MICROMOBILITY
‘IT’S PROBABLY WORTH REMEMBERING AT THIS POINT THAT TRANSPORT MAKES UP 26% OF THE UK’S TOTAL EMISSIONS. BIKES AND ELECTRIC BIKES HAVE A SILVER BULLET ANSWER TO EATING INTO THE 67% OF JOURNEYS UNDER FIVE MILES THAT ARE DRIVEN.’
more comprehensive the local network becomes. To understand this, imagine a town or city with no cycling facilities. The first link in its cycle network will only really benefit people wanting to make cycling trips along that section of the route. But the next intersecting link will increase the number of people for whom the first link is also useful - and so on, as the network grows. So the value of the links in a cycle network increases over time, with each new link increasing the value of other links that had been built previously.” On the budget that has been confirmed, Geffen describes it as “still very limited.” He goes on to say “With this level of funding, I’d have to
say (though with some reluctance) that it should mainly go to local authorities who have already developed good active travel network plans and schemes, who can therefore spend the money immediately and show that they have spent it well, on schemes that have delivered real economic, health, environmental and other benefits.” This is indeed the framework of Active Travel England’s decision-making. To issue money, local authorities are graded, with those who have demonstrable progress on active travel prioritised for further funding. This has both pros and cons, many people will find that the neighbouring council will be doing great things, but one stubborn local decision-maker may turn it into a postcode lottery as to whether your area sees any progress at all. Still, better than money being issued and wasted On this issue, Geffen adds his experience of what doing things this way can often mean on the ground. “Unless you also do something to support the authorities who currently lack the capacity to develop good active travel network plans, you perpetuate a situation where the high- performing authorities keep getting better at planning and delivering good schemes, while the low-performers can never get out of neutral. In that respect, Active Travel England is doing vital work to strengthen councils who have historically lacked the ability to develop good active travel network plans and schemes.” For this reason, the Transport Action Network is pressing on with its legal challenge to urge the Government to meet its own pre-determined obligations to develop active travel in line with further legally binding Net Zero targets. It’s probably worth remembering at this point that transport makes up 26% of the UK’s total emissions. Bikes and electric bikes have a silver bullet answer to eating into the 67% of journeys under five miles that are driven.
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PHOTO BY MANIKUTTAN ON PEXELS
So, is alignment with the nation’s climate objectives a lever worth pulling? Roger says so. Net zero is hugely important for the wider conversation about the need to reduce motor traffic. Willingness to reduce motor traffic is crucial for boosting active travel - but good active travel provision is also vital so that people don’t feel they are being told to ‘stop driving’ without being offered good alternatives. As noted above, the Government is legally required to produce a new strategy for meeting ‘net zero’ by early May. We believe that setting targets to halt and reverse the growth of motor traffic is an essential part of this.”
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