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East Midlands Cycle Event

Derby, Saturday 6th May 2006

Derby Cycling Group

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East Midlands Cycle Event

• Derby Cycling Group• Cycle Demonstration Towns• An East Midlands cycle campaign?• Cycling trends in selected towns• Building an East Midlands cycle

campaign

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1 The Derby Cycling Group

• Aims• Structure• Strategies

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Aims

• To increase levels of cycling- enjoyment, health, economy, environment

• To achieve modal shift from car to bike- improving conditions for cycling

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Structure

• High membership (~500) – low subscription

• Chair, Secretary, Treasurer + committee elected very year at AGM

• Monthly meetings throughout the year

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Strategies

• Campaigning to achieve better cycling conditions and raise cycling up the political agenda

• Promoting cycling to the general public

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Campaigning - the political agenda

• Quarterly meetings with city council • Consultative report writing• Representation on many different

organisations• Web site and quarterly e-newsletter

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Promoting cycling to the general public

• Dr Bike Clinics• information stalls• cycle parks• cycle tryouts at public events• short, family friendly, cycle rides –

aimed at the less confident cyclist

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2 Cycle Demonstration Towns

• Cycling England (Department for Transport) initiative

• Very limited levels of cycling despite investment in infrastructure

• Focus resources onto selected target populations of 100,000

• Derby’s bid targeted at under 25s

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Derby as a Cycle Demonstration Town

• £1.5m from Cycling England, match funded to £3m, for 3 years, for:

• cycle training in primary schools • after school cycle clubs• better information and new city cycle route map • cycle rides and events throughout the year• increased cycle storage at schools• filling in gaps in the cycle network• improving cycle route signing• bicycle recycling scheme and a city centre bike park

- overall, programme aimed at ‘hearts and minds’ rather than simply providing more infrastructure

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3 An East Midlands cycle campaign?

Why? –• Transportation policy and planning

increasingly at a regional level• Success in Derby may ultimately mean

more government investment for cycling

• Share experiences and gain mutual benefits

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4 Cycling trends in selected towns

• Cycling trends since 1971• Transport to work census data

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Percentage of workforce cycling to work in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, 1971-2001 (Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1971 1981 1991 2001

Derby

Leicester

Nottingham

England&Wales

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Percentage of workforce travelling to work by car (driver or passenger) in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham,

1971-2001 (Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1971 1981 1991 2001

Derby

Leicester

Nottingham

England&Wales

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Percentage of workforce cycling to work in York, Cambridge, Oxford & Hull 1971-2001

(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1971 1981 1991 2001

Cambridge

York

Oxford

Hull

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Percentage of workforce cycling to work in the six cycle demonstration towns, 1971-2001

(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1971 1981 1991 2001

AylesburyBrightonDarlingtonDerbyExeterLancaster

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Percentage of workforce cycling to work in Hackney, Inner London, England & Wales 1971-2001

(Data Source: Census of England & Wales, 1971, 1981,1991, 2001)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1971 1981 1991 2001

HackneyInner LonEng&Wal

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5 Building an East Midlands cycle campaign?

• Need to reverse the declining cycling trends

• Recognise that -• today’s school children – tomorrow’s

workforce• cycling must continue into adulthood• must convert car journeys to work

(school/shops etc) to cycle journeys

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Barriers to cycling

• inadequate and inappropriate infrastructure?

• marginalisation of cycling in transportation planning?

• lack of safety and security?• lack of cycle training?• predominance of the car based

economy?

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Cycling faces:

- Rising sea of motorised traffic- Ever cheaper car travel- No effective means of demand

management

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Consequences -• Cycle infrastructure/training cannot compete

with ever growing car traffic• Leisure cycling to the rescue?????

– does it really lead to utility, car replacing cycling????

• Must focus campaigns on transportation policies that control car use

• Exhortations about health, environment, economy will not do!

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• “if the quantum leap in cycling that is required is to occur the message about the safety and health benefits [of cycling] must be received and accepted by the general and in particular the car-addicted population as a more than viable alternative to total car dependency” (Chief Executive, Cycling England, Choosing Cycling, Choosing Health Conference, 4th April, Nottingham)

• But this quantum leap is highly unlikely to occur as long as car use remains virtually unrestrained?

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Transportationpolicy

CommunityCycling

CyclingInfrastructure

Three pronged regional cycle campaign

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Transportationpolicy

CommunityCycling

CyclingInfrastructure

Three pronged regional cycle campaign

RegionalGovernment

Office

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What might the campaign do?

• Will whatever it does create modal shift from car? -• combat road expansion plans in East Midlands• co-ordinated campaign for increased parking

restrictions in urban areas• support speed restrictions in all urban residential

areas• help promote car free home zones• better cycle access to all train stations

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How might the campaign develop?

work through EMTARS and CTC?

Website? e-Newsletter?

meetings? events?regional city cycle workshops?

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Who might be involved?

• All cycle campaign groups• Sustrans and the CTC• Sports cycling groups• Mountain Biking groups• i.e. everyone who is involved in anyway

with cycling

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Summary: 4 key points

• 1 not just more cycling needed but more cycling as replacement for car journeys

• 2 focusing on infrastructure and ‘hearts and minds’ alone will not be enough

• 3 must also campaign on overall transportation policy – demand management

• 4 need to draw together the all the disparate cycling groups in the region

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Summary: 5 final thoughts

1 what use is it if levels of cycling increase but only by abstraction from those who walk or use (ever more expensive!) public transport?

2 what use is leisure cycling if it does not lead to car replacing utility cycling?

3 if a reduction in (ever cheaper!) car travel is achieved, then is not cycling only one of three options for those leaving the car behind; walking and public transport are the other two?

4 suppose car use really does decline and yet still nobody cycles as the walking and public transport options are resorted to instead. Could not the objectives of cycling – enjoyment, health, economy and environment - still be realised?

5 so just what are cycle campaigners, campaigning for and why?

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East Midlands Cycle Event

Derby, Saturday 6th May 2006

The Derby Cycling Group