How to avoid active travel nightmares
Lately I’ve found myself dreaming of post-lockdown life in London. One dream had me meeting transport planners for coffee and another had me trying my best to get around London on foot. I’d been walking for miles, from Lewisham to Hackney and then realised, I’m stuck. I have no energy to walk myself home....
...Endlessly meandering along streets that were supposed to be shut for temporary walking and cycling measures, only to be choked by traffic fumes from single-occupancy cars as those drivers did what they thought was best to adapt to the ‘new normal’.
On this route, I’d just been to a supermarket to get supplies for an isolated friend except it was seriously overcrowded from socially distanced panic-buyers. Upon leaving the shop, I’d remembered I’d forgotten something but was unable to pop back in because of the one way system in and out. Knackered and lost in London, there were no Ubers or taxis plus the congestion was horrific. I’d forgotten my face mask so there was no chance getting the Overground, plus we’re supposed to be avoiding public transport.
Some people might think I need to get better dreams. But doing some inexperienced dream analysis I think this represents an underlying fear I have of us returning to the ‘old normal’, us going around in circles. Choked by traffic fumes and exhaust pipes as air pollution and cars return in droves to the streets and deafened by the noise. It makes me wonder if I have some form of sensory overload disorder in real life. Or is it just a modern day, city dweller disease?
Interestingly my dream didn’t think to suggest I jump on my bike instead of walking nearly 10 miles there and back! I am wondering what that says about my psyche, that it didn’t even come to mind - maybe I’m not quite brave enough for that despite a recent test-cycle. Also the cars just seem to be ever-increasing and ever-faster as lockdown eases.
The other week, I attended the inaugural ‘Walking@Tea-time’ launch event jointly organised by London Living Streets and the Active Travel Academy at University of Westminster to discuss policy issues regarding: ‘Why is walking the poor cousin of transport policy? And what can we do about it? A former deputy governor of a european city, active travel experts and a former Department for Transport director et al discussed the matter with an online audience of around 100.
The main takeaways weren’t clear to me, there was chat about a potential new ‘Highways Act’ which sounded interesting but someone said would probably take “too long”, “be too difficult” and therefore probably not a wise idea to focus on as an outcome. To be fair to the session, I was only half listening as I am still juggling childcare, random homeschooling and trying to run a business during a crisis but for me, I’m not sure any real tangible conclusions were drawn.
The main issue still remains that the reason why walking IS the poor cousin of public transport policy is because it’s not equally funded. Despite every single one of us being a pedestrian at some point during an average day (when we’re not staying home), it is the least funded, least supported and least promoted. It’s generally more accessible (compared to cycling) for young families and many more women walk for active travel compared to men (who tend to cycle more). What does that tell you?
In a letter dated 27th May to ‘local authority travel officers’, the department of transport said that active travel has ‘an essential role to play in helping us to avoid overcrowding on public transport systems as the as (sic) we begin to open parts of our economy’ which revealed a £250m emergency active travel fund for cycling and walking initiatives, such as pop-up bike lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions. The money is the first part of a £5bn package announced in February.
The letter tells local authorities that walking and cycling are now “essential” forms of transport that can “help us avoid overcrowding on public transport systems as we begin to open up parts of our economy.” The main bulk of the funding looks set to promote cycling and it needs to be done with immediate effect, even so far as to state that if you draw down the funding and don’t get on with it they'll claw the money back from the local authority.
It is positive and a key step in the right direction to see some of the actions Transport for London (TfL) has taken in the last month to help get London moving more. Improvements such as “widened pavements”, “trebled cycle lanes” and “famous streets converted to walking and cycling only”, are just a few of the new measures they have put into place since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. And on Sunday 31st May, TfL has issued advice for headteachers, parents and guardians and called for those who can, to walk and cycle to school to make space for those who have no other alternative. However, there is a lot more work to be done and many local authorities still lack the funding they require.
According to Cllr Sophie McGeevor from Lewisham on Twitter, “You know that £250 million investment in walking and cycling that the government have been going on about? Well London boroughs will each only get £100k of that. That would only cover about 20% of our initial COVID-19 transport proposals in Lewisham”. With such limited funding, Lewisham cannot hope to implement all the important transport measures set out in their proposal, measures like creating more pedestrian space in busy public places and creating safer spaces for pedestrians and cyclists outside of schools.
When reading recent statistics such as 68% of all trips made nationally in the UK are under five miles and over 50% of car journeys in London could be cycled in around 10 minutes, it is easy to see how much potential there still is for growth in active travel especially in major urban areas such as London. Walking and cycling improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions, plus there are an infinite amount of health and wellness benefits. A recent study by Imperial College has shown you will live longer and have a reduced risk of cancer or heart disease if you cycle or walk to work. Not to mention, a daily constitutional is just the thing that’s helped to get many people through the last few months.
As we move forward into the ‘new normal’ the only advice that makes sense is to walk or cycle whenever you can, especially locally, for the school run or to/from mainline stations. Stay home if you can so that others who need to travel to work, can do so safely. If we all do our part to increase our walking and cycling then hopefully, your active travel dreams/new world might not turn into nightmares like mine.
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