UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)’s Post

Change can start with only ONE ..........

We Need More Bike Buses When I first wrote about a bike bus in South Africa for ICLEI's CityTalk blog, I learned about how it facilitated a safe way to get kids to school... often through dangerious neighborhoods. But on further reflection and as this video demonstrates, riding a bike to school can be dangerous for kids anywhere when the route lacks adequate protection (eg. separated bike lanes). So until that protection is provided, bike buses make a great deal of sense and apart from making those rides safer, represent a great way to build a sense of community for the kids involved. And of course, help them to become more active. #urbanliving #liveablecities #biking #activetransportation #safestreets #activeliving

I came across two good reads, whilst sipping my Sunday morning ☕️ Both are intrinsically connected to the future of cycling, particularly in the UK - and worth the long post 😆 Financial Times - 'Can the UK afford to build better infrastructure?' https://lnkd.in/ebJ5mD8d The Times - 'Fewer children are learning to ride bikes — here’s why' https://lnkd.in/ejv2YbYC Both are behind a paywall, so here's a summary if needed ⬇️ I won't conclude with a solution; hopefully, that will be discussed at The Bicycle Association of Great Britain Conference. All I do know is that if we don't all rally together, it’s going to be a long uphill climb on some pretty dangerous roads… 🚘 The Stats: - A 31% decline in children's bike sales from 2019 to 2022, with fears of a further 40% drop in 2023. - In 1974, there were 14 million cars on the road; today, the number has surged to 33.6 million. The 'Why' Behind the Decline: Children's reluctance to ride stems from parental concerns over road safety and the aggression of motorists. Emily Cherry, Chief Executive of Bikeability,  “There are not enough safe routes to schools; we’ve got quite hostile attitudes between drivers and cyclists on the roads; and we don’t have enough safe, segregated cycling infrastructure, which is what parents really want for their children to keep them safe.” Longer term concerns from Bicycle Association of Great Britain's Chairman, Phillip Darnton OBE: “We know that if you don’t teach children to ride bikes when they are nine, ten, eleven, they never learn. It is very, very difficult to get adults to learn to ride if they’ve never learnt when they were children. They become the lost generation, and those declining figures decline further" 😞 It’s a complex web of challenges causing the decline in children riding bikes from bike availability / money (a big one), attitudes from drivers toward cyclists and the pressing need for infrastructure changes. These changes are crucial to encourage both children and, importantly, their parents to allow their kids to ride. It's also essential for sustaining and growing cycling participation, benefiting our health, the environment, and our industry 🚵♀️ Cue the Financial Times article… Summary…The UK is grappling with significantly higher construction costs compared to European peers, posing a formidable obstacle to upgrading roads, bridges, and energy systems amid tight public finances. NOTE, there's no mention of bike lanes in this article. ‘The average cost for a flat road in the UK is £8.45mn per km, compared with a European average of £5.77mn per km and £4.22mn per km in France’ I sure hope someone is championing adding bike lanes while they're at it; otherwise, it’s going to be a long time until we are anywhere near our bike friendly friends in other countries - and then we might get more kids on bikes... 🚲 #Cycling #Sustainability Simon Irons Scott Cain The Bikeability Trust

The fact that cycling to school is not a safe and viable option for many children should be of national shame. Bikeability is an important life skill but is often not supported by the safe infrastructure needed to make cycling to school a realistic prospect. I spoke to The Sunday Times about how we can start to fix this. In short, it’s infrastructure. We can’t expect children to mix on roads with high volumes of traffic. That might have worked once: there were about 14 million cars on the road in 1974, a figure that has since increased to 33.6 million. Parents don’t feel it’s safe enough for their kids to cycle to school so they jump in the car, making it feel more unsafe for those who are walking and cycling to school. We can break this vicious cycle with infrastructure. The Dutch do cycle training but they also, universally, back it up with the infrastructure required for a 12 yr old to cycle. School Streets are a good start but we’ll need an entire network to meet the needs of most people. If you’ve ever driven in the school holidays and thought: “Gosh, where has the traffic gone?” That’s what can be achieved every day if we fund and prioritise choices. In the Netherlands, 84% of school kids living within 5km cycle to school. We need to aspire for the same. Nicholas Hellen Emily Cherry Phillip Darnton OBE The Bikeability Trust Andy Street #cycling #walking #activetravel #publichealth #transport https://lnkd.in/eZTVyV5c

so true and only way we will reduce traffic congestion is to get people on bikes

In 1973 the US, Denmark, and Sweden all used the same 43 MWh per person of oil in car-centric economies. Following the 1973 Oil Embargo, Sweden and Denmark focused on making streets walkable. Today they use 60% less oil and kill 400% fewer pedestrians and bike riders than US road design policies.

Like swimming, riding a bike is a life skill we used to take for granted, but, almost unnoticed, is similarly becoming a lost art for many. Emily Cherry, who as CEO of The Bikeability Trust is teaching a record 500,000 children to cycle this year, has been brave enough to reveal the truth: “We have record numbers of children coming through the programme, [but] that’s not converting to children and families regularly cycling, because parents are still too worried about road safety and traffic danger. “There are not enough safe routes to schools; we’ve got quite hostile attitudes between drivers and cyclists on the roads; and we don’t have enough safe, segregated cycling infrastructure.” There's also been a slump in children's bike sales of around 40% between 2019 and 2023 according to Phillip Darnton OBE and the current generation of young parents have not been brought up with basic skills such as checking brakes and mending punctures Before we can move forward, we need to recognise the underlying problem. Parents are not wrong to be worried: since 1994, when they were themselves 10 year olds, England has 10m more cars, Scotland 1m more and Wales an extra 0.6m on the road. What's the answer then? For Adam Tranter it's all about creating cycle lanes to separate riders from motor traffic. Emily Kerr in Oxford says the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods has had a stunning impact, helping schools like The Cherwell School to transform the school run, with only 10% arriving by car and 58% of pupils by bike Lee Kidger Jonathan Harrison Green Commute Initiative Will Butler-Adams OBE CEng FRGS FCGI FIMechE https://lnkd.in/eQ5HWkXt.

Children prefer cycling and walking, but most of their travel time is in a car. They can’t drive, they can’t vote and they have most to lose. Here's why we need to listen to our kids and not increase speed limits: https://lnkd.in/g4FJjdbu Thanks to Crank for the fresh insights. #urbanplanning #futurethinking #saferspeeds #insights #newresearch

Traffic count surveys often show low numbers of cyclists. Here are key reasons why: 1. Safety Concerns: Parents hesitate to let their children cycle without dedicated cycle tracks. 2. Infrastructure Issues: Adults also avoid cycling due to inadequate infrastructure. 3. Unrealized Potential: Do traffic surveys consider the potential surge in cycling if dedicated lanes were provided? Are we counting how many residents, especially children, would use cycle for school and recreation? If you see a stranger every day, eventually you'll strike up a conversation. If there's a book on your table, you'll likely read it. Similarly, if cycle tracks are visible and accessible, people will be inclined to try them. Let's make our cities more cycle-friendly and see the transformation.

As the world around us speeds up, let's remember to slow down and prioritize safety, especially around school buses and children. Whether you're walking, biking, or driving, take the time to look out for each other and make safe choices. Let's ensure every journey, especially around school zones, is taken with caution and care. Together, we can create a culture of safety that lasts long after the journey ends. 🚸🚌🛑 #SlowDown #WatchForBuses #SafetyCulture