One of the points made repeatedly by opponents of plans to create cycle lanes along main roads is that they would benefit only cyclists and no-one else and that cyclists were therefore being unduly prioritised. Enfield Council, and at an all-London level, the Mayor of London, have put the case for benefits to the people of Enfield and of London across the board.
A newly published academic study sets out why the Council and the Mayor are right and the protesters are wrong. Benefits of Investing in Cycling has been written by Dr Rachel Aldred, Senior Lecturer in Transport, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Westminster.
Source: Benefits of Investing in Cycling
Dr Aldred, who backs up all her statements with fully referenced footnotes, summarises her findings as follows:
Investing in cycling will generate benefits for the whole country, not just those using a bike to get around. Eleven benefits are summarised here which can help solve a series of health, social and economic problems. This report shows how investing in cycling is good for our transport systems as a whole, for local economies, for social inclusion, and for public health.
Creating a cycling revolution in the UK requires sustained investment. In European countries with high cycling levels, levels of investment are also substantially higher than in the UK. The All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Inquiry has recommended a minimum of £10 annually per person, rising to £20, which would begin to approach the spending levels seen in high-cycling countries.
Investing in cycling will enable transport authorities to start putting in place the infrastructure we need to ensure people of all ages and abilities can choose to cycle for short everyday trips. As well as making cycle journeys more pleasant, safer and faster, it sends the signal that cycling is a normal way to travel. This is important because the perception of cycling as a marginal and minority mode is off-putting to many people.
The eleven benefits are summarised below:
- Problem: Our inactive population means more people dying of conditions such as heart disease
Benefit: More cycling means more people get the exercise they need, making for a healthier population - Problem: Motor traffic is a major cause of urban air and noise pollution
Benefit: Cycle trips, unlike trips in motorised vehicles, don’t generate air or noise pollution - Problem: Each year over 20,000 people are killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads
Benefit: More cycling can make the streets safer for everyone - Problem: Our roads are riskier for people cycling than they need to be
Benefit: Investing in cycling will mean cycling is safer and feels safer - Problem: Transport is a source of stress, particularly on the daily commute
Benefit: Cycling can improve psychological well-being - Problem: People living on low incomes struggle to access jobs and services
Benefit: Cycling can transform the mobility and life chances of Britain’s poorest - Problem: Many children and older people suffer from a lack of independent mobility
Benefit: Cycling promotes independence in youth and in older age - Problem: Many cities are dominated by through motor traffic and so aren’t pleasant to spend time in
Benefit: Designing well for cycling helps create more liveable, pleasant cities - Problem: Town centres are under pressure with over one in eight shops vacant across the country
Benefit: Investing in cycling can boost local economic activity - Problem: Not only are many peak hour journeys slow, they are often unpredictably so
Benefit: Cycling means more predictable journey times for people and goods in congested cities - Problem: Our transport systems are inefficient, wasting space and energy
Benefit: Planning well for cycling enables a more efficient use of the transport network
