Campaigning

Council insists controversial cycling fines in Birmingham city centre will only target “dangerous, careless or inconsiderate” riders, but campaigners continue to criticise “waste of paper” PSPO

Month on from council promising any order would not be a "ban on cycling", controversial plan appears to soften to continue to allow safe riding — but campaigners argue "no need" and PSPO still fails to address root cause of issues

Cake by the bike lane: Cyclists bring cake, mince pies and non-alcoholic Prosecco to thank workers for building new segregated cycle lane

“We recently had a small celebration,” said a local cycling campaign whose members surprised the contractors and councillors to show their appreciation

“We could have saved more trees”: Council approves loss of 26 trees to build cycle lane — but “saddened” authority says felling due to residents rejecting reduced road width

The trees will now be chopped down and replaced with 32 new saplings by the council, who have been accused of spreading “misinformation” by residents who previously organised the largest tree hug in the country

Remco Evenepoel calls for drivers to use Dutch Reach after suffering multiple fractures in dooring incident on training ride

The double Olympic champion has launched ‘Remco Reflex’, a road safety campaign by partnering with postal service whose van driver was involved in the incident

“I live the reality of the danger of cycling in traffic almost every day”: Tadej Pogačar joins international road safety campaign urging drivers to respect cyclists by not texting or drinking – while calling for cyclists to wear helmets

The world champion’s involvement in the UN campaign, which aims to protect cyclists from “predictable and preventable” collisions, comes in the same week rival Remco Evenepoel was injured in an apparent ‘dooring’ incident

Police no longer describing road collisions as ‘accidents’ – but over two-thirds still refer to vehicles instead of drivers, new research finds

Just five of the UK’s 45 police forces have formally adopted the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines launched in 2021, with only one using them in practice

“Dishonest and farcical”: Campaigners accuse council of rejecting “safer” cycling infrastructure plans as it will be “too difficult” for pedestrians to cross two-metre cycle path

The campaigners said that the council was giving all the space reclaimed from cars to pedestrians and “next to nothing” to cyclists, but council believes the project is “once in a generation” opportunity

‘Tree-hugging’ cycle lane opponents ‘backed’ by David Attenborough accuse council of spreading “misinformation” – but local authority says trees are only being cut down because residents opposed loss of on-street car parking

While campaigners claim they are “concerned about the safety of cyclists and vehicles”, new data suggests collisions along other sections of the cycleway have “significantly reduced” since it was installed

“They just don’t want a cycleway”: Campaigners criticised for staging country’s largest tree hug to block “destructive” bike lane plans — while suggesting it could be built by “lighting up” nature reserve

The cycle lane has faced opposition from locals due to reduced parking and concerns about drivers “blindly reversing” into cyclists, and recently made headlines after Sir David Attenborough encouraged a 11-year-old boy to protest against it

Chris Boardman tells much-criticised COP summit that cycling’s “superpower” can help tackle climate crisis, marks “first time” active travel “has actually appeared in a major platform” at the event

Comments come at climate summit slammed by report suggesting over 1,700 coal, oil and gas lobbyists have been granted access, as delegates told to "cut the theatrics" and tackle climate crisis

Fines issued to pavement cyclists will be based on “behaviour, not location” says council, in town where female cyclist was fined £100 for riding on cycle path and others threatened with £1,000 penalties by “cowboy wardens”

The local authority, which apologised and waived fines issued to “responsible” cyclists after backlash from campaigners, says the focus will now be on “education first”

“Older NIMBYs prioritised over young people again”: Council scraps bike lane scheme that would allow kids to cycle to school, after meeting “hijacked by Tories” preventing safety improvements

“Kids cycle on pavements because that’s the only option they have at the moment”, said an urban development professor, while another mum claimed her son was “frustrated” with the news

“Downgraded volunteer” cycling and walking commissioner role offering £10k a year doesn’t reflect the “scale and urgency” of “road safety emergency” in West Midlands, say campaigners

The position has been left abandoned for over 100 days after Adam Tranter stepped down, as concerns about the low-paid and voluntary nature of the role, first speculated by road.cc, turned out to be true

Is cycling and walking being shafted in the West Midlands? Mayor distances himself from “downgraded” voluntary road safety job ad that has since disappeared

Richard Parker denied involvement in the short-lived job posting, with one active travel campaigner saying that replacing a full-time Walking and Cycling Commissioner role with a voluntary one would be "devastating" for cycle route delivery in the region

Misleading reporting is damaging public perception of e-bikes says trade body

ACT concerned at growing misconception that all e-bikes are unsafe

“What is being built is not fit for purpose”: NHS workers join cyclists in slamming “last-minute changes” to roadworks plan which severs popular cycling route at busy roundabout, instead adding more lanes to encourage “more and faster” motor traffic

“Clearly no thought whatsoever has been given to people arriving by bike. How this got through the approval process is hard to understand,” the chair of Norwich Cycling Campaign said.

Cycling UK and British Cycling urge Labour to “significantly increase” active travel budget to 10% of transport spending

What will new government's first Budget look like for cycling?

Court of Appeal to reconsider ruling on cycle funding cuts in England, with judge citing “real prospect of success”

The appeal could help “hardwire stability” for sustained cycling funding in England, the Transport Action Network says

Cyclists launch petition to improve “unsafe, unacceptable” narrow cycle lane, with fears strong winds could blow cyclists into 50mph+ oncoming traffic or down a steep bank

A report from the council has suggested widening or realigning the cycle lane for a long-term solution, making access to private lands an “almost certainty”

“Accelerate efforts to eradicate cyclist deaths,” demand campaigners from major London universities calling for action on road safety

Academics and students from all London's major academic institutions have joined forces to explore "a safer future for cycling" in the city, action sparked by two staff and one student being killed while cycling in less than a year

“We have reached the bottom”: SUV driver charged with murder after cyclist’s road rage death leaves French cycling community “deeply shaken”

The cyclist was allegedly crushed following a roadside row when the motorist cut across an unprotected cycle lane, as mayor says “it is unacceptable to die in Paris while riding a bike” and activists call for “end to road violence”

Active travel campaigners blast “clumsy, unworkable, and discriminatory” plan to ban cycling in Birmingham city centre, which council says will target delivery cyclists “speeding around city without care”

“Unfortunately, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists mixing can be a dangerous combination,” Birmingham City Council said as it announced proposals for new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in pedestrian areas

“Majority of cyclists are reasonable people and will dismount”: Cycling campaign opposes controversial town centre cycle ban which has seen “738 cyclists fined in last few months”

Town councillor also reported being "inundated with complaints from residents that have been fined dismounting their bikes in the town centre"

National Highways to stop calling collisions ‘accidents’, as campaigners welcome “significant step” in recognising crashes are “not random events, but preventable incidents caused by human actions”

"For far too long, the term 'accident' has masked accountability and allowed society to dismiss the daily tragedy of road deaths and serious injuries as inevitable"

90% scared of cycling in UK cities — new research suggests fear of collisions, road rage and theft putting people off

Calling the findings a "wake-up call", bike subscription provider Swapfiets said "it's clear that current efforts aren't enough" and urged government "to not only reinstate but increase the active travel budget"

Build safe cycling routes to help people ditch cars for local journeys, urges senior doctor “redressing balance” of city’s “polarised” cycling ban debate

Dr Jonathan Leach OBE says if he could prescribe exercise it "would be one of the most effective drugs", the Worcester-based doctor trying to "redress the balance" of "so much negativity locally" from those "vehemently anti-cycling"

eBay’s banning private e-bike sales – but how well will it police its “eligible business sellers”?

Electrical Safety First says marketplaces should be legally obligated to take “reasonable steps” to ensure products sold via their sites are safe

Cyclists “horrified” by Iain Duncan Smith’s Telegraph column suggesting “dangerous cyclists should be driven off our roads”, as Conservative MP accused of ignoring main road safety issues in latest call for stricter legislation

The former Tory leader believes existing legislation around cycling "is clearly out of date", but has been accused of playing into "culture wars" and deliberately ignoring other road safety issues which cause far more deaths and serious injuries

Cyclists can’t reach proposed active travel route due to town centre bike ban, as “crazy” plans slammed as “white elephant” that will not benefit cycling

“A toucan crossing, by definition, is for pedestrians and cyclists. But there is no way of actually cycling to get there”

David Attenborough encourages boy to stage anti-cycle lane protest, as veteran broadcaster weighs in on plans to “sacrifice 26 irreplaceable trees” for new bike route

More than 1,200 people have signed a petition urging the council to stop the cycling infrastructure project “immediately” – but the local authority says new trees will be planted in their place