Henrietta

It's not just in parents that we've lost a generation of cyclists, we've
also lost a generation (or two) of planners and designers capable of
providing for and integrating cyclists with the other modes.  As part of an
MSc in Transport & Planning I've just completed I did a field exercise
comparing the way Holland and the UK make provision for non-motorised users.
I would estimate that the gap is something between 20 and 30 years in
evolution of understanding and conceptual thinking amongst infrastructure
providers.  

I would note that, having worked for a dutch headquartered international
company and lived in Holland on and off for most of that period, I have
watched that evolution on a first hand basis.  Trouble is that in the UK
cyclists and cyclist's issues and needs do not occupy the cognitive space of
many of those organizations and people who are charged with making provision
for cyclists.  What's particularly worrying is the poor attitude to and
understand of safety of cyclists....as we've discovered over the years in
Surrey.  So not only do they not know how to improve the position of
cyclists they often are not aware there's a problem (hence 11,000 cyclists
complaining about clauses in the proposed Highway Code revision which could
be taken to imply that cyclists must use dedicated infrastructure).

And when things like that get into the culture of organizations they the
very devil to get rid of.

Regards

John Meudell
Mole Valley Cycling Forum
Surrey Cycle Forums
CTC Councilor (elect)






-----Original Message-----
From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Henrietta Sherwin
Sent: 22 September 2006 16:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Bike It - Expressions of Interest for Research

Dear Alex, 

This is just to express interest in research around the Bike It programme
for a group at the Centre for Transport and Society in the Bristol/Bath
area. 

At this stage, as a group we felt the information available on the website
did not give enough detail i.e the questions that you have already asked and
to whom for your own monitoring purposes, it is difficult to suggest a
research project that would either fill in gaps or add value to your
existing research. We would really need to understand more clearly how the
existing monitoring is being done.

In your email you said that the Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit are
conducting a complex 3 year monitoring programme covering the various
aspects of Bike It and the way in which they impact upon cycling levels
amongst school children.   The question that we would be interested to
research is whether the activity around schools through the Bike It
initiative has changed the attitude of parents/grandparents to cycling
and/or their behaviour. Has the visibility of the project gone beyond those
directly involved in the school community to the wider community just
observing that 'It is possible'?

At a recent conference 'Urban Mobility' What role for cycling? Approaches in
the Netherlands and UK,  some Dutch participants said 'You've lost a
generation of cyclists in the UK and their suggestion was to start with the
young'.  But it may be that this is also a way to involve adults of
parenting age or indeed grandparents. Is it a more effective that going
direct to parents?  More generally we are interested in the stages of life
and cyling.

The group consists of Dr Graham Parkhurst, myself and Joshua Hart.  Joshua
has just enroled on the Masters Programme in Transport and Planning from San
Fransisco where he has been involved in campaigning for cycling and worked
for Rails to Trails for two years.

Henrietta
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Henrietta Sherwin
Research Associate 
Centre for Transport & Society
University of the West of England, Bristol
Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol
BS16 1QY
 
Telephone: 0117 32 83066
Fax: 0117 32 83899
Home: 01225 427660
 
Web: http://www.transport.uwe.ac.uk


-----Original Message-----
From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alex Bulmer
Sent: 14 September 2006 15:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Bike It - Expressions of Interest for Research


Hello All,
 
Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit would like to request expressions of 
interest for small research projects (£1-3k) to look at the impact of the 
Bike It Programme. 
 
Proposals should be aimed at delivering findings which will enable the 
programme to be evaluated and developed, or as small 'priming' studies 
which could present themselves as a route to a wider research project. 
 
Some of you may be aware of the Bike It programme which is led and 
implemented in schools by Sustrans (for more information see 
http://195.224.180.230/default.asp?sID=1102425335218, and the Bike It 
Project Review - attached). Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit are 
conducting a complex 3 year monitoring programme covering the various 
aspects of Bike It and the way in which they impact upon cycling levels 
amongst school children. We have a limited funding pot which we would like 
to offer to interested parties to conduct research which will complement 
our own approach. If your expression of interest is appropriate to the 
monitoring programme, we will send you a short proforma to complete.
 
We would be grateful if recipients could pass this message onto 
appropriate colleagues and parties whom they consider appropriate.
 
Please respond to [log in to unmask]
 
Expressions of interest must be received by the 25th of September. Completed
proformas will be expected by the 9th of October with decisions 
made by the end of the month.
 
Many thanks,
 
Alex
 
--------------------------------------------------------
Alexandra Bulmer
Research Assistant
Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit
[log in to unmask]
 
Tel. 0191 2616160
Fax: 0191 261 4500
 
Sustrans, 37 Side, Quayside, Newcastle, NE1 3JE
Sustrans - it stands for sustainable transport - is a charity that works 
on practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public 
transport in order to reduce motor traffic and its adverse effects. 
Sustrans, National Cycle Network Centre, 2 Cathedral Square, College 
Green, Bristol, BS1 5DD Registered Charity No 326550


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