awavey wrote: 29 Aug 2024, 12:25am
I agree the survey method is flawed, but Ive been saying that for years, and no one cared when the survey showed increases in cycling/walking, so its hard to complain when it shows a reverse in the trend
and why should we be surprised anyway ? you can see with your eyes every journey by bike or walking, there are growing numbers of cars on the road now and a distinct lack of cyclists or walkers. It was interesting to see the impact a road closure had in our local area, that Id long suspected was used as rat run, even though its got cycle lanes, albeit could do with a repaint, but it utterly gridlocked the local area for hours at peak times, and youre thinking but how it cant be used that much can it ? and yet clearly it is, due to conveniance of access by car,and of course most of the people sat in those cars had travelled less than a mile anyway.
Personally, I think it depends when and where you were looking - this sunny Bank Holiday Monday, the lanes across the flats of Somerset were alive with cyclists.. I counted 4 or 5 groups, including an older couple on a pair of matching electric bikes....
Equally I've noticed more cycles being used in urban journeys in and around Bridgwater- since the completion of another housing estate.....
...I would have felt more secure in the data if the window of measurement had been for a month, that way the effects of bad weather could be slightly mitigated.
..and sadly I think its going to take more than more cycle facilities being built to see an increase in cyclists - we need a culture change. I cycle because my father did and so did his father.. however many now don't because even their grandfather went everywhere by car... whereas when I was a kid everyone asked Santa for a new bike, I wonder how many do now?
The secondary issue, is that like motorcycles, bikes are seen as leisure equipment. And I think that's a sad loss of functionality for such a useful tool with great environmental and social benefits.
...but much like a game of othello, minds can be changed. My bikes are used for fairly mundane journeys now - however since riding around, I've noticed one neighbour has started to cycle to the shops and back on a regular bases.
Simply being out and about on your bike, might encourage others to do so.... it did for Ann Mustoe, who cycled around the world.
'People should not be afraid of their governments, their governments should be afraid of them'
Alan Moore - V for Vendetta