Proposed reductions in bike space on trains work against a joined-up vision for cycling in Scotland.

Under the latest proposals, cyclists with bikes on long-distance trains on any other than the first and last station on the route will find spaces halved from four to two.

Abellio, the franchise holder, had previously indicated that trains would be able to carry 20 bikes. So whilst demand for bike space on trains has been acknowledged, this latest proposal goes against this.

Sustrans Scotland helps more people choose to walk and cycle. Ensuring there are more spaces for bikes on trains, not less, is key to encouraging passengers to use trains as a way of travelling actively and sustainably over longer journeys without having to rely on a car.

Whilst bike parking at stations has improved tremendously over the past few years, many commuters not only want to cycle to the station to catch a train, but are keen to get on their bike again at their destination. And long distance trains also have a valuable role to play in cycle tourism, which we recently valued at up to £345 million to the Scottish economy.

Scotland has a shared ambition for 10% of journeys to be made by bike by 2020, and this is a step in the wrong direction. The opportunity to carry a bike on public transport is key to ensuring sustainable travel is a viable option for travellers for their everyday journeys. 

It is vital that train operators think more about how their service and facilities can help to achieve the government’s vision for increased cycling across the country.

Find out more about our bikes on train policy

Read our tips on combining rail and cycling for your journey

Rory Coyle is our I Bike Officer for Glasgow. Rory is new to the I Bike Scotland team in 2017, coming from a background in sports coaching and teaching.

What are you looking forward to most in the role? 

Schools are really positive and dynamic places to work in, especially as pupils are full of energy and always looking to learn new skill. I thrive on passing on my own enthusiasm for Physical Activity and Health and believe that cycling and walking are fantastic methods of tapping into the curriculum to contribute to a child’s development in a fun and exciting way. Active travel to school also promotes to pupils the value of the environment surrounding them, leaving them with a positive legacy as a future active traveller.

How are you delivering the project? 

I’m trying to increase schools' capacity to integrate cycling, scooting and walking into as many areas of the curriculum as possible through the use of fun and accessible activities. Hopefully I’m giving teaching staff the confidence to work with cycling and walking in the future.

Which schools are you currently working with?

• Blackfriars Primary School
• Pollokshields Primary School
• Langside Primary School
• St Francis Primary School
• St Brides Primary School
• Shawlands Primary School
• Annette Street Primary School
• Cuthbertson Primary School
• Glendale Primary and Gaelic School
• Holy Cross Primary School
• Shawlands Academy
• Holyrood High School

Contact Rory 

The old adage ‘we are what we eat’ could be appropriately amended to ‘we are how we travel’. The latest Travel Survey for Northern Ireland is revealing of the continued dominance of car use - 82% responded to say they travelled to work by car/van, with 80% driving on their own. This is not good news for our health, the environment or for tackling congestion and air pollution.

Getting active to save money

So how do we get more people to travel actively or take public transport? The survey found that when respondents were asked what would encourage them to use public transport, the most popular answer was “Cheaper fares” (28%).

People always want value for money and public transport must remain competitive to attract customers.

Translink’s '#smartmovers' campaign promotes the fact that the average commuter can save money as there are no fuel, car parking or car maintenance costs to use public transport. The campaign also highlights that the average person who takes the bus or train daily could walk the equivalent of 11 marathons in one year. 

Health concerns

The most damning aspect of the survey is the fact that less than two-thirds of people walk at least 20 minutes a week.

Although some people imagine they are making savings by driving daily, without the recommended amount of exercise each day this can lead to health problems.

With the cost of the obesity and diabetes epidemic on our overburdened NHS contiuing to grow, switching your commute to incorporate physical exercise such as walking and cycling can help improve health and fitness.

How we're helping

There certainly could be more incentives for people to use public transport and travel actively.

At Sustrans we are working to encourage multi-modal journeys such as cycling to the train station or Park & Ride sites.

For example, Translink could offer discounts to cyclists especially as car parking at transport hubs is often at capacity. We also need to invest in behaviour change campaigns to highlight the benefits of walking and cycling for everyday journeys such as commuting.

Find out more about what we're doing to help employee's travel actively in Northern Ireland  

One of the largest research projects of its type to date has laid bare the enormous health benefits to people who choose to travel actively to work.

Research by the University of Glasgow, published in the British Medical Journal, has revealed people who cycle to work have a 45% lower risk of developing cancer and a 46% lower risk of developing heart disease.

The five –year study of 250,000 people, compared those who had an "active" commute with people who were mostly stationary. 

And as well as lowering the chances of developing cancer and heart disease, people who walked to work also have a 36% lower risk of dying from heart disease. 

This is not the first time research has been carried out on the health benefits of cycling. However the size and scale of the study mean the findings are difficult to ignore.

As a charity that helps people to walk and cycle for more of their everyday journeys, we welcome the study. 

In particular, we’re pleased to note that the researchers found that once people got into the habit of cycling to work, and it became part of their daily routine, cycling took no willpower - unlike going to the gym.

Heart disease is still the leading cause of illness and death in Scotland. This places even more stress on the NHS at a time of financial strain. Just the prescription drugs to treat related heart conditions cost Scotland over £100 million every year.

Given the huge potential savings, we think it would be better if this money could be spent transforming our streets, towns and cities into more liveable, healthy and pleasant environments for people to walk and cycle

Jason Torrance, Sustrans Head of Policy thinks cycling to work is “a proven way for people to improve their health, to help their local economies and to improve their productivity at work”.

“There’s an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists and transforming local roads and streets into places that people feel safe and want to be,” he says.

“Some cities are taking a leading role in doing that, like London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff which are doing some fantastic things. But more needs to be done to encourage people to walk and cycle for more of their everyday journeys.” 

If you live in Scotland, why not consider joining Pedal on Parliament this weekend to show your support for cycling.

Find out more about the health benefits of walking and cycling.

We will be one of the special guests at the Cycle City Active City conference, taking place in Bradford on 11 and 12 May 2017. 

Five delegates will highlight our latest delivery and research projects helping to take walking and cycling in the UK to the next level, through presentations, discussions and interactive workshops.

Speaking at the conference, our CEO, Xavier Brice will say:

"When Sustrans was founded 40 years ago, cycling in the UK was a fringe activity in decline; it’s now becoming fashionable, but it’s still not mainstream.

“In addition to money and political leadership, we need to deliver solutions that make it easier for people to walk and cycle. Delivering solutions that learn from the lessons of the past by combining infrastructure, behaviour change and that involve communities will make us all healthier and happier, and create places over the next 40 years that we are proud to pass onto our children and generations to come.”

Sustrans delegates

Dr Andy Cope, Director of Insight

Andy will be chairing a cycling monitoring & evaluation workshop, “Cutting edge techniques and developments to make the case for change,” on Thursday at 10.30am.

It will look at the most pressing policy questions that monitoring and evaluation can help answer, along with innovative data gathering and using the intelligence for effective influencing.

Tim Burns, Senior Policy and Partnerships Advisor

Tim will follow with a presentation about Bike Life, our flagship project, which aims to enable local authorities, city transport planners and wider industry professionals to make the case for everyday cycling in cities.

Will Haynes, Head of Built Environment

Will will be running a 30-minute interactive activity, “Replicating Quietways outside London”, as part of a speed learning track, at 3:35pm. It will see participants cycle through a route (viewing a video of the route on a laptop) and then identifying issues and marking these up on an A1 sized map of the route. 

They will then be encouraged to think about how Quietway-type interventions could be used to overcome these issues and create a new route. This session builds on our groundbreaking work in London, to deliver a network of quiet cycle routes, as part of Transport for London’s cycling and walking programme.

Xavier Brice, CEO

Xavier will join an expert panel discussion, “Walking & cycling development: the next level,” on Friday 12 May, 9:30am. He will highlight the pressing need for cycling investment, political leadership and innovative solutions which have community engagement at their heart – all to drive the increasing popularity of cycling.

Rosslyn Colderley, Director England North

Rosslyn will present our vital work with schools, “Empowering future generations: engaging the next generation in co-creating the school run and neighbourhoods.” Drawing on examples from Bradford and elsewhere, she will highlight the need for an integrated approach addressing individual, cultural and environmental factors to transform the school run.

About Cycle City Active City 

Cycle City Active City is Europe’s biggest cycling and active travel conference bringing together experts in active travel policy, infrastructure design and delivery, behaviour change marketing, public health campaigns and evidence, place-making inspiration.

Over the two-day event we will be inviting participants to plan their own version of the London Quietway themselves by going on a ‘Go-Pro journey of a local route and suggesting interventions for cycling. There will also be a chance to find out about Sustrans’ new strategy. Find our stand in the Exhibition Hall D3, and follow us at @sustrans.

View full conference programme

View speaker biographies

For further information, interviews and images, please get in touch with:
Anna Galandzij, Senior Press Officer at Sustrans, anna.galandzij@sustrans.org.uk, 075 5791 5648
Sarah Roe, Communications & Marketing Officer, sarah.roe@sustrans.org.uk, 07847 372 647

Sustrans Scotland is encouraging members of the public to respond positively to the consultation on introducing default 20mph speed limits in residential areas across the country.

20mph speed limits significantly improve safety, reduce traffic noise and make it more appealing for people to walk and cycle, which has numerous additional benefits to society.

Our National Director John Lauder is urging people to participate. He said: 

“Sustrans Scotland welcomes the launch of this consultation on Safer Streets. It is well evidenced that people feel safer walking and cycling in 20mph areas.

"20mph areas help to increase social interactions and physical activity levels, they make it easier for people, particularly children and older people, to cross roads and they reduce traffic noise levels.”

The Proposed Restricted Roads (20mph Limit) Bill consultation is open until 7 August 2017.

Have your say on 20mph in Scotland

Read why we support 20mph limits in Scotland

More than £15 million in grant funding has been awarded by active travel charity Sustrans Scotland for the creation of walking and cycling infrastructure in Scotland over the next year.

Community Links funding In Glasgow

Community Links funding In Kirkintilloch

Sustrans Scotland is calling for improved cycling infrastructure at junctions, after research has revealed that roundabouts and T-junctions are the main cycle collision hotspots in Scotland.

Cycle safety and collision hotspots  

The findings, published by Sustrans’ Scottish Research Programme, are set to be presented at the Scottish Transport Applications and Research (STAR) Conference in Glasgow on Wednesday (24 May).

The paper titled "Cycling Safety in Scotland, Cycle Collision Hotspots", identified locations which had a relatively high number of collisions, compared to the level of cycling activity in the area, between 2005 and 2014. 

It also assessed the severity of cyclist causalities at each location and scored this against the population size in each area and the number of people in the vicinity who had reported they cycled to work in the 2011 Census.

Safety concerns highlight the importance of high-quality infrastructure  

Out of the top 20 ranked locations for cycle collisions in Scotland, the research found that 19 of the incidents occurred at a junction or within 20 meters of one.

Roundabouts appeared most frequently for cycling collisions, in eight of the 20 hotspot locations, whilst seven of the locations were at T or staggered junctions. 

Commenting on the findings John Lauder, Sustrans Scotland National Director said:

“Safety is often cited as the main reason why people don’t cycle for more of the journeys they make every day. This research highlights the importance of having high-quality cycling infrastructure in place at junctions, so that collisions can be prevented. 

"We know that better cycle infrastructure increases the feeling of safety and ultimately the number of people on bikes. Through our Community Links, Street Design and National Cycle Network funding, which is provided by Transport Scotland, Sustrans helps to ensure this happens. 

Findings from the report 

Although the report found that Edinburgh recorded the locations with the highest number of cycle collisions over the nine-year period, once researchers took into account the relative number of cyclists in an area and the severity of the collisions, they found that a greater number of hotspots were based in or around greater Glasgow. 

This was because even though the greater Glasgow area had a higher urban population, the proportion of people who cycled to work was low in comparison. 

This highlights the fact that in areas where cycling is more popular, the risk of collisions occurring decreases. Research suggests that doubling cycling leads to a reduction in the risks of cycling by around a third, partly because drivers have increased awareness of people on bikes and because an area is more likely to have cycling infrastructure.

Safety is often cited as the main reason why people don’t cycle for more of the journeys they make every day.

And the recent findings on Scotland’s cycle collision hotspots, only serve to highlight the importance of having high quality infrastructure in place at junctions, so that collisions can be prevented.

The report published by Sustrans’ Scottish Research Programme, found that out of the top 20 ranked locations for cycle collisions in Scotland, 19 of the incidents occurred at a junction or within 20 meters of one.

Roundabouts were where collisions most frequently occurred, appearing in eight of the 20 hotspot locations, whilst seven of the locations were at T or staggered junctions. 

What this research shows is that it’s clear that junctions are an area of conflict for cyclists. 

What we are doing to improve safety

Our Community Links and National Cycle Network funding programmes are helping to redesign some of the key collision hotspots in Scotland, including the B901 / London Street roundabout and the A7 / Craigmillar Castle Road both in Edinburgh, with feasibility and design studies are currently underway in both areas.

And we are aware that there are other Local Authorities are also undertaking similar feasibility studies for dangerous junctions in their areas. However, there is far more which needs to be done, to ensure that junctions are safe for all who use them.

Better cycle infrastructure increases perception of safety

We do our best to make cycling safer for communities across Scotland and work closely with our partners' help to build simple, safe and convenient connections which encourage people to make more trips by bike or by foot. 

And through our work in schools and workplaces, we also deliver Bikeability cycle training to help people gain practical skills and understand how to cycle on today’s roads.

Research has found that once walking and cycling levels double in a particular area, the risks associated with the activity fall by around a third. This is attributed partly to drivers having an increased awareness of people on bikes and partly to an area being more likely to have cycling infrastructure.

Providing high-quality infrastructure for cyclists alongside behaviour change programmes, will help to foster an environment in Scotland where cycling is seen as the default option for commuters across the country. 

Belfast, like most UK cities, has a traffic problem especially in the rush hour. It is a fairly compact city compared to London or Manchester and so can be crossed in a matter of minutes during off-peak periods.

However, its population, for mainly historical reasons, live mostly in the suburbs and have to travel into the centre for employment or business. The result is congestion and air pollution which the city has tried to tackle through the Belfast on the Move Scheme– a name which suggests how stuck the city had become.

Belfast on the Move

The scheme introduced bus lanes and has successfully reduced the number of cars in the city centre each day by at least 11,000. This was just the first step.

The second is to introduce a new public transport system using a network of bus lanes.

Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT), due to launch in September 2018, is the single biggest investment in public transport in the city in decades and will cost the taxpayer £90million.

The new buses will make public transport more efficient – arriving every 8 minutes at peak times. They are absolutely dependent on bus lane corridors to be effective. It is an exciting time for public transport in Belfast which has always lagged behind other UK and European cities with their modern tram and light rail systems.

Finally, Belfast looked like it might start to catch up and tackle its dependence on the car.

So imagine the shock and disbelief in February this year when the former Transport Minister Chris Hazzard, who until then had impeccable green credentials, suddenly announced a trial of private hire vehicles (Class A taxis) in the BRT bus lanes.

There are already a large number of taxis permitted in Belfast’s bus lanes, including black cabs, the North and West Belfast taxi buses which carry multiple passengers and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles. However, the trial allowed essentially all taxis, bar Uber, a free-for-all in what are meant to be sustainable transport corridors.

There is no precedent for this in other UK cities where private hire vehicles have chomped at the bit to get into bus lanes. Only Dublin has permitted them after a similar trial in the late 1990s which became permanent.

We have struggled to understand the logic behind the trial as it flies against even Mr Hazzard’s espoused attempts to reduce reliance on private cars. It contradicts the Programme for Government’s draft strategy and Belfast City Council’s planning policies to create a liveable, sustainable city which reduces reliance on private transport.

Above all, it seriously jeopardises the fledgling BRT system which as Jackie Pollock, Deputy Regional Secretary of Unite the Union for bus drivers, said “will undermine the entire rationale for this investment by impeding and slowing down the rapid bus services”.

So what about cyclists who use bus lanes?

Cyclists are very reliant on bus lanes in Belfast as a safe network from general traffic given the limited amount of cycling infrastructure. The prospect of sharing bus lanes with taxis is a major threat to cyclist safety and will put off potential cyclists which government says it wants to encourage due to the health and environmental benefits of cycling.

There is now more than ever an onus on the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to build and invest in a Belfast Bicycle Network which it recently consulted on.

We want to see segregated cycle lanes built within five years, not 10 as the DfI proposes, so that people who cycle are not dependent on bus lanes. We know that the future for cyclists is not in bus lanes and especially faster BRT corridors.

Up to now cyclists have had a fairly harmonious relationship with buses in bus lanes.

Unlike taxis which are motivated by getting to the next job as fast as possible, buses are continuously stopping to collect passengers. Bus drivers have also received formal training on how to share the road with cyclists. Indeed Sustrans and Translink have plans to train all BRT drivers. As private hire vehicles are mainly self-employed, it is a lot more challenging to train thousands of taxis on sharing the road with cyclists.

And here is the irony at the heart of this debate: taxis want to use bus lanes (despite having the rest of the road), while cyclists don’t want to be in bus lanes but haven’t much alternative. Bus lanes really should just be for buses.

To solve it, government needs to invest in a decent Belfast Bicycle Network that gives people who cycle a space on the road and focus its attention on protecting the taxpayer’s investment in public transport rather than the profit margins of private hire vehicles.

Sustrans has partnered with Cycling UK and Bikefast to respond to the DfI consultation. Read our full response. 

Have your say: Respond to the DfI consultation on taxis in bus lanes

Easy way to respond through Cycling UK letter

Belfast businesses are cashing in on the city’s growing bike culture by signing up to a new cyclist loyalty scheme which offers discounts and rewards to customers arriving on two wheels.

Sustrans has launched a new cyclist loyalty scheme called ‘Pedal Perks’ in east Belfast to encourage more people to cycle to local shops and cafes in the area and are calling on all business owners to join the scheme

The initiative is part of the €4.4m CHIPS project, which aims to to reduce car traffic and promote sustainable transport, such as cycling on the Comber Greenway to commuters and local residents.

Businesses signing up to the Pedal Perks scheme will benefit from having their products and services promoted to around 10,000 people who work in organisations along the Newtownards Road/ Comber Greenway corridor.

With major funding from the EU, Belfast was chosen as one of several sites across North West Europe for the programme whose goal is to tackle high levels of air pollution by encouraging cycling and public transport instead of car journeys.

Cyclists are good for business

There is wide-ranging evidence of the value of cyclists to retailers and business. Customers not arriving by car visit more frequently and spend more over the course of a month.[1] A UK government survey found that cycle parking delivers five times higher retail spend than the same area of car parking per square metre.[3]

Pamela Grove-White, from Sustrans explained: “People not cars spend money. Making retail areas more accessible for people on foot or by bike boosts business. The pedestrianisation of York city centre for example increased turnover of local businesses by up to 30%. Pedal Perks will have the double impact of benefiting local shops and improving the environment.”

The scheme was launched at S.D. Bells tearoom on the Upper Newtownards Road with the help of proprietor Robert Bell and Colin Neill, CEO of Hospitality Ulster.

Robert Bell, from S.D. Bells said: “S.D. Bells has been trading in this very location for 130 years. Back then, our customers arrived on foot, by bike, on horseback or by horse-drawn tram. My how things have changed! While we have plenty of room for parking at Bell's Junction, our reliance on the car is becoming unsustainable, so we should do anything we can do to support the local cyclist.”

Colin Neill, CEO of Hospitality Ulster said: “There are huge opportunities for business from cyclists. A few members of the hospitality sector have cottoned on to the benefits of cycling to their business but I think there are still people who haven’t realised the value of cyclists as a segment to cater for. Every cycling club, for example, will stop for coffee or go for something to eat.”

People who cycle should look out for the green ‘Pedal Perks’ stickers which will be on display in windows of participating businesses. Help us spread the word and give us your feedback by tweeting your experiences with #pedalperks

Retailers, cafes or other businesses in east Belfast and beyond who wish to sign up should contact Pamela in Sustrans. 

Read more about the CHIPS programme in Belfast

Safety and access concerns raised, as Sustrans Cymru, Ramblers Cymru, and Cycling UK join forces to urge Welsh Government to re-think road plans.

Three leading charities have joined forces to warn the Welsh Government that its plans for the A487 Caernarfon bypass risk safety and do not provide enough provision for walking and cycling.

The new A487 bypass would be routed from the A487/A499 Goat roundabout, heading north and skirting Dinas, Bontnewydd, Caeathro and Caernarfon, before rejoining the A487 at the Plas Menai roundabout, near Y Felinheli. 

Under the Welsh Government’s own Active Travel Act, road developers have a duty to consider and improve walking and cycling provision.  But Sustrans Cymru, Ramblers Cymru and Cycling UK warn that those needs are not being considered properly.

The public inquiry for the £125 million scheme is due to begin on Tuesday 13th June 2017 and campaigners are warning that time is running out.

At the top of the list of concerns raised by the three charities are:

• The proposed crossings of two main roads at Lôn Eifion, a popular traffic free route for walking and cycling used by children, dog walkers, buggy pushers, people with assisted mobility needs, as well as tourists.
• No direct motor access between the bypass and Caernarfon suburbs, without which congestion in the town will still cause problems.
• Limited safe crossings for walking and cycling around other roundabouts.
• No additional walking and cycling links from the Bontnewydd area towards Caeathro, Cibyn Industrial Estate and the Bethel roundabout.
• No additional crossing provisions on the redesigned Plas Menai roundabout.

Speaking on behalf of the three charities, Sustrans Cymru’s North Wales Manager Glyn Evans said:

“The Welsh Government was rightly proud when the National Assembly passed the Active Travel Act in 2013, but its current plans for the A487 bypass risk riding roughshod over that landmark law. 

If Welsh Government is to go ahead with the bypass scheme, it is essential that it does so in a way that protects safety and improves access for walking and cycling.

“The route cuts across a number of important walking and cycling routes, and as it stands, the current proposals will make it harder and more dangerous for people going to and from work or school, running an everyday errand, or enjoying the beautiful countryside Gwynedd has to offer. 

Whilst walking and cycling will bear the brunt of these plans, drivers using the new route could also be effected.”

With the public inquiry expected to end in four or five weeks, the three charities, who have all lodged official objections, have called on Ken Skates, the North Wales-based minister responsible for transport, to re-think plans and propose improvements.

Evans added:
“We’re building a bypass that will last for generations. Mistakes made will be set in stone for years to come, so it’s vital Welsh Government gets the layout right the first time round. 

“Failure to do so will jeopardise safety, restrict access and ultimately cost the taxpayer more in the long-run.

“The A487 improvement is a key test of whether or not the Welsh Government is serious about following its own rules and implementing the Active Travel Act.”

More details on the scheme available on the Welsh Government website.

For more information, interviews and images, contact: Anna Galandzij, Senior Press Officer (Sustrans); 07557 915 648; anna.galandzij@sustrans.org.uk

We have launched a new cyclist loyalty scheme called ‘Pedal Perks’ in East Belfast to encourage more people to cycle to local shops and cafes in the area and are calling on all business owners to join the scheme.

Arrive by bike at cafés and retailers near the Comber Greenway which display the Pedal Perks logo and ask what the reward is.  For example, it could be a discount or an extra stamp on a loyalty card.

This is part of the CHIPS Project funded by Interreg North-West Europe.  Sustrans is keen to expand Pedal Perks beyond East Belfast, contact us if you want to find out more.

Cafes and retailers currently signed up are:

• Cream Café Bistro, Dundonald
• Earlswood Pharmacy Ballyhackamore
• Indie Fude Comber
• Jack Straw’s The Board Game Café, Stormont
• Jack Café, CS Lewis Square
• Nature’s Way Ballyhackamore
• Orchard Café, Holywood Arches
• Peppercorn Bistro, Comber
• Sandown Pharmacy Ballyhackamore
• SD Bell’s, Knock
• Secret Garden Restaurant Dundonald
• Sugarcane Café Bistro, Comber

Tell us about your experience, please share your comments and photos, send a tweet @sustransni#pedalperks or via Facebook at Facebook.com/SustransNI

If you are a business that wants to join the scheme please contact CHIPS Engagement Officers Martha or Pamela.

Find out more about the CHIPS project

Results from October’s Cymru Travel Challenge reveal that on average, car users can save up to £1,000 a year when they switch from a car commute to cycling or walking.

We are running our third challenge this July, helping more people in Wales to opt for a healthier mode of transport and saving money as a result.

The challenge is completely free of charge and now open for registration.

Funded by Welsh Government, the Cymru Travel Challenge is an online platform which allows individuals to set personal targets, track journey progress, calories burnt, miles covered and much more.

Each stage of the challenge is incentivised by competition between individuals and workplaces to win prizes - including a fit bit, Wiggle vouchers, cinema vouchers, Photobox and lovetoshop vouchers.

It is well documented that people who cycle and walk to work enjoy better health than those who travel by car.

The challenge offers a fun way for workplaces to get together and compete to make small changes to the way they travel with big results.

Steve Brooks, National Director for Sustrans Cymru said:

‘‘I am thrilled we are running a third challenge and building on May and October’s successes.

"Workplaces need to be encouraged to take an active role in getting their staff to use healthier modes of transport.

"We know that building physical activity into our everyday activities improves our health and well-being which is a crucial contributor to a successful workforce. 

"Staff will have fun taking part in the challenge whilst doing their bit for the environment and their well-being.

"Several organisations have already shown great enthusiasm and we hope that more organisations continue to follow suit.’’

Individuals and workplaces can now sign up to Cymru Travel Challenge.

We work with a number of corporate partners who share our vision to make it easier for people to walk and cycle. Here we shine a spotlight on Triodos Bank who we collaborate with to raise vital funds for our work.

Triodos Bank only lend to and invest in organisations that benefit people and the environment. Read the interesting story of how one of their clients, Jake’s Bikes, is making it his business to enable as many people as possible in Bristol to cycle.

Jake’s Bikes

With over half a million people residing in Bristol the issues surrounding transport are no different to any other modern growing city; or are they? Cycling is part of what Bristol is all about. Since 2001 the number of people cycling to work in Bristol has more than doubled, the biggest growth for a UK city outside of London. One in ten Bristolians now cycle to work and the Council has ambitious plans to double that to 20% by 2020, inspired by what has been achieved by some of its European counterparts such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen which thrive with busy cycling communities.

While the terrain doesn’t naturally support a commute by bicycle its prominence amongst the residents of Bristol is one of the many examples of the progressive nature of a city that was European Green Capital in 2015.

Triodos Bank is a Sustrans affiliate partner precisely because they actively seek to use banking to promote environmental sustainability and healthy communities throughout the UK. Among their pioneering clients nationwide is the Bristol-based bike shop, Jake’s Bikes. Owned and operated by lifetime cyclist Jake Voelcker, Jake’s isn’t your typical shop. Determined to focus on how to best service Bristol commuters, Jake has designed and launched a specialised and sustainable range of commuting bikes.

The ‘Bristol Bicycles’ range aims to encourage more commuters to try the two-wheeled friend as an option to get to the office or just to the pub. Their design is built to suit the many hills of Bristol, while their cost means that they are an affordable alternative for someone new to cycling. With over 500 now built, Bristol Bicycles is having a sizable impact on local commuting habits. New designs include an electric version of their classic and a touring bike that has been featured as ‘Bike of the Week’ in the Guardian.

Hidden away behind the bus station is an unassuming store in the heart of Bristol. Its community ethos and desire to make cycling accessible is a refreshing take on how shops can work. Their aim is to “help as many people as possible to cycle”, whether it’s the sale of a new or used bike or their fully functioning workshop for all your service repairs.

But it’s a different proposition to your typical bike shop. To increase bike knowledge, they share their expertise, provide training so customers can keep on rolling by doing their own repairs. And driven by a community ethic, Jake’s provides a fleet of over 100 Bristol Bicycles as hire bikes for University of Western England students—a scheme that is over-subscribed every year.

As you set foot in the shop, it’s apparent that the character of this place is different to a regular high street bike shop. It’s not a specialist store with bikes costing more than cars, neither is it somewhere you feel out of place because you aren’t wearing the right gear or don’t have the latest trendy fixed gear bike. It’s down to earth. In fact, Jake himself says that “our speciality is that we don’t specialise,” being adaptable, creative and inclusive make this bike shop accessible to all, but most importantly a friendly place if you don’t know anything about bikes.

To make commuting by bike an option for more people, Jake’s provides a quality service that doesn’t break the bank. They aim to bridge the gap between the charity sector of bike projects and the bike shop aimed at an enthusiast. Bristol has over 60 bike shops, but that doesn’t concern Jake, for him “it’s great to see more people using bikes and needing bike shops”.

“We just want to keep cycling simple,” says Jake. “If we provide great customer service and can teach people the basic skills they need if they want to learn then we can help sustain a shifting momentum in the commuting patterns of our community.”

By taking an active role in supporting initiatives that have social, environmental and cultural benefit, Triodos Bank is bringing together a movement of people dedicated to positive change. By banking with Triodos—whether it’s your yearly ISA contribution or your holiday savings—your money really can help change the world.

As an added bonus, if you open a Triodos savings account via www.triodos.co.uk/sustrans and deposit at least £100, Triodos Bank will donate £40 to Sustrans. Full terms and conditions can be found on the web page.

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Belfast, like most UK cities, has a traffic problem especially in the rush hour. It is a fairly compact city compared to London or Manchester and so can be crossed in a matter of minutes during off-peak periods.

However, its population, for mainly historical reasons, live mostly in the suburbs and have to travel into the centre for employment or business. The result is congestion and air pollution which the city has tried to tackle through the Belfast on the Move Scheme– a name which suggests how stuck the city had become.

Belfast on the Move

The scheme introduced bus lanes and has successfully reduced the number of cars in the city centre each day by at least 11,000. This was just the first step.

The second is to introduce a new public transport system using a network of bus lanes.

Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT), due to launch in September 2018, is the single biggest investment in public transport in the city in decades and will cost the taxpayer £90million.

The new buses will make public transport more efficient – arriving every 8 minutes at peak times. They are absolutely dependent on bus lane corridors to be effective. It is an exciting time for public transport in Belfast which has always lagged behind other UK and European cities with their modern tram and light rail systems.

Finally, Belfast looked like it might start to catch up and tackle its dependence on the car.

So imagine the shock and disbelief in February this year when the former Transport Minister Chris Hazzard, who until then had impeccable green credentials, suddenly announced a trial of private hire vehicles (Class A taxis) in the BRT bus lanes.

There are already a large number of taxis permitted in Belfast’s bus lanes, including black cabs, the North and West Belfast taxi buses which carry multiple passengers and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles. However, the trial allowed essentially all taxis, bar Uber, a free-for-all in what are meant to be sustainable transport corridors.

There is no precedent for this in other UK cities where private hire vehicles have chomped at the bit to get into bus lanes. Only Dublin has permitted them after a similar trial in the late 1990s which became permanent.

We have struggled to understand the logic behind the trial as it flies against even Mr Hazzard’s espoused attempts to reduce reliance on private cars. It contradicts the Programme for Government’s draft strategy and Belfast City Council’s planning policies to create a liveable, sustainable city which reduces reliance on private transport.

Above all, it seriously jeopardises the fledgling BRT system which as Jackie Pollock, Deputy Regional Secretary of Unite the Union for bus drivers, said “will undermine the entire rationale for this investment by impeding and slowing down the rapid bus services”.

So what about cyclists who use bus lanes?

Cyclists are very reliant on bus lanes in Belfast as a safe network from general traffic given the limited amount of cycling infrastructure. The prospect of sharing bus lanes with taxis is a major threat to cyclist safety and will put off potential cyclists which government says it wants to encourage due to the health and environmental benefits of cycling.

There is now more than ever an onus on the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to build and invest in a Belfast Bicycle Network which it recently consulted on.

We want to see segregated cycle lanes built within five years, not 10 as the DfI proposes, so that people who cycle are not dependent on bus lanes. We know that the future for cyclists is not in bus lanes and especially faster BRT corridors.

Up to now cyclists have had a fairly harmonious relationship with buses in bus lanes.

Unlike taxis which are motivated by getting to the next job as fast as possible, buses are continuously stopping to collect passengers. Bus drivers have also received formal training on how to share the road with cyclists. Indeed Sustrans and Translink have plans to train all BRT drivers. As private hire vehicles are mainly self-employed, it is a lot more challenging to train thousands of taxis on sharing the road with cyclists.

And here is the irony at the heart of this debate: taxis want to use bus lanes (despite having the rest of the road), while cyclists don’t want to be in bus lanes but haven’t much alternative. Bus lanes really should just be for buses.

To solve it, government needs to invest in a decent Belfast Bicycle Network that gives people who cycle a space on the road and focus its attention on protecting the taxpayer’s investment in public transport rather than the profit margins of private hire vehicles.

Sustrans has partnered with Cycling UK and Bikefast to respond to the DfI consultation. Read our full response. 

Have your say: Respond to the DfI consultation on taxis in bus lanes

Easy way to respond through Cycling UK letter

Belfast businesses are cashing in on the city’s growing bike culture by signing up to a new cyclist loyalty scheme which offers discounts and rewards to customers arriving on two wheels.

Sustrans has launched a new cyclist loyalty scheme called ‘Pedal Perks’ in east Belfast to encourage more people to cycle to local shops and cafes in the area and are calling on all business owners to join the scheme

The initiative is part of the €4.4m CHIPS project, which aims to to reduce car traffic and promote sustainable transport, such as cycling on the Comber Greenway to commuters and local residents.

Businesses signing up to the Pedal Perks scheme will benefit from having their products and services promoted to around 10,000 people who work in organisations along the Newtownards Road/ Comber Greenway corridor.

With major funding from the EU, Belfast was chosen as one of several sites across North West Europe for the programme whose goal is to tackle high levels of air pollution by encouraging cycling and public transport instead of car journeys.

Cyclists are good for business

There is wide-ranging evidence of the value of cyclists to retailers and business. Customers not arriving by car visit more frequently and spend more over the course of a month.[1] A UK government survey found that cycle parking delivers five times higher retail spend than the same area of car parking per square metre.[3]

Pamela Grove-White, from Sustrans explained: “People not cars spend money. Making retail areas more accessible for people on foot or by bike boosts business. The pedestrianisation of York city centre for example increased turnover of local businesses by up to 30%. Pedal Perks will have the double impact of benefiting local shops and improving the environment.”

The scheme was launched at S.D. Bells tearoom on the Upper Newtownards Road with the help of proprietor Robert Bell and Colin Neill, CEO of Hospitality Ulster.

Robert Bell, from S.D. Bells said: “S.D. Bells has been trading in this very location for 130 years. Back then, our customers arrived on foot, by bike, on horseback or by horse-drawn tram. My how things have changed! While we have plenty of room for parking at Bell's Junction, our reliance on the car is becoming unsustainable, so we should do anything we can do to support the local cyclist.”

Colin Neill, CEO of Hospitality Ulster said: “There are huge opportunities for business from cyclists. A few members of the hospitality sector have cottoned on to the benefits of cycling to their business but I think there are still people who haven’t realised the value of cyclists as a segment to cater for. Every cycling club, for example, will stop for coffee or go for something to eat.”

People who cycle should look out for the green ‘Pedal Perks’ stickers which will be on display in windows of participating businesses. Help us spread the word and give us your feedback by tweeting your experiences with #pedalperks

Retailers, cafes or other businesses in east Belfast and beyond who wish to sign up should contact Pamela in Sustrans. 

[1] Sustrans (2006, 2011, 2013) Retail Vitality Surveys

[2] Department for Transport (2016) Value of Cycling

[3] Walkanomics (2012) Walkanomics [online]

Read more about the CHIPS programme in Belfast

Safety and access concerns raised, as Sustrans Cymru, Ramblers Cymru, and Cycling UK join forces to urge Welsh Government to re-think road plans.

Three leading charities have joined forces to warn the Welsh Government that its plans for the A487 Caernarfon bypass risk safety and do not provide enough provision for walking and cycling.

The new A487 bypass would be routed from the A487/A499 Goat roundabout, heading north and skirting Dinas, Bontnewydd, Caeathro and Caernarfon, before rejoining the A487 at the Plas Menai roundabout, near Y Felinheli. 

Under the Welsh Government’s own Active Travel Act, road developers have a duty to consider and improve walking and cycling provision.  But Sustrans Cymru, Ramblers Cymru and Cycling UK warn that those needs are not being considered properly.

The public inquiry for the £125 million scheme is due to begin on Tuesday 13th June 2017 and campaigners are warning that time is running out.

At the top of the list of concerns raised by the three charities are:

• The proposed crossings of two main roads at Lôn Eifion, a popular traffic free route for walking and cycling used by children, dog walkers, buggy pushers, people with assisted mobility needs, as well as tourists.
• No direct motor access between the bypass and Caernarfon suburbs, without which congestion in the town will still cause problems.
• Limited safe crossings for walking and cycling around other roundabouts.
• No additional walking and cycling links from the Bontnewydd area towards Caeathro, Cibyn Industrial Estate and the Bethel roundabout.
• No additional crossing provisions on the redesigned Plas Menai roundabout.

Speaking on behalf of the three charities, Sustrans Cymru’s North Wales Manager Glyn Evans said:

“The Welsh Government was rightly proud when the National Assembly passed the Active Travel Act in 2013, but its current plans for the A487 bypass risk riding roughshod over that landmark law. 

If Welsh Government is to go ahead with the bypass scheme, it is essential that it does so in a way that protects safety and improves access for walking and cycling.

“The route cuts across a number of important walking and cycling routes, and as it stands, the current proposals will make it harder and more dangerous for people going to and from work or school, running an everyday errand, or enjoying the beautiful countryside Gwynedd has to offer. 

Whilst walking and cycling will bear the brunt of these plans, drivers using the new route could also be effected.”

With the public inquiry expected to end in four or five weeks, the three charities, who have all lodged official objections, have called on Ken Skates, the North Wales-based minister responsible for transport, to re-think plans and propose improvements.

Evans added:
“We’re building a bypass that will last for generations. Mistakes made will be set in stone for years to come, so it’s vital Welsh Government gets the layout right the first time round. 

“Failure to do so will jeopardise safety, restrict access and ultimately cost the taxpayer more in the long-run.

“The A487 improvement is a key test of whether or not the Welsh Government is serious about following its own rules and implementing the Active Travel Act.”

More details on the scheme available on the Welsh Government website.

For more information, interviews and images, contact: Anna Galandzij, Senior Press Officer (Sustrans); 07557 915 648; anna.galandzij@sustrans.org.uk

We have launched a new cyclist loyalty scheme called ‘Pedal Perks’ in East Belfast to encourage more people to cycle to local shops and cafes in the area and are calling on all business owners to join the scheme.

Arrive by bike at cafés and retailers near the Comber Greenway which display the Pedal Perks logo and ask what the reward is.  For example, it could be a discount or an extra stamp on a loyalty card.

This is part of the CHIPS Project funded by Interreg North-West Europe.  Sustrans is keen to expand Pedal Perks beyond East Belfast, contact us if you want to find out more.

Cafes and retailers currently signed up are:

• Boat Club Belfast - Free coffee and tray bake on the first Friday of the month
• Café Smart, Belmont Road - extra stamp on food loyalty card and separate tea/coffee loyalty card 
• Cream Café Bistro, Dundonald - 10% off food served from their kitchen.
• Castle Espie Wetland Centre, near Comber - 20% discount on café purchases.
• Earlswood Pharmacy, Ballyhackamore - go in store to find out what this month's offer is for cyclists.
• Georgian House, Comber - 5% off morning and afternoon tea/coffee and food and 10% off lunch (not including alcohol).
• Hillmount Nursery - free filter coffee/tea and traybake on Saturday and Sunday until end September.
• Indie Fude, Comber - 10% off cut cheeses.
• Jack Straw’s The Board Game Café, Stormont - extra stamp on loyalty card for hot drinks.
• Jack Café, CS Lewis Square - to be announced, watch this space.
• Linens and Gifts, Belmont Road - 10% off total bill.
• Nature’s Way, Ballyhackamore - loyalty card with 10 stamps especially for pedal perks, a full card gets 10% off bill.
• Oliver's Coffee Bar and Oliver's Deli, Belmont Road and Oliver's Coffee Bar, Lisburn Road - extra stamp on loyalty card for hot drinks
• Orchard Café, Holywood Arches - extra stamp on loyalty card for hot drinks.
• Peppercorn Bistro, Comber - loyalty card, after 5 stamps choice of free tea/coffee or scone/traybake.
• Piccola Parma, Woodstock Road - after 5 stamps on loyalty card get a free item (ask inside).
• Sandown Pharmacy, Ballyhackamore - see instore for this month's offer.
• S.D. Bell's, Knock - extra stamp on loyalty card for hot drinks, remember to take your cycle helmet in for this one.
• Secret Garden Restaurant, Dundonald - 10% off bill for cyclists.
• Sugarcane Café Bistro, Comber - 15% off bill for cyclists.

Tell us about your experience, please share your comments and photos, send a tweet @sustransni#pedalperks or via Facebook at Facebook.com/SustransNI

If you are a business that wants to join the scheme please contact CHIPS Engagement Officers Martha or Pamela.

Find out more about the CHIPS project

Results from October’s Cymru Travel Challenge reveal that on average, car users can save up to £1,000 a year when they switch from a car commute to cycling or walking.

We are running our third challenge this July, helping more people in Wales to opt for a healthier mode of transport and saving money as a result.

The challenge is completely free of charge and now open for registration.

Funded by Welsh Government, the Cymru Travel Challenge is an online platform which allows individuals to set personal targets, track journey progress, calories burnt, miles covered and much more.

Each stage of the challenge is incentivised by competition between individuals and workplaces to win prizes - including a fit bit, Wiggle vouchers, cinema vouchers, Photobox and lovetoshop vouchers.

It is well documented that people who cycle and walk to work enjoy better health than those who travel by car.

The challenge offers a fun way for workplaces to get together and compete to make small changes to the way they travel with big results.

Steve Brooks, National Director for Sustrans Cymru said:

‘‘I am thrilled we are running a third challenge and building on May and October’s successes.

"Workplaces need to be encouraged to take an active role in getting their staff to use healthier modes of transport.

"We know that building physical activity into our everyday activities improves our health and well-being which is a crucial contributor to a successful workforce. 

"Staff will have fun taking part in the challenge whilst doing their bit for the environment and their well-being.

"Several organisations have already shown great enthusiasm and we hope that more organisations continue to follow suit.’’

Individuals and workplaces can now sign up to Cymru Travel Challenge.