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Newcastle shopkeeper who opposed measures promoting cycling changes mind after footfall goes up

Steve Robson features in Sustrans Bike Life video highlighting how promoting bikes benefits businesses

A shopkeeper in Newcastle upon Tyne who was once a vocal opponent of plans to get more people cycling because he believed it would affect his business is now in favour of such measures after the removal of parking spaces resulted in more people visiting his hardware store.

His about-turn has been highlighted by some supporters of the planned Cycle Superhighway 9 in west London after Conservative councillors claimed it would lead to increased air pollution and cause shops and shops and businesses to close.

> Tories launch campaign against 'bike motorway' in West London

A video posted on Twitter yesterday of the councillors, who sit on Labour-controlled Hounslow Council, holding a protest outside a church on Chiswick High Road met with derision on social media when it transpired that they could not be heard above the noise of motor traffic.

Evidence from schemes aimed at promoting cycling – including elsewhere in London, such as the Mini Holland borough of Waltham Forest – is that where dedicated infrastructure is built, it results not only in releasing pent-up demand for somewhere safe to ride a bike, but also has a positive impact on the takings of local businesses.

> Traffic halved and no collisions – the impact of Walthamstow Mini Holland

As Carlton Reid reports on BikeBiz, Steve Robson, who owns the Acorn Hardware shop on Acorn Road in the Newcastle suburb of Jesmond, is now in favour of measures aimed at encouraging more people to walk or cycle.

Robson, who said that plans unveiled by Newcastle City Council in 2014 to take away parking spaces as part of its Cycle City Ambition project would be “devastating for business” and launched a petition against the proposals, now features in a Sustrans video that highlights the charity’s Bike Life project.

The Bike Life 2017 report published last week by Sustrans found that three quarters of the 7,700 respondents to its survey of residents of seven cities in the UK backed segregated infrastructure, and two thirds said they would cycle more of protected routes were available to them.

> People in cities want segregated space for cycling

In the Sustrans video, Robson said: "Two years ago the council decided to change the road from a two-way to a one-way system with the loss of up to 20 car parking spaces. As an independent retailer I wasn't too happy with this.

"However, since the changes have been made Acorn Road has become more vibrant with the increase in pedestrians and cyclists. Now with more bike racks we get more cyclists coming into the store,” he added.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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14 comments

Avatar
srchar | 6 years ago
0 likes

The shop owners of Green Lanes are about to get a similar boost when Enfield finish the cycle lane works. As most of the imbeciles campaigned against the new infrastructure on the same spurious grounds that it would increase pollution, stop ambulances getting to sick people etc, I do hope they'll be donating the increased profits to charity.

Avatar
Bluebug replied to srchar | 6 years ago
0 likes
srchar wrote:

The shop owners of Green Lanes are about to get a similar boost when Enfield finish the cycle lane works. As most of the imbeciles campaigned against the new infrastructure on the same spurious grounds that it would increase pollution, stop ambulances getting to sick people etc, I do hope they'll be donating the increased profits to charity.

With the increase in business rates the increased profits will stop them going out of business.

Avatar
alansmurphy | 6 years ago
3 likes

It's too easy with this one to be fair, I was just screwing around...

Avatar
kevvjj replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
3 likes
alansmurphy wrote:

It's too easy with this one to be fair, I was just screwing around...

you're just plumbing new depths with that one

 

Avatar
alansmurphy replied to kevvjj | 6 years ago
2 likes
kevvjj wrote:
alansmurphy wrote:

It's too easy with this one to be fair, I was just screwing around...

you're just plumbing new depths with that one

 

I haven't really drilled down into the intricacies of the story...

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
2 likes
alansmurphy wrote:
kevvjj wrote:
alansmurphy wrote:

It's too easy with this one to be fair, I was just screwing around...

you're just plumbing new depths with that one

I haven't really drilled down into the intricacies of the story...

Getting boring now...

Avatar
davel replied to Dnnnnnn | 6 years ago
3 likes
Duncann wrote:
alansmurphy wrote:
kevvjj wrote:
alansmurphy wrote:

It's too easy with this one to be fair, I was just screwing around...

you're just plumbing new depths with that one

I haven't really drilled down into the intricacies of the story...

Getting boring now...

Only a bit; chuck another one in.

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 6 years ago
0 likes

Newcastle is ace!

Avatar
alansmurphy | 6 years ago
5 likes

He seems to have hit the nail on the head, glad he's hammering it home to local businesses...

Avatar
CygnusX1 replied to alansmurphy | 6 years ago
0 likes

He seems to have hit the nail on the head, glad he's hammering it home to local businesses...[/quote

Ba-dum-tisssh!]

Avatar
kitkat | 6 years ago
5 likes

Nowt wrong with repentance.

Start selling & advertising some cycling gear & trade might get even better!  1

Avatar
barbarus | 6 years ago
1 like

What a great story! I've been reading Peter Walker's book "bike nation" - brilliant book which makes this sort of point really clearly. The only sad thing is that it is far more likely to be read by Barbaruses than Steve Robsons. This is a step in the right direction though. If Steve Robson speaks to five other Steve Robsons...

Avatar
Eton Rifle | 6 years ago
23 likes

Fair play to him for having the guts to make his revised views public. As a wise man once said "When the facts change, I change my opinion."

Avatar
Simboid | 6 years ago
12 likes

Welcome to reality Steve Robson! One of the joys of cycling is traveling at a pace that lets you take in the surroundings, be that awesome mountains and lakes or local small businesses. Plus we don’t care about parking.

Want to thrive with a B&Q up the road? Be bike friendly and encourage others to do the same.

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