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It's not terribly recent, but in Oxford I'd trace the step-change in middle-class "normal" cycling (ie outside the education sector) to the large number of cycle/bus lanes that were installed in the late seventies and eighties. Since then it's been a steady accretive approach of gradually adapting the main roads further (taming them by various means, chipping away at the parking and installing cycle lanes). In terms of numbers, the volume (barring the approach to a few secondary schools) is all on the main roads. It's been supported by the development of quiet routes, but that's not where the numbers are. You can spend a very long time building enough of a culture to generate the political will to do something about the main roads (and the techniques for doing so are probably as Adrian describes). Or you can look at cities that are a little further along with the process and take some shortcuts. In terms of international examples, Berlin and Munich are usually cited, having experienced substantial modal shift (probably from public transport, and not from a hyper-low base). They would cite infrastructure (pavement tracks, and a very cheap-and-cheerful approach to adding cyclists to pedestrian crossings: both measures that are now being phased out in favour of cycle lanes...) Richard On Mon, May 28, 2012 at 9:38 AM, Adrian Lord <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > We had mixed success with the Cycling Towns and Cities programme for > Cycling England. To try to understand this we commissioned a bit of > research on the ‘process’ rather than results monitoring. This process is > captured in the report ‘Making a Cycling Town’ (available at ‘The Hub’ on > the CILT website http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/pages/home).**** > > ** ** > > Schools seem to the venues in which cycling can nearly always be pioneered > in towns that don’t have much cycling already. This starts with secure > cycle parking and cycle training, which on their own can be enough to > increase levels of cycling, even more so if supported by encouragement from > things like Sustrans Bike It programme. Add in after schools activities > such as British Cycling’s Go-Ride programme and the initial interest can be > sustained through maintenance classes, races and inter-school events. The > school can also be the venue for community based events such as ‘try a > bike’ days, cyclo-cross races in the school grounds, local charity rides > and so on, which draw in the parents and wider community to get them > cycling themselves. Few parents, local people or politicians will dare to > stand up and object to parking restrictions and cycle/pedestrian-friendly > infrastructure around schools because ‘everybody’ wants to make it safer > for children.**** > > ** ** > > The same process of safe cycle parking, engaging directly with users to > offer training, events, promotions can also be repeated at workplaces and > stations, and to a lesser extent in other ‘destinations’ such as town/city > centres and tourist attractions – but in these latter locations there is > less chance of a sustained relationship with the potential cyclists. We > tried this successfully at workplaces, stations and leisure venues in a > programme called ‘Finding New Solutions’ with good increases at all sites. > **** > > ** ** > > It’s important to offer a variety of events, some people are motivated by > saving time/money on travel, others by getting fit, others by the > opportunity to take part in a new sport or just to get out and explore > their local area.**** > > ** ** > > If you’d asked me 10 or 20 years ago I’d have said that the infrastructure > needs to be in place first, but now I’m not so sure as much of the increase > in Cycling England funded projects occurred before route infrastructure was > completed. I think cycling has become trendy enough that many people are > willing to give it a go and just need a small amount of help to get > started. When I first started campaigning/working in cycling in the 1980s > and 90s it was dominated by sporty or ultra-green people and regarded as > outside mainstream society. Now its more ‘normal’ and people who try > cycling generally find the roads aren’t quite as scary as they perceive > them to be when they are driving. However, like trying anything new, > people do often need an event or some sort of activity with ‘peers’ to help > them dip their toe in the water. ** ** > > ** ** > > It is vital to provide good infrastructure and especially frequent cycle > parking in town centres and safe places to park a bike at work, home, rail > stations etc etc. If there are opportunities to promote and enhance > existing infrastructure – that is also important because off-road and back > road cycle routes are often ‘invisible’ to non-cyclists. However, I’d say > that the idea of creating a comprehensive Dutch style network as a > prerequisite to cycling is a pipe dream, better to address safety at major > barriers to cycling such as ring road crossings and major radials and to > try to create low speed and traffic –free central areas in town and city > centres.**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > *Adrian Lord*** > > Associate**** > > * * > > *Arup***** > > Admiral House, Rose Wharf, East St, Leeds, LS9 8EE United Kingdom**** > > *t* +44 (0)113 242 8498 *d* +44 (0)121 213 3650 **** > > *f* +44 (0)121 213 3001 *m* +44 (0)785 031 8882**** > > www.arup.com**** > > ** ** > ____________________________________________________________ > Electronic mail messages entering and leaving Arup business > systems are scanned for acceptability of content and viruses >