Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035

[Andy in Germany]

…on a serious note. It’s not going to happen.
#waronmotorists

I remember that "War on motorists." Could we have a similar war on cyclists? Not the one led by the daily mail for the last four decades, but the one where we get loads of new infrastructure, government handouts, large corporate lobbying groups and laws made in our favour.

 

[Punkawallah]

That said, I've just got home after two weeks in York, and having seen the "infrastructure" there I can understand why the 60% goal is far out of reach: if that's a "cycling city" I'd hate to see a car-centric city.

I’d say York is a city with a lot of cyclists rather than a cycling city. AFAIK theres’s a circular cycle path route from the campus to the city and back, but the rest is cycle path markings on some city roads.

 

[Drago]

Here in Northampton the carncil are doing some major works for new cycle routes. Its causing traffic mayhem (or motorists mayhem) and theyre bleating quite a lot about it. How dare anything inconvenience them in their car driving a journey they could easily walk or cycle.

I hope the new infrastructure is decent, but their track record so far has been very poor, and the stuff that has been built is indifferently maintained or used as a car park while the council that also enforce parking do bugger all about it. Active travel is supposed to be a priority, but report a problem and it's given a 26 week repair schedule. No, I remain hopeful but the signs are not good, money wanted on something that'll be crap and go downhill from there.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I’d say York is a city with a lot of cyclists rather than a cycling city. AFAIK theres’s a circular cycle path route from the campus to the city and back, but the rest is cycle path markings on some city roads.

That's a good description, and I noticed the enthusiasm for cycle infrastructure seemed to diminish the further we got from the University. One "cycleway" would suddenly bounce onto the road, veer off again, come back on, disappear, and reappear a hundred metres later between traffic lanes. An alleged "School Route" half-heartedly took up half a pavement, made bikes stop at all the side roads, then gave up about two kilometers from the school and pitched cyclists into the road. Apparently there's much frustration locally that "The kids just keep riding on the pavement or just ride on the road". Gosh, really? I wonder why.*

The area around the station is being remodeled, with some cycle lanes, but again, they expire after a few hundred metres and cyclists will be spat onto the road at a busy junction.

It's, the sort of design the dutch visit show trainee designers how not to do things.

*Proceeding sentence may contain sarcasm.

 

[Thorn Sherpa]

I think like others have said it all depends on the parents and the kids. I've 4 kids the oldest 16 all the way down to a 4 year old and there's only the 14 year old lad who religiously rides to and from school regardless of the weather. The youngest two a 6 year old and 4 year old are too young to ride but do walk with the mum or me if I'm off work (just under a mile) I think the rule at the youngest two's school is they can ride to and from in Year 6 their last year.

 

[oxoman]

Great idea, however its not enforceable. Only way to stop a lot of the daily dropping Johnny and Jenny off is to go back to school catchment areas. A lot of parents wont want there kids to get wet or cold.

 

[presta]

They'll have already left school by 2035.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Last school I worked at was a Primary

Very few kids came by car - most walked from the Counsil Estate next door
or the rows of terraced houses on the other side

But it was not known as being a "Good School"

Again - Secondary School where I worked longer than any other school again mostly the kids walked or came on a public bus

One girl walked 90 minutes each way every day - her choice - she had a bus pass but preferred to walk

Again - well know locally to be "not a good school"


First School I worked at - some kids came on a school bus from 10 miles away
and lots of cars came at kicking out time

because it was well-known as a Good School


The problem isn't kids not walking to school
The problems is people getting their kids into the best school they can

which is not always close enough to walk/cycle to even if they would let the kids do it



Oh and - when my daughter was in the last year of Primary School she told us that her and her friends "had" to help one of their friends "snaek out" at home time

because she walked home

but she could not let the teachers know because if they did the kid's parents would get into trouble
Not sure how accurate that was but I certainly didn;t know of a single kids who walked home
even the kid who literally lived next door had to wait until her Mum was at tge gate before she left the school

which does seem excessive

 

[stephec]

It's a laudable aim, however...

I want a hair transplant and 5 minutes alone with Jennifer Lawrence. I suspect both me and those ministers will be disappointed.

Five minutes, are you going to do the Times crossword as well? 😂

 

[Electric_Andy]

It would entirely depend on the local infrastructure. My son and all his friends walk to and from school when he's at his mum's, but when at mine it's not an option. It would be a 1hr 50min walk (I've done it once) and I wouldn't even let my partner cycle it, let alone a school aged person. complete lack of cycle paths, and despite being all 30mph roads it's notorious for bad and impatient driving. Plus it's nearly all hills. what provisions are the schools going to make to accommodate sweaty and/or soaked through pupils? I bet they haven't given that side of things a second thought. my son's school is arbitrarily Draconian on things like that. They aren't even allowed to wear coats in school but there aren't enough lockers for everyone, so where does one leave one's coat or cycling gear?

 

[Drago]

It would entirely depend on the local infrastructure. My son and all his friends walk to and from school when he's at his mum's, but when at mine it's not an option. It would be a 1hr 50min walk (I've done it once) and I wouldn't even let my partner cycle it, let alone a school aged person. complete lack of cycle paths, and despite being all 30mph roads it's notorious for bad and impatient driving. Plus it's nearly all hills. what provisions are the schools going to make to accommodate sweaty and/or soaked through pupils? I bet they haven't given that side of things a second thought. my son's school is arbitrarily Draconian on things like that. They aren't even allowed to wear coats in school but there aren't enough lockers for everyone, so where does one leave one's coat or cycling gear?

I wouldn't disagree with your logic for not wanting them to cycle that route, but it does illustrate a wider problem. Because people aren't cycling we'll never reclaim the roads for our own safe use, and the cycle perpetuates itself.

 

[PaulSB]

My grand kids probably won't
The endest gets the train - she could cycle but "girl's don't cycle"

That reminds me of an interesting moment. Out gravel riding one day four of us approached a narrow bridge with a very steep, very low gear, profile. Everyone in kit. A young couple with a small boy and little girl kindly stood to one side.

As we went by a small female voice said "Look mummy, that one's a girl."

At the coffee stop we all agreed we hope that little girl was inspired to ride her bike.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Great idea, however its not enforceable. Only way to stop a lot of the daily dropping Johnny and Jenny off is to go back to school catchment areas. A lot of parents wont want there kids to get wet or cold.

You don't need to enforce it if the infrastructure is decent: it would be far more convenient for parents to send kids on foot or bike.

If the UK's roads were built like it's cycleways, the UKgov would have to enforce car use.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I wouldn't disagree with your logic for not wanting them to cycle that route, but it does illustrate a wider problem. Because people aren't cycling we'll never reclaim the roads for our own safe use, and the cycle perpetuates itself.

Remember this was the cycle in the Netherlands: it was citizens that decided they wanted the change in the 1970's.

You could argue the political system in the NL makes citizen led change more likely, but that's a wider issue in the UK.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Remember this was the cycle in the Netherlands: it was citizens that decided they wanted the change in the 1970's.

I had always understood (uncertain from where) that NL cycle infrastructure was initially driven by the petrol fuel crisis of the time.

But either way I feel the UK Government's focus on specific aspects disappointing, bit like papering over the cracks in a building suffering subsidence. I feel something more fundamental needed. As I understand it cost benefit analysis of much proposed cycle infrastructure has a pay-back period way better than the Treasury threshold but it still just doesn't happen.

I'm no expert in road planning, etc. but an absolute "cannot ever be overridden by anybody" any new road must include dedicated cycle lanes (not shared pedestrian pavements); any new commercial building must include secure cycle parting for min eg 50% of employees, etc., etc.