Chris Boardman wants to overcome a “very consistent, non-evidence based, negative narrative” around cycling that has been perpetuated by sections of the media, the Active Travel England chief arguing that public health gains are being stunted by cycling’s “politically noisy” status.

Speaking to The Guardian, Boardman explained once again how active travel and cycling can be integrated as part of the transport network in the UK to tackle ill-health in a very accessible way. 

However, while cycling’s positive health implications are obvious to him, media coverage from some newspapers, TV and radio shows, and many opinion columns still prefer to bash cycling and the projects government and local authorities are implementing to get more people making journeys on foot or by bike. It’s all “very politically noisy”, Boardman admits.

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“At the moment we have a very consistent, non-evidence-based, negative narrative to stop any change. It is stopping people wanting to put their heads up and do difficult things,” he said.

Chris Boardman (copyright Allan McKenzie, SWpix.com)
Chris Boardman (copyright Allan McKenzie, SWpix (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

“It needs people with courage to stand up and say: ‘This is not in the public interest. I want my kids to be able to get to school under their own steam’. Just 211 miles from here [in the Netherlands], 66 per cent of kids do get around under their own steam, and our children are being denied that.”

One such factually incorrect anti-cycling piece that Boardman stood up against was the Telegraph newspaper’s infamous front page headline claiming that London cyclists are hitting “52mph in a 20mph zone” in search of Strava KOMs.

Telegraph front page
Telegraph front page (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The piece, which was ironically co-authored by a former BBC fact-checker, cited erroneous GPS data from the ride-sharing app as fact and was widely ridiculed by cyclists. The Telegraph was also found to be in breach of the press regulator IPSO’s Editors’ Code, however many were frustrated the newspaper was allowed to make an acknowledgement of its errors in its “Corrections and Clarifications column” and not on the front page where the story originally appeared.

At the time, Boardman commented: “I don’t normally get involved in calling out headlines but it’s just getting bonkers. If this was directed at a gender, race or religion it would be rightly called out as the hate speech it is. Mums, dads, sons and daughters being labelled as killers. It’s just got to stop.”

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Despite Boardman’s obvious credentials for also championing sport as a vessel for boosting the nation’s health, it is active travel that he believes is the biggest opportunity for progress.

“From a health point of view, active travel is how you reach a nation – you change the way people move around every day. That’s the only way you’re going to really help,” he said.

“If your first step is a bit shit, it leads to the car door, and then it doesn’t matter what you do. Active travel is the foundation of a thriving public transport network, even if it’s just walking to the bus stop.”

Cyclists and pedestrians in Castle Park, Bristol (image: Adwitiya Pal)
Cyclists and pedestrians in Castle Park, Bristol (Image Credit: Adwitiya Pal)

The Active Travel Commissioner noted early signs suggest the new Labour government’s approach is moving in the right direction and the “right conversations are happening”, but “it hasn’t happened yet”.

“Yes, it needs money, but it needs consistency more than anything. After the period we’ve just had of massive change in people and policies, it’s harder than ever to get people to go, ‘OK, this is here to stay’.”

For active travel and cycling, the noises from Labour have been more positive than the previous government’s pro-motorist identity.

> Labour government to invest “unprecedented levels of funding” in cycling

In October, Cycling UK lauded Chancellor Rachel Reeves for recouping an additional £100m of funding for cycling and walking infrastructure in her first Budget. However, some questioned if the funding went far enough and noted that fuel duty had been frozen again.

The first months of Labour’s transport policy was disrupted by Louise Haigh resigning from her role as Transport Secretary over a decade-old phone fraud offence. Haigh had been outspoken in her desire to back active travel, last month hinting at long-term funding and a desire to end “perverse half cycle lanes” that don’t link to other safe routes and then “chuck” users “out onto a dual carriageway”.

Louise Haigh bike ride with Chris Boardman and Laura Laker
Louise Haigh bike ride with Chris Boardman and Laura Laker (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

London’s former transport deputy mayor Heidi Alexander replaced Haigh as the Transport Secretary and has been backed to put cycling “front and centre”. She has been quoted in the past urging people to “please give it [cycling] a go” even if “lots of people think cycling is not for them”.