Flatlining cycling numbers and investment set to fall (+ interactive map)

The crazy thing with trains is that I can get a 300 mile return for £32-£40 but a 30 mile return same day costs £12.
I got a train with bike for New Years, I was surprised at the £6 cost for 3/4 stops and circa 12/15 miles (same cost to stop before in the village before but equi distance to friends house).
However for commuting purposes the trains at peak times are at virtual capacity, there's not much option for some as trauns can make things more convoluted.
I'm not surprised numbers cycling is static, what is invested in infra is mostly just shit and not fit for purpose and even then motorists actions on the roads simply put people off altogether even if there is some there.
Then you have schools forcing kids to wear helmets et al, even bikeability indoctrination of wearing helmets and hi-vis works against cycling uptake.
This is a culmination of many actions and lots of inaction as well as treacherous decision making including that of sustrans and ctc/cuk. They backed the likes of the Bedford 'turbo' roundabout which made it more dangerous, more convoluted for people on bikes and yet the 'cycling' money wasmostly spent on getting people on bikes out the way and Iincreasing motorised traffic flow.
Fucking depressing!

Bucks County Council have a few pennies to spend. Please respond to the consultation before Wednesday 24th January.

https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/strategic-economic-plan/a413-sustainable-travel-scheme/

Great vid about Oslo. For as long as the UK has crap public transport, people will use cars. My commute is 15 miles. 1 hour by bike, 1 hour 20 by bus, 20 mins train but £12 a day. Car takes 50 to 60 mins. I ride, obviously, but the other options push people to their cars.

Oslo. It can be done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuboGpL3de4

But investment, when it happens, is no guarantee of usable infrastructure, good faith or smart design. Terrible compromises are made with cycle infrastructure and the resulting lack of use is manipulated politically to justify lower investment.

Until designers nationwide, not just in London, understand the fallacy of the middle ground and realise that compromises absolutely cannot be made if cycling is to be promoted to people outside of its traditional base, nothing will change regardless of levels of investment. As someone cycling in and around Bradford and Leeds, the Cycle Superhighway is a constant reminder of this.

"The charity’s policy director, Roger Geffen, said of cycling levels: “This flatlining is clearly indicative of a long-term failure to invest in cycling and walking by successive governments.""

Roger is right and this is the failure of all governments for the past fifty years at least.  We get lots of rhetoric, but no money.  All the talk about environment and health and all the research studies demonstrating the overwhelming benefits have made absolutely no difference, and there is no sign of change.  You could power the UK with the amount of hot air from politicians about cycling, but then they go and build more roads, frequently making things more dangerous and difficult for cyclists.

If only they spent as much time doing as talking, we'd have the finest cycle network in the world, and I have this terrible foreboding about the forthcoming parliamentary inquiry, which I predict will do nothing useful and impose unnecessary restrictions on cycling.

I'm beginning to come over to the idea of revolution.