Practitioner meeting: workshop one notes
Workshop one asked participants to respond to questions raised by the “Good cycling, bad cyclists?” paper. In particular, we asked participants to respond to the following:
What are the perceptions of cycling and cyclists where you live and work?
Are you, or anyone else addressing this issue? How?
How have perceptions of cycling and cyclists changed?
What, if anything, needs to be done?
Some of the comments made by participants are outlined below in note form – we hope to provide a more detailed writeup once we have transcribed the workshop discussions.
What are the perceptions of cycling and cyclists where you live and work?
-People seem to be very judgmental of themselves as cyclists and cyclists in general
-The vulnerability of cyclists is a pre-occupation of my workplace (TFL)
-There is a difference when you ride the ‘Boris Bikes’ – people have a different opinion of you
oPublic spirited
oGenerates interest and excitement
oFeel safer
oEarly adopter
oOpen-minded vs closed minded
-Cycling chic in Cambridge – fashion, design, architecture
-“Multi-modalist” – Do you think of commuters as one type of transport users or are we moving away from this?
-What are we doing? Rural/suburban
-More normal/ visibility
-Infrastructure
-Positives and negatives have both increased (eg. LL)
-Demographics influence attitudes
-“Cyclist” as a “specialist” activity
-Superficial attitudes?
-Invisible until you do something wrong
Are you, or anyone else addressing this issue? How?
-Boris Bikes – see above
-TFL and rule breakers – persistent offenders. Not enough has been done.
-Be more open-minded about ‘types’ of cyclists
-Make the most of opportunities
-Issue of rule breakers in Cambridge – pictograms on bookmarks for foreign students
-Research at TFL shows that:
oSensible choice to use a bike to enjoy the countryside
oSensible choice to drive to park-and-ride business park
oNever the twain shall meet.
-Japan: cycling on footpaths is accepted however there is a change in law and policy
-Safer cycling on footways – use of planters to avoid conflict with pedestrians
-Schools and community programs
-Tour of Britain
-Visiting schools
-Use of words/categories to avoid “compartmentalism”
-Targeted cycle processes. Eg. Training at schools/ clubs/ clubs in targeted areas
-Wearing “ordinary” clothes
-Fashion accessories – commercial potential
How have perceptions of cycling and cyclists changed?
-Not so unusual – change over the last 10-15 years – especially certain areas. Eg. London
-Media use of cyclists
-Public figures/celebs using bikes
-Wider variety of bikes
-Greater awareness of environmental issues
-London – Style changes
-Social class – underlying factor
-Hackney – deprived. Aspiration is a car
-Evening Standard – dramatic attitude change!
-Politics
-Cambridge – Editor of Cambridge Evening News was on the judging panel of new bridge design.
What, if anything, needs to be done?
-Get key people with vested interests on-side. eg. Newspaper editors
-Infrastructure is important:
oFear of traffic
oSpace re-allocation. 3 lanes of traffic to 2 lanes of traffic = 2m cycle lane
-Bus backs – ASLs/ Feeding good news stories
-Refugees – fitted bikes, couldn’t afford vehicle/ public transport, training linked in
-Bikeability – perceptions
-PCT – cycling on prescription. Cycle to your hearts content
-Think cycling
-Personalities and media helping – John Snow, Olympic medalists, Boris
-Mainstream inclusion gets more people cycling
-Training non-cyclists also. Eg. HGV drivers and driving instructors
-Free cycling training for children and parents. Make it part of the curriculum
-Infrastructure….?