How do I campaign in an area such as this?

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redmug
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Joined: 21 Jun 2021, 10:34pm

How do I campaign in an area such as this?

Post by redmug »

I live on the edge of a large town - a main road runs through the town and connects a city on either side. There's a pretty constant stream of motorised traffic in both directions throughout the day. Numbers cycling are pretty low, there's a mix of the quick & the brave (mainly adult males on road bikes) and number of pavement cyclists on hybrids.

I'm setting up a website/campaign to reduce motorised traffic / make the area more cycle friendly - BUT, I don't want to sell it as a 'cycling campaign'. That's because it won't get enough support. It needs to be packaged in a way that makes it appeal to a broader audience.

Speeding along the main road is rife. Despite being a 30 zone, it's not uncommon to see motorists doing 40-50mph, especially on an evening. I know some of the residents are angered by this so this, could be used as a way to get locals on my side.

Maybe I'm setting the bar too low but I think having a cycle path on the main road is unlikely / unrealistic (I also suspect it would be unpopular with 90% of locals).

With that in mind....

1) What should I aim to achieve?
Is the next best thing to campaign for a series of quiet cycling routes, such as connecting the train station to the shops? Perhaps turning some roads into one-way streets to reduce motor traffic?

2) What's the best way to achieve it?
I'm setting up a website for this campaign but still figuring out what's the most effective way to campaign for change.
By getting people to e-mail local councillors?
By getting them to sign a letter to the local MP?
Organising group rides to raise awareness?

Thanks
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: How do I campaign in an area such as this?

Post by Jdsk »

Welcome.

Great question, and some perceptive insights there.

Yes: assemble your allies. Assemble your allies. Assemble your allies.Talk to some local journalists. Find existing groups of people who walk and people who ride bikes.

Talk to Cycling UK.

Is there a school involved?

It would be good if local public health people would join in, but they're all completely overstretched at the moment.

Under certain circumstances you can organise official speed monitoring surveys. I've never understood what's possible without that... anyone?

Jonathan

PS: Where is it?
Vorpal
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Re: How do I campaign in an area such as this?

Post by Vorpal »

People seem to think better of active travel campaigns than cycling campaigns. Approaches that people seem more appreciative of include things like:
-creating safe routes to school
-reduced traffic in areas where people like to walk, take their dogs or kids, etc. so, around parks, local shops, schools, churches...
-community speed watch (= police trained volunteers with radar guns)

Things I found helpful as a campaigner:
-finding allies among local councillors and council staff
-finding allies in various organisations: Cycling UK, Sustrans, CycleNation, Living Streets, Ramblers, the British Horse Society, etc.
-keeping an eye on planning applications and asking for improvements in active travel infrastructure

Also, local parks or walking routes sometimes have an associated charity (e.g. Friends of Ullswater Way, Friends of Flitch Way, etc.) where you might find allies.

Even if you don't want to bill it as a cycling campaign, I would encourage you to join Cycling UK as a campaigner for access to the network of campaigners, which is really useful for the experience of others who have generally dealt with the same sorts of problems. You may find that there are are others in your area who aren't very active, or are focussed on a single aspect of campaigning, like off-road cycling access, but have dealt with the councils in your area and can share their experience.

I used to campaign in such an area (I've moved), and 95% of it was frustration, but the small successes can make all the difference.

If you start with something like a community speed watch, replying on one or more consultations, finding allies, you can get a better feel for what is likely to be the most effective in your area.

Good luck & I wish you success.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Zulu Eleven
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Joined: 26 Oct 2018, 9:25pm

Re: How do I campaign in an area such as this?

Post by Zulu Eleven »

What other routes exist?

Is there a possibility of focusing on an alternative route for improvement as a quiet lane/active travel corridor? Think about this as reinforcing the hierarchy of routes - cars and lorries should be using the main road, therefore some minor traffic calming can help reinforce this and keep the minor roads corridor traffic free and safer for cycling and walking
redmug
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Joined: 21 Jun 2021, 10:34pm

Re: How do I campaign in an area such as this?

Post by redmug »

Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it. I'll share a link once the campaign/website is up and running.

It's a town in the West Midlands. Another challenge I face is that the local Conservative Council aren't bothered about promoting cycling. In fact they campaigned (successfully) to remove a 2-way segregated protected cycle lane that ran along one of the main streets on the edge of the town centre. It had been set up during the pandemic with a view to it becoming permanent, but unfortunately they had it removed (now back to being two lanes of cars on a one-way road).
Vorpal
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Re: How do I campaign in an area such as this?

Post by Vorpal »

redmug wrote: 23 Jun 2021, 12:17pm Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it. I'll share a link once the campaign/website is up and running.

It's a town in the West Midlands. Another challenge I face is that the local Conservative Council aren't bothered about promoting cycling. In fact they campaigned (successfully) to remove a 2-way segregated protected cycle lane that ran along one of the main streets on the edge of the town centre. It had been set up during the pandemic with a view to it becoming permanent, but unfortunately they had it removed (now back to being two lanes of cars on a one-way road).
My area was majority Conservative councils at district & county level. But there were still allies on the council. We had one Green party councillor on the local council, and a couple of independent and Lib Dem councillors on the county council who were interested & helpful. They themselves had limited effectiveness due to being a tiny minority, but they knew the systems & could tell me who to talk to about one thing or another, openly support initiatives to help vulnerable road users, and help with how best to present something, for example to a committee reviewing planning permission.

One or more of the councils in your area may have a cycling officer, cycling advocate, or walking & cycling advocate. Whilst these folks are often limited by the councils they report to, some are also good at applying for funding, getting developers to include cycle paths, and finagling resources from various places. An effective person & one or two keen volunteers can actually do a fair amount to get stuff implemented with new & repair projects.

Getting involved early in project with knowledgeable volunteers, a walking & cycling advocate, and other allies, can result in a decent outcome, even in the worst areas.

I will say that it often seemed like just banging my head on the wall, but I was able to significantly influence the design of a couple of facilities.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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mjr
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Re: How do I campaign in an area such as this?

Post by mjr »

Being Conservative shouldn't necessarily mean being anti-bike. After all, they are the party of "get on your bike and look for work" self-reliance and independence, of Great British inventions like Starley's bicycle and of British business success stories like Brompton. Conservative mayors like Andy Street and that guy who used to govern London whose name I forget ( ;) ) have done some good things for cycling.

...but I know there is a problem that some local Conservative associations like the "old men in limos" more than they like self-reliance and independence. Just remember that it could be worse: you could have idiot councillors proclaiming that your area "is a car county" and spaffing £50m per mile up the wall on building quasi-motorways through beautiful river valleys! But we're still here campaigning and riding and the pendulum swings our way from time to time and we get some decent greenways in fits and starts.

Regard it as shouting into an abyss. Expect nothing but sometimes you will hear an echo and see an effect that may make it all worthwhile.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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