presently used by some 330,000 people each year from toddlers to pensioners, wheelchair users and beginner cyclists and is 100% off road with a good surface bike hire facility at each end and two good cafes. This needs as many signatures as possible for the retention option or this will mean approx 1/3 of a million people not able to excercise on it. Wonder how BJ will deal with this.

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brooksby | 3 years ago
9 likes

Quote:

Boris Johnson reveals how he will bring in “new golden age for cycling”

This is the man who lied led us into Brexit and who claims that Coronavirus will be all over by Christmas... Not holding my breath, here.

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billymansell | 3 years ago
8 likes

There is a caveat in that the govt won't force any councils to provide protected cyclways so if your council recently failed to provide popup cycling/walking space then they're not going to give a toss about following this strategy.

As pointed out elsewhere this isn't a new strategy but a rehash of Andrew Gilligan's, the funding isn't new but existing active travel money, updating the Highway Code for vulnerable users isn't new as the tories have been sitting on requests to do this for years, they allude to persumed liability which again has been requested for years but they've failed to deliver and cycling on prescription will likely be where there are existing cycle hire schemes and council will to participate so limited availability .

Overall it'll achieve little except in areas where the will to change already exists. The motoring lobby will be up in arms (and MPs have to think of their backhanders) and motorists will be further antagonised and see it as another 'war on the motorist' further entrenching attitudes and potentially making the roads more dangerous for cyclists.

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HarrogateSpa replied to billymansell | 3 years ago
0 likes

One interesting point is that Active Travel England will inspect councils' cycle infra, and they can reduce funding for other forms of transport if it's not up to scratch.

Sometimes I think we're so used to complaining that we're incapable of recognising a reasonably positive development.

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mattw | 3 years ago
3 likes

Agree with most people - it's a start, but only a start.

We do however have a very prominent model for currently not-the-fittest people to start utility cycling, which is where it needs to be happening.

There were achievements and changes in London under BJ,  even if we weren't all happy about all of it.

Time to lobby all those red wall Tory MPs, and make the practical implications of 'active travel' targets clear.

Target  One: road junctions.

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Derk Davies | 3 years ago
3 likes

No mention at all of anything for rural areas then?

 

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Simon E replied to Derk Davies | 3 years ago
4 likes

Tim K wrote:

No mention at all of anything for rural areas then?

Of course not.

This is all hot air. Nothing substantial will come of it.

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HarrogateSpa replied to Simon E | 3 years ago
1 like

I really despair of some of the comments here. Of course this is going to be hard, and it's going to be difficult to turn things around. BUT:

1) I've been in touch with the DfT Active Travel unit over Emergency Active Travel Funding locally. They are clued up, determined, and laying down the law to local authorities - even totally useless ones like mine, who haven't got a clue.

2) In the announcement today is virtually everything that most of us have been asking for, for years if not decades. Yes, it's going to be hard to implement. But if you can't welcome well-informed, enlightened, pro-cycling policy, that's clearly backed up by a determination to implement it and see it through - then I don't know what else to say to you.

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mdavidford | 3 years ago
4 likes

I'm not sure about a 'culmination' of the campaigning, etc. - more like a first breakthrough, perhaps? It's still clearly a long way from the shift to an active travel first mentality that's needed:

Quote:

For example, a small number of routes from key suburbs into a city could become bus and cycling corridors, while the other main roads remained through routes for motorists.

Surely the wrong way around?

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Nick T | 3 years ago
8 likes

Tackling obesity while offering a government subsidised 50% off McDonald's

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mattw replied to Nick T | 3 years ago
1 like

I did enjoy the coverage of that in the Graun; really scraping the outrage barrel clean.

We are all going to dyeeee because they are helping hated McDonalds for a whole 12 days, and the many-years anti-obesity effort will inevitably fail.

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brooksby replied to mattw | 3 years ago
2 likes

Newsthump headline:

Government to tackle obesity in UK by giving nation 50% off at Pizza Hut throughout August

https://newsthump.com/2020/07/27/government-to-tackle-obesity-in-uk-by-g...

 

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Rick_Rude | 3 years ago
8 likes

We are certainly in an age of cack-handed buffoonery. 

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hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
9 likes

Empowering local authorities to crack down on traffic offences? My impression is that local authorities love motor cars and hate bikes, so I'll be interested to see what happens there. Also, wasn't that £2billion allocated to mainly be spent on buses?

I'm sceptical that this vision won't be ripped to shreds by the motorist public, but let's see if this is more than just hot air.

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aegisdesign replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
2 likes

The money is part of the £5 billion announced in the pre-covid budget. Some of which was also for buses. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-bus-services-as-pm-ou...

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HarrogateSpa replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
1 like

For Christ's sake, if you're going to comment on the amount of funding, at least make sure you know what you're talking about. You've got a load of likes for an assertion that's factually totally incorrect. I expect better of you.

On local authorities and traffic offences I suspect you're right that they have little appetite to get involved.

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hawkinspeter replied to HarrogateSpa | 3 years ago
0 likes

HarrogateSpa wrote:

For Christ's sake, if you're going to comment on the amount of funding, at least make sure you know what you're talking about. You've got a load of likes for an assertion that's factually totally incorrect. I expect better of you.

On local authorities and traffic offences I suspect you're right that they have little appetite to get involved.

I was half-remembering a figure and something to do with buses, so I phrased it as a question and certainly didn't intend it to be taken as gospel. But yes, I've let you down, let the readers down and most of all let myself down.

Anyhow, why not correct me with the figures, that way I can plead Cunningham's Law: "the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."

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HarrogateSpa replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
1 like

I don't think the sarcasm is called for. The point I was trying to make is that you usually have something intelligent and relevant to say, but I can see that was a waste of time.

The broader point is that we campaign for a lot of things to make cycling more mainstream and safer. Then the government agrees with us, and makes the changes we were requesting, and what's the response?

We dismiss it all without even bothering to find out the details. That's an incredibly poor response.

At least read the report and make a well-informed comment.

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hawkinspeter replied to HarrogateSpa | 3 years ago
0 likes
HarrogateSpa wrote:

I don't think the sarcasm is called for. The point I was trying to make is that you usually have something intelligent and relevant to say, but I can see that was a waste of time.

The broader point is that we campaign for a lot of things to make cycling more mainstream and safer. Then the government agrees with us, and makes the changes we were requesting, and what's the response?

We dismiss it all without even bothering to find out the details. That's an incredibly poor response.

At least read the report and make a well-informed comment.

Sorry, no offence intended.
My problem is that I'm cynical about proposed changes being announced which then end up getting squandered and not implemented well. Time will tell whether the promised money will appear and be spent well. I've only read part of that report so far and it does seem to be talking sense. I like the stipulation that the bike infrastructure has to be designed by people that ride bikes.

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HarrogateSpa replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
0 likes

The implementation falls to local authorities, so it will be patchy.

At least the govt is using the leverage it has to try to force them to adopt good standards - that's where Active Travel England comes in.

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Philh68 replied to HarrogateSpa | 3 years ago
1 like

Agree 100%. I'm reminded of a conversation I had with an expat South African, who initially moved to England and then gave up and relocated to Australia. His reason, the English self sabotage with relentless negativity. If this fails, it's because not enough believe in it to pursue it and make it work.

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Grumpy17 | 3 years ago
1 like

Cycling boom happened in 2012 and my purely seat of the pants impression is that there are considerably more cyclists on the road now than there were before that time.

But what exactly has changed to make cycling more accessible, safer, more enjoyable since then? what improvements have been made to the infrastructure to make this happen?

London may have it's super highways but here in South Manchester in the commuter belt  the roads are just as unsuitable for cycling as they ever were -in fact they're worse as there are more potholes than I can ever remember.

They put some ridiculous cones up on one arterial road into town recently and called it a cycle lane but howls of indignation saw the cones removed the following day.  Apart from that I can't think of one single thing that has been done to improve the life of the cyclist in my area so let's not hold our breath on this one . 

Anyway, why don't they bite the bullet and make those electric scooters legal? I'm sure more people would be willing to give those a try than would cock their leg over a bike, especially people who are not used to physical exertion.  Anything that gets people out of cars is surely a good thing.?

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