New Vision for Cycling
About the campaign
In 2009, Cycling UK (then CTC) reflected on the best ways for decision-makers to increase levels of cycling and distilled them into our New Vision for Cycling.
Circumstances change, of course, and thinking develops with them, but the messages and themes of our 2009 vision are echoed in much of our campaigning activity today.
We explained, punchily, why and how cycling:
- Supports competitiveness and productivity
- Tackles climate change
- Improves health
- Makes life safer for all
- Promotes equality of opportunity
- Is good for quality of life and the natural environment
Nowadays, we hardly ever need to persuade any government in the UK of any of these arguments, particularly on health, and often hear them saying much the same. This is a win for us and our allies, although we won’t stop reminding everyone of the myriad benefits of active travel.
The first call in our New Vision for Cycling was for decision-makers to commit to cycling and cycle use targets. We also asked them to act on:
- Cycle-friendly planning and design
- Safe drivers and vehicles
- Better provision for combining cycling with public transport use
- Promoting, encouraging and incentivising cycling
- Opportunities for recreational and off-road cycling
If we want people to cycle more, we have to make it much easier and safer. That means we must tackle the fears that stop people from cycling, or allowing their children to do so. These include too much traffic travelling too fast, irresponsible driving, hostile roads and junctions, and dangerous vehicles, especially lorries. We also need roads, streets and neighbourhoods to be planned and laid out so that cycling is an obvious and straightforward transport choice – and a more convenient one than the car for short, local trips
Just a few of the advances we’ve seen since include:
- The Department for Transport’s (DfT) Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance
- DfT’s Cycle Safety Review
- Record levels of investment in Scotland for active travel
- The Active Travel Act (Wales) and associated guidance
- Positive changes to the Highway Code (GB)
- The Direct Vision Standard for HGVs in London
- Money for various behaviour change projects, a good number of them delivered by Cycling UK
Political will among MPs, MSs, MSPs and MLAs to increase levels of active travel is now both growing and widespread, but the financial investment needed to turn ambition (and any targets) into reality has been a perennial sticking point.
For more on funding, please see our Funding for Cycling and Walking page.
More often than not, campaigning and lobbying both behind the scenes and public facing yield dividends in the long term, rather than the short term. Even some apparently quick wins are underpinned by this, and our 2009 New Vision for Cycling was all part of the process.
We want it to become easier for people going on longer journeys to combine cycling with rail travel and other forms of public transport. And we don’t want anyone to forget that cycling is a fun activity too and a good way of getting out and about into the fresh air of the countryside
Click on the image below to download a fully referenced Word document of the New Vision for Cycling report.