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Lack of safe routes a barrier to cycling, say six in 10 survey respondents

“A network of dedicated cycling lanes, separated from traffic, is the biggest priority” to get more people riding bikes says Cycling Scotland

Six in 10 people have said that the lack of safe cycle lanes or traffic-free routes is a barrier that puts them  off cycling, or stops them riding bikes for everyday journeys.

The finding, from a survey carried out every two years by the charity Cycling Scotland, is consistent with previous research highlighting that lack of safe infrastructure is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more people cycling, selected by 61 per cent of respondents.

The survey of 1,029 adults in Scotland found that the major barrier to cycling for everyday journeys, as in previous editions, was that it was perceived as being impractical for carrying things, which 72 per cent of respondents said they considered important or very important in acting as a deterrent (although as the #carryshitolympics hashtag on Twitter highlights, there is no end to the type of items that can be carried by bike).

That was followed by not feeling safe on the roads, on 65 per cent, and poor weather, chosen by 64 per cent of respondents to the survey, which was funded by Transport Scotland.

Other major barriers included journeys being too far, selected by 47 per cent, and not being practical due to travelling with others, on 45 per cent, while 20 per cent said they have nowhere to store their bike.

The survey found that more than one in three people in Scotland – 35 per cent – use a bicycle for everyday journeys or for leisure.

Among all respondents, 12 per cent use a bicycle for everyday journeys at least once a week – up by a third on the 9 per cent recorded in 2017, the first time the survey, which is carried out every two years, was conducted.

In particular, there has been strong growth in the proportion of 18 to 24 year olds cycling, up from 27 per cent when the survey was last done to 39 per cent this year.

By gender, 28 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women reported ever cycling for everyday journeys in the latest survey.

Walking remains the most frequent mode for everyday journeys, with 74 per cent doing so at least once a week, and 43 per cent walking most days.

Meanwhile, 53 per cent of respondents reported ever driving, and 34 per cent do so most days.

Keith Irving, chief executive of Cycling Scotland, commented:  “The world has changed considerably since we last carried out this tracker research in 2019.

“With 35 per cent of the population cycling for transport or leisure, it’s encouraging to see cycling becoming a much more common way of getting around and getting exercise.

“As well as helping people feel healthier and happier, swapping the car for the bike remains key in tackling the climate emergency.”

He said that the number-one priority to get more people cycling was to provide them with protected cycle lanes, and that efforts should also be made to reduce the amount of motor traffic.

“We can see in our research that roads being too busy is one of the biggest barriers to cycling, we need to reduce vehicle traffic in shopping and residential streets, in line with the welcome Scottish Government commitment to reduce vehicle kilometres by 20 per cent by 2030,” he explained.

“To make our roads safer, particularly for children, a network of dedicated cycling lanes, separated from traffic, is the biggest priority.

“And every journey cycled will make a difference in cutting emissions in a just transition to Net Zero,” he added.

Earlier this month, the Scottish Government announced it was investing £150 million in active travel in its budget for 2022/23 – an increase of £34.5 million on the current year, and equivalent to £27 per head.

Some 1,029 people were questioned in August and September this year for the survey, which was funded by Cycling Scotland.

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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10 comments

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lonpfrb | 2 years ago
2 likes

More than 20 years ago the government of Finland identified a trend of decreasing active travel and the parliament agreed that infrastructure was required to make active travel safe and accessible to everyone. Since then the Finnish building regulations have required that all new roads include separate lanes alongside that are suitable for ski during winter and walking, running, riding in summer. Thus it is usual in winter to see Grandma out on her sled in good health and safety.,

This from the country that has brought you multiple F1 and WRC champions, so cannot possibly be described as anti motor vehicles.

They do however do government by the people, for the people. So a lesson to learn from..

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to lonpfrb | 2 years ago
1 like
lonpfrb wrote:

More than 20 years ago the government of Finland identified a trend of decreasing active travel and the parliament agreed that infrastructure was required to make active travel safe and accessible to everyone. Since then the Finnish building regulations have required that all new roads include separate lanes alongside that are suitable for ski during winter and walking, running, riding in summer. Thus it is usual in winter to see Grandma out on her sled in good health and safety.,

This from the country that has brought you multiple F1 and WRC champions, so cannot possibly be described as anti motor vehicles.

They do however do government by the people, for the people. So a lesson to learn from..

It sounds like demmed whiggery I tell you...

Avatar
Prosper0 | 2 years ago
0 likes

And even when you're lucky enough to have a 'safe' cycling route near you, it will be full of metal entry barriers to ensure that few can actually use it. Always maintain the status quo 😉

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wtjs | 2 years ago
4 likes

All these self selection surveys are junk- the excuses people make for not cycling are just that. Those people are not going to cycle whatever the facilities- if the worst came to the worst they would just say they don't want to mess up their hair or get sweaty. We don't need this sort of rubbish to justify expenditure on cycling facilities. The cheapest solution to assist the die-hards would be effective enforcement of the present traffic law and HWC, and proper deterrent punishment. There is no sign of this happening- that's why we're up to NMotD 681

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lonpfrb replied to wtjs | 2 years ago
0 likes
wtjs wrote:

There is no sign of this happening- that's why we're up to NMotD 681

Given the due process 681 doesn't include the matters in progress. I have two with Kent Police, one of which might be of sufficient quality to share here.

Ride safe...

Avatar
Sriracha | 2 years ago
6 likes

So once the unsafe roads are finally made safe enough for non-lycra cyclists, and they have bought the e-bike to eliminate the distance/hills objection, they will use it once. Then they will discover the other reason nobody normal cycles anywhere - your £2000 ebike gets stolen if you park it, because there is nowhere safe to park it.

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lonpfrb replied to Sriracha | 2 years ago
1 like
Sriracha wrote:

Then they will discover the other reason nobody normal cycles anywhere - your £2000 ebike gets stolen if you park it, because there is nowhere safe to park it.

Good point. When I used to live and work in London, my employer had a vast tower block with several large carparks yet insufficient parking spaces. So most employees could park 3 days per week only.

Happily they were smart enough to provide secure parking for bicycle and motorcycle commuters, along with showers and lockers.

So I believe that Ride 2 Work sustainability is very much in the hands of employers to share the advantages and support accordingly.

More than 500,000 calories burnt..

Avatar
chrisonabike | 2 years ago
3 likes

Well, with the usual pinches of salt about

a) what people say are their reasons for doing / not doing something

b) if it's easy to cycle and it's easy to drive, people (in the UK at least) drive

...then yes, it's the network.  Must be safe, convenient, attractive. Must go from close to where people start to where they want to go. (And thanks other posters - must have somewhere safe and attractive to put your bike when you get there!)

http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2015/05/the-grid-most-important-enabler-of-mass.html

Compare countries (same scale - from OpenStreetmap). Note that the UK ones are both our "optimistic" city routes and "NCN" ones which may be more of an "adventure":

UK (I've picked the "best" part / more densely populated).

 

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chrisonabike replied to chrisonabike | 2 years ago
3 likes

Germany (not normally the first "cycling paradise" invoked):

 

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chrisonabike replied to chrisonabike | 2 years ago
3 likes

Netherlands and some of Belgium. Belgium's a little closer to the UK in "quality" but note the density. Yes both have high population density but not compared to London!  Although this shows capitals the entire Netherlands has much the same density. These are often entirely separated high-quality routes, with protection at junctions etc. etc.).  And if you zoom in you still have a high density of stuff as more comes into view.

 

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