Commuters predicted to abandon public transport and bikes in favour of cars

First you finance a story like the one above, then the government builds massive infrastructure for sustaining the predicted traffic, denying any other alternative in the process then, bingo, you have a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"DfT modells show goverment tergets for active travel will not be met! Things will not only not improve under the current approach, they'll get worse than they were before we started! Masive implications for congestion, polution, carbon emmissions, public health, NHS funding, sustainable planning, social mobility! Late night cabinet meeting called to push through emergency funding and statutory requirements to public bodies, UK wide!"

Well, likley not the last bit, eh?

"The figures do not account for the Department's Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which was still in development when the forecasts were made."

Given the utterly pathetic  level of funding for the CWIS, there wouldn't really be too much point in factoring it in to the forecast.

Which is really the problem; if sufficient funds were made available for CWIS, then the whole scenario would change, but while our cretinous government continue to spend the vast majority of transport funding on encouraging driving, it's hardly surprising that most people drive.

some people are just lazy and there's nothing you can do to change that.

it requires less brain power to use one of the standard excuses not to ride a bike, than it is for people to change their routine.

it's the boots meal deal, greggs pasty mentallity.

be a robot.

do as society and advertisers tell you.

stick with what you know.

Problem we have is like that photoshopped image I saw somewhere of a congested road with petrol cars and a congested road with electric cars - they look exactly the same!  Electric cars may help emissions, but don't help congestion.

If the powers that be really think that the numbers of cars on the road is going to keep going up at this rate, then either every A-road in the country is going to have to compuldsarily purchase another couple of lanes (and we can't afford to maintain the lanes we already have!) or else driving a private car is going to have to become prohibitively expensive (road charging, probably).

My commute is short distance and fun/relaxing quiet back streets and one of Londons rather forgotten Royal Parks.

people like cars which is why they will put up with various hassles with them, hence some of the  fan boy stuff over Tesla.  

Quote:

In 2015, Britons made on average 22.1 journeys by bike, but this is predicted to drop to 20.5 by 2040,

Is that annually, or weekly, or daily?

Try riding the A6 through Stockport at 8am. If you're smiling you're doing something VERY wrong..!

The women I work with, in catering, all on minimum wage, all part time, all have cars. The average commute for them is 4 miles, it takes about 30/40 minutes.

They all have very little money and are all out of shape, people just don't get the link...

Part of the problem is these ridiculous finance schemes that enable low-earners to have top-of-the-range Audis/BMWs/Mercedes etc. An alarming number of people are sinking all their disposable income on a monthly lease agreement - they can't afford to not drive

I can well believe these predictions, unfortunately. As civil society disintegrates, what is a self-interested individual to do, other than seal him-or-her-self off inside their own private bubble of steel and glass, with a powerful engine and a loud horn so they can give as good as they get. Likewise, as global warming causes more extreme weather, an air-conditioned 4x4 looks less like the ridiculous toy of the rich it was in the past, and more an essential tool to survive summer heatwaves and winter floods. Of course, both these impulses make the situation worse overall, feeding into a vicious circle. Government spending, however it is directed, cannot stop such a powerful feedback loop. Policy changes would harm business interests and lose votes. It is all going down, they know that, as research such as this reveals, so what else to do but set up ludicrous distractions...

I just don't get driving in the city. I had a car since I was 17 because I lived 20 miles away from the city when I lived in my home town, but after moving to major cities, never felt the need for a car. I have had periods since then when I bought a car any way, even bought one for my partner and taught her to drive, but it sat on the drive for a year, used only a handful of times because she'd walk or take the bus to work instead. Parking is mad expensive here right in the city centre and a complete and utter nightmare any way to get parked.

Sold it. Now we just rent a car when we're on holiday. Can also rent easily for any other reason. Flights are cheap and faster than driving if you need to move around the UK so.. we do that.

That said, I would get a car again if I had kids, or if I just felt like I wanted it for some other reason and sometimes I do. Just not enough for the past few years. We get nearly all our shopping delivered. Food, clothes, stuff. Occassionally pick up some things during the week on the way home or whatever. 

What's funny is there was no period after selling the cars off where I missed them. I don't need the bubble, just happened to have it. That might not be the same for everyone, some people may be attached to that feeling of security and personal space.

Face it, a lot of cyclists are thrill seekers and a bit aggressive deep down. Actually take enjoyment out of the bustle of commuting and racing around on the bike. Not the same for most people. 

It's ubsurd. They make the same ridiculous calculations every year and it is wrong every year. They just flat ignore the fact that distance travelled by car been falling consistantly for over a decade.

Here's a blog on exactly the same thing from 2013:

https://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/the-dft-and-their-c...

They just keep on repeating the same mistake. Or is it made on purpose? The cynic in me says it suits the motoring lobby just fine.

If driverless cars become a reality then a lot of the advantages of public transport and cycling will disappear.

Taking the car will become cheaper and less restrictive.

On the plus side driverless cars should make cycling a lot safer for those of us who will persist!

More and more people just realising that they love their car, even if it's the least efficient, most polluting and most dangerous form of transport. My commute has changed recently and I am amazed every day that I sail past miles, literally miles, of people crawing along in cars. Even going nowhere and blaming everyone else for the traffic jams, people just will not get out of their car. I suppose it's the best place to pick your nose, eat some toast and listen to the radio.