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Sustrans responds to government cycling and walking investment strategy with five-year strategy of its own

Keen to see expansion of the National Cycle Network

Following the publication of the UK government’s first cycling and walking investment strategy last month, Sustrans has launched a five-year strategy of its own. The walking and cycling charity will focus on connecting people and places; creating liveable neighbourhoods; and transforming the school run and commutes.

The organisation says it will be focusing on walking and cycling, rather than on sustainable travel more generally, and on providing and delivering solutions for communities.

Xavier Brice, Sustrans Chief Executive, commented:

“The need to rebalance the way we move around is stronger than ever. Walking and cycling must be part of the solution to many of today’s challenges from air pollution to congestion, to high levels of childhood obesity and physical inactivity amongst adults.

“There is a pressing need for leadership on walking and cycling, which I believe we can provide by focusing on our strengths – making it easier for everyone to walk and cycle.

“With this strategy, we are better placed to ensure that our work is truly grounded in communities and that new developments have walking and cycling at their core, not as an afterthought.”

Work will focus on three areas. Firstly, connecting people and places through routes and networks for both leisure and everyday utility trips.

Secondly, by creating liveable neighbourhoods by working with communities to turn streets into “lively, people-friendly neighbourhoods,” and by ensuring that any new developments have walking and cycling at their core, not as an afterthought.

Thirdly, by transforming the school run and commutes. Sustrans says it will work with schools and employers to make it easier for people to walk or cycle for regular journeys.

The strategy also contains an ambitious vision for Sustrans’ flagship project, the National Cycle Network (NCN). Established in 1995 to encourage cycling throughout Britain, the NCN now stretches 14,700 miles across the UK. Sustrans would like to see continuous routes connecting all of the UK’s regions and nations.

Janette Sadik-Khan of philanthropic consultancy, Bloomberg Associates, and former New York City Transportation Commissioner said: “Streets that are better for walking and cycling are better for cities’ liveability, safety and economies. For 40 years, Sustrans has been the leading voice in the urban revolution about how we get around, and today, the world is starting to catch up with them.”

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15 comments

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PaulCee52 | 6 years ago
1 like

Sustrans, at one time, 'appeared' to be worthwhile, promoting the use of disused railway trackbeds as ideal cycle routes but, the unwillingness to cooperate with companies and organisations, which wanted to re-open routes, was what made me realise things weren't all they seemed to be...

Where is 'sustainable transport' if Sustrans would rather have heavy traffic travelling through villages because of their uncompromising attitude?

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rkemb | 6 years ago
3 likes
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kitsunegari | 6 years ago
2 likes

More shared usage paths along crap routes with appalling surfaces then.

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Al__S | 6 years ago
1 like

Just some random secondary road in NL - that's the sort of standard we need

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rkemb | 6 years ago
3 likes

Quote:

They are more interested in providing offroad routes where families can feel safe from traffic and don't really mind that it is out of the way, only suitable for certain types of cycle and may have to dismount to get through barriers etc.

The trouble is that other road users then see these, and get narky about the fact that you're not "on the cyclepath". Sustrans have been a waste of money for a long time now.

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hawkinspeter replied to rkemb | 6 years ago
3 likes

rkemb wrote:

The trouble is that other road users then see these, and get narky about the fact that you're not "on the cyclepath". Sustrans have been a waste of money for a long time now.

This is why I don't like shared-use/cycle paths. They're not suitable for quick transport and they give idiot motons a false sense of righteousness - that's what makes their snarls so ugly.

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the little onion | 6 years ago
5 likes

Yes Sustrans are crap. But that is because they rely too much on council funding, and don't want to bite the hand that feeds. So they sign off on any old rubbish in order to keep councils on side, and get future grants. If they actually stood up for proper sustainable transport, it risks harming their lucrative income.

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RedfishUK | 6 years ago
4 likes

".........for both leisure and everyday utility trips"

 

This is the crux of the problem with sustran, as it is their priority.

They are more interested in providing offroad routes where families can feel safe from traffic and don't really mind that it is out of the way, only suitable for certain types of cycle and may have to dismount to get through barriers etc.

Which is acceptable for a certain section of the leisure cycling public, but they try an promote themselves as something else.

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Edgeley replied to RedfishUK | 6 years ago
1 like

RedfishUK wrote:

".........for both leisure and everyday utility trips"

 

This is the crux of the problem with sustran, as it is their priority.

They are more interested in providing offroad routes where families can feel safe from traffic and don't really mind that it is out of the way, only suitable for certain types of cycle and may have to dismount to get through barriers etc.

Which is acceptable for a certain section of the leisure cycling public, but they try an promote themselves as something else.

 

 

But even their offroad routes can be rubbish.  There is one near me which has been resurfaced with thick gravel! 

Plus, because they are seen as a cycling group, and not as a recepient of council largesse, when they are asked to comment on the plans put forward by the councils, they approve everything and the council can put a big tick against their pisspoor facilities.

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ibike | 6 years ago
2 likes

The strategy does talk of reviewing and improving the network. If you're involved in a local cycle campaign group or forum I suggest you contact Sustrans and let them know which bits of the network in your area are unfit for purpose. 

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oldstrath replied to ibike | 6 years ago
5 likes

ibike wrote:

The strategy does talk of reviewing and improving the network. If you're involved in a local cycle campaign group or forum I suggest you contact Sustrans and let them know which bits of the network in your area are unfit for purpose. 

I have. For commuting or fast  weekend rides pretty much all of it. Their response is essentially that the network is "family friendly", by which they mean (it feels) protected from cars. Agreed it's mostly OK for gentle pootles and horse riders. But it has very little to do with sustainable transport.

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Grahamd | 6 years ago
2 likes

This feels very weak and lacks ambition.

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VeloPeo | 6 years ago
12 likes

I'd like to see them implement some modern design standards and have clear guidance on the maps on their website on which sections are suitable for what types of bikes. 

Too often, lovely tarmac'd stretches randomly change into sections only suitable for MTBs, with the only realistic diversions being on busy A roads. If you're on a road bike you're screwed. 

At the moment Sustrans as an organisation and the "NCN" just aren't fit for purpose - but they're the easy "go to" for clueless local authorities looking for planning advise. 

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oldstrath | 6 years ago
10 likes

So more indirect, hilly, badly signed bits of poorly made gravel-surfaced tat masquerading as cycle routes. How lovely. Perhaps if some of the Sustrans "leadership" actually rode bikes it would help, because I cannot imagine any of them have seriously ridden the rubbish constructed in their name in Scotland.

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DavidJ replied to oldstrath | 6 years ago
2 likes

oldstrath wrote:

So more indirect, hilly, badly signed bits of poorly made gravel-surfaced tat masquerading as cycle routes. How lovely. Perhaps if some of the Sustrans "leadership" actually rode bikes it would help, because I cannot imagine any of them have seriously ridden the rubbish constructed in their name in Scotland.

 

And don't forget that they supported the Niceway Code

 

Agree re. the tracks around Glasow. heading off in a min via Crookston and will play dodge the broken bottles, potholes, random barriers, dog walkers, missing signs etc

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