Forum Topic

Active Travel £36.5bn Boost to Economy

It's not just Chiswick that is reaping the benefits of investment in safe cycle infrastructure and liveable  neighbourhoods: "Millions of people across the country are set to benefit from £200 million of government funding for cycling and walking schemes, helping to promote healthy travel, reduce emissions and grow the economy". "Active travel is also estimated to bring a £36.5 billion boost to the economy in a year through increased high street spending and better access to jobs, delivering on our priority to grow the economy."
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-people-to-benefit-from-200-million-to-improve-walking-and-cycling-routes

Paul Campbell ● 720d39 Comments

"I've made a point of checking the timelines of these people and they are almost invariably racists, homophobes, anti-Trans, climate change denier, covid deniers or all of the above."What a load of 💩💩💩

Loraine Pemberton ● 718d

I've been watching reports on line about air quality.  A guy outside a pub on a busy road intersection, measured air quality at 5 on this gadget.  Another guy on the Underground measured air quality at 118.  Apparently the safe level is 10.  Why don't you invest in one of these, have a meeting on the High Road and discuss the matter. You can crowd fund - £67.99 on Amazon. Anyone got Prime?

Maggie Dodge ● 718d

“ It's just fantastic when you think about it.”Trumpism rules supreme in W4

Steve Taylor ● 719d

“ Improved public transport is far more likely to do all these things. ”So is more parking and easy access for cars.

Steve Taylor ● 719d

"Climate deniers and the far right feature large in the campaigning and lobbying against cycling and for cars, lorries and vans"Philippa you are absolutely right. The Together cult turns up at every ULEZ or LTN demo with their yellow placards with a confusing mix of anti-clean air, climate change denial, Covid denial, anti-vax, anti-lockdown slogans.I've put some photos and videos up on Twitter of cycling around the South Chiswick LTN. The overwhelming response is positive with thousands of views and hundreds of likes and nice comments. But there are a small number of negative comments often expressing bigotry towards cyclists or victimhood on behalf of motorists. I've made a point of checking the timelines of these people and they are almost invariably racists, homophobes, anti-Trans, climate change denier, covid deniers or all of the above.

Paul Campbell ● 719d

That 10% is the proportion who cycle to work as recorded by the Census, not including those working from home.

Tom Pike ● 719d

This is very good news. £36.5 will cover the cost of replacing our nuclear submarine fleet with a few quid left over for new bicycle clips  for any survivors.Chew on that Putin!

Adrian Irving ● 719d

And the gold award for virtue signalling goes to ........

N V Brooks ● 719d

The share of commuting by bike in Chiswick has tripled in 20 years. What were you hoping for?In fact cycling in Chiswick has grown faster than elsewhere, faster even that Hackney that has the highest proportion of commuting by bike, and has overhauled Camden.

Tom Pike ● 719d

£36.5bn contributed to the UK economy by a minority who are also making an outsized contribution to public health, clean air and emissions. It's just fantastic when you think about it.As well as the photos that show that this latest funding is quite clearly going to schemes that remove cars from streets it is emerging that one scheme is getting £1m to put in a series of modal filters to reduce car use in an area. I'm sure there was a name for a scheme like that on Thursday. Maybe Mark Harper thinks he can confuse the hard-of-thinking far right and conspiracy theorists for a while with his rebranding to "Liveable Neighbourhoods" .....

Paul Campbell ● 719d

I wonder how many of that 10 percent work from home and go for a spin before settling down at their desks?Considering the lavish spending on cycling infrastructure it’s a pretty poor return. What Ed, Tom and the rest simply don’t understand us that most normal people don’t share their obsessive passion for cycling. If they did there would have been more than 100 people at the C8 celebration last week.What most of us would like to see is better investment in sustainable public transport. That’s how most Londoners travel longer distances.

Simon Hayes ● 719d

Twenty years to grow a minority interest by that much. Wow, the LCC have done an outstanding job.

N V Brooks ● 719d

The chaps in balaclavas do look a bit far right. Are they who Brentford Today had in mind when they complained about the "Balaclava Politics of OneChiswick"?

Ed Saper ● 719d

Utter gumph.  'Believed to be', says it all. Appalling attempt to brainwas ewith no hard facts.  In the meantime delighted to see that Mark Harper has stopped all funding for  LTNs.  Just wish it had happened sooner.

Claire Moran ● 719d

Simon, the latest census figures show that in 2021 10% of Chiswick commuters travelled to work by bike. That compares to 11% who take the bus and 14% who walk to work. The proportion cycling to work was 4% in 2001 and 7% in 2011.

Tom Pike ● 719d

Evidence Phillipa?Not just links please. Make the effort.

N V Brooks ● 719d

Climate deniers and the far right feature large in the campaigning and lobbying against cycling and for cars, lorries and vans - especially those who work in in or are funded by the oil industry and institutions together with those hoping to make money in some way out of fuel additives and those hoping for no change in the status quo.

Philippa Bond ● 719d

Oh dear, Ed. Do keep up. The City of London is hardly representative of anything. I used to work there. But as usual stick some unsupported percentages in try to make it fit your argument. Very few people drive cars into the City. It also has a tiny residential population.I do hope you were one of the 100 people celebrating C9 last Sunday.

Simon Hayes ● 719d

"42. In 2019 cars and private hire vehicles (PHVs) (which are counted in a single group as they aren’t distinguishable in standard traffic counts) were the single largest category of daytime vehicular traffic on City streets making up 27% of all traffic. In contrast, in 2022 cycles were the single largest category of daytime vehicular traffic on City streets making up 27% of all traffic. Cycles also make up over 40% of vehicular traffic during the morning and evening peak hours."https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/documents/s182953/TMO%20Review%20Stage%202%20End%20of%20Review%20Committee%20Report%20PT%20March%202023%20V1.pdfI guess my question for Simon is why these cyclists are cycling around the City of London for leisure during rush hour, and not somewhere like Richmond Park?Or does his definition of "leisure activity" include any cycling trip, regardless of whether the purpose is to commute, to do the school run, to go shopping, to deliver goods etc.?

Ed Saper ● 719d

Ah, the old RAC/AA diversion tactic. Most normal people are members of these clubs purely on the basis of breakdown recovery. You’d probably find that people move from one provider to another every year to get cheaper deals. I don’t know any motorists who are members who vociferously and actively campaigning for road infrastructure. They certainly don’t go to monthly meetings or join rallies like LCC members do.What the likes of Campbell can’t comprehend is that most road lobbying comes from the haulage industry, because it’s a vital part of their businesses. Why, even those shiny new bicycles made in China have to be delivered in something to Halfords, Evans and all the other outlets.And the £36bn figure is an estimate, not some proven amount, despite all the wishful thinking of the cycle lobbyists.And how disappointing that only 100 or so enthusiasts turned out on a sunny day (from two Boroughs) to celebrate C9. Surely there should have been thousands there considering the wild claims made by the likes of Campbell and Pike about bicycling in the area. Perhaps the figures betray the real truth about interest in what is, basically, a leisure activity.

Simon Hayes ● 719d

Edmund King, is I believe president of the AA.  He is pro cycling and a friend of Jeremy Vine on Twitter.

Maggie Dodge ● 719d

About as relevant as asking how many AA or RAC members are on the Council.

David Burke ● 719d

Genuine question to Paul Campbell.  How far do you think cycling infrastructure would have progressed without the benefit of LCC members on local Councils?

Maggie Dodge ● 719d

Amazing how much forum time and space is dedicated to those who support a minority transport interest and its particularly vociferous and often offensive supporters.

N V Brooks ● 719d

Nope. Hayes is not passing muster. There must be a credible local velophobe to champion a robust argument against the government’s surely bonkers assertion that cycling contributes £36.5bn to the economy and it is growing fast and will contribute even more. Come on don’t let these weaklings represent your interest.

Paul Campbell ● 720d

If by ‘velophobes’ you mean normal people then the government aren’t worried.But do tell us if you turned out for the Festival of Cycling. Or were you too busy trolling on twitter?

Simon Hayes ● 720d

So far the government appears to have nothing to fear from the flaccid attempts at counter-argument from Chiswick’s velophobes. Surely they can muster a champion from their serried ranks to offer some stiff resistance?

Paul Campbell ● 720d

As someone who neither drives nor cycles, I’d be interested to know how much of this active travel tax payer largesse has been spent on walking schemes, No doubt there’s some Imperial College data to demonstrate how pavements and road crossings have been improved for pedestrians and rogue scooters and cyclists been banished to the cycle lanes.

Peter Millman ● 720d

And it was widely touted as a ‘Festival of Cycling’. Publicised a month ago onthus and other sites.A festival of cycling is to be held across Chiswick and Hammersmith this May to celebrate the completion of the local section of Cycleway 9.The event has been organised by Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham Councils along with Transport for London and is taking place on Sunday 14 May.There will be guided cycle rides from Turnham Green (opposite Chiswick Town Hall) to Lyric Square in Hammersmith and back again. The guided ride will set off at 10.30am and is for families and cyclists of all abilities who will be led by expert, qualified ride leaders from both councils and from local cycling groups. Another led ride will take place in the afternoon from Hammersmith to Chiswick with Hammersmith riders being escorted back later in the day.In addition to the ride, cycling and active travel stalls and activities will also be on offer outside Chiswick Town Hall and on Lyric Square. These activities will include a workshop from the Metropolitan Police on safer interactions between cyclists and HGVs, a performance by the Bicycle Ballet Co, a second-hand bicycle market by Peddle My Wheels, stalls from Hounslow Council’s green and active travel teams and local active travel businesses.If you have a bike that may need care and attention, you can bring it along to free workshops on the day by Dr Bike at Lyric Square and Turnham Green who can undertake basic repairs or instruct and advise you on more serious work that may need to be done. Hounslow Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport Strategy, Councillor Katherine Dunne, said: “Cycling and walking routes are great for the environment and can help to improve air quality in our borough by reducing traffic on our roads.“Schemes like Cycleway 9 also support our ambitions to tackle climate change and air pollution by cutting vehicle emissions, reducing the amount of carbon and toxins emitted.”“So come along and sign up for this ride because it’s great for improving physical and mental health and wellbeing and enjoying cycling for the long term.”Register your place to join in the guided ride on Eventbrite.

Simon Hayes ● 720d

Didn’t the great C9 celebration last weekend attract just over 100 cyclists? What a massive boost to the local economy that represents after the multi-million pound investment. I wonder if Campbell crawled out of bed to join in.

Simon Hayes ● 720d

Agree.

Janice Evans ● 720d

"Active travel is also estimated to bring a £36.5 billion boost to the economy in a year through increased high street spending and better access to jobs, delivering on our priority to grow the economy."Improved public transport is far more likely to do all these things.

Peter Evans ● 720d

Yawn. Estimates, guesses, projections. Nobody really knows.Fact is, your cycling utopia doesn’t exist without motorised vehicles delivering everything you need.

Simon Hayes ● 720d

That must be very exciting for you. Conservatives love cutting funding of public services but cutting off funding for Active Travel must be like catnip.What do you think of the government's claims that cycling contributes £36.5bn to the UK economy and is a positive for high street shopping?

Paul Campbell ● 720d

Sustrans has responded to this announcement saying, on Twitter: "Don't be fooled. The government is giving with one hand and taking away with the other. This announcement fails to reveal:* This cash is for the last financial year!* Funding for these schemes is about to fall off a cliff* Deep cuts were quietly announced in March" I don't know how to add a screengrab of the Tweet but can forward it to anyone who would like it.

Joanna Biddolph ● 720d

Well this is fun and interesting.

Paul Campbell ● 720d

It's you posting it here.

Richard Greenhough ● 720d

It's not me saying it. It's the government.

Paul Campbell ● 720d

When I used to cycle from Chiswick to Victoria daily (and indeed around London generally) one of the benefits of doing so was to avoid paying tube or bus fares. Not sure how my not forking out on public transport provided a massive contribution to the economy, but I'm sure you know best.

Richard Greenhough ● 720d

Why would you think Chiswick would be different to anywhere else where cycle infrastructure is supporting the massive contribution cycling makes to the economy? It's the same and a part of the whole grand scheme. The cycle lane is a massive stonking success so if anything Chiswick probably contributes a disproportionately high share of the benefits.

Paul Campbell ● 720d

Paul - this may all be true in the grand scheme of things but where are the benefits derived from the cycle infrastructure schemes in Chiswick?

Sam Hearn ● 720d