Talking-up Scotland

Image: http://ukmambo.blogspot.co.uk/

Segregated cycleways in Edinburgh, Bearsden and in Ayr are threatened with being ripped up and the roads returned to their original state. The funding for these and other routes comes from a Scottish Government scheme. Here’s what Transport Minister Keith Brown said at the launch of ‘Free Wheel North’ in the East End of Glasgow:

“With this significant investment of £2.2 million we will create a legacy by helping people in Scotland adopt healthier, more sustainable ways of getting around. Investment in walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as on-road cycling training for both children and adults, will help meet the vision set out our ambitious target that at least 10% of journeys are made by bikes by 2020. Our consultations show that perceptions of safety are a key reason for not cycling more often or even at all.  Through the ‘Smarter Choices, Smarter Places’ programme and our commitment to cycle training for children and adults, we are tackling head on this issue and expanding a network of safe cycling routes.”

You see the reference to safety there and the implication that you have to invest in safe infrastructure before people will cycle? You can’t expect people to cycle in unsafe surroundings before you respond to the need for it. I cycled the route in Ayr for decades before the installation of the segregated cycleway. It was so scary most of the time that I used the footpath, waited until after the pre-9am rush or took to backstreets culminating in a wee spin through the cemetery and a walk across the road with the bike on my shoulder. How dangerous cycling can be is more than my personal experience though. Injurylawyers4u lists the five most dangerous activities and include cycling in the top five:

‘This may surprise you but cycling is one the most dangerous sports you can participate in.  Each year thousands of cyclists are injured on British roads and in 2012 over one hundred cyclists lost their lives.’

The other four are rugby, cave diving, motorcycling and…..guess? It’s not boxing or any of the martial arts, it’s cheerleading!  So, why are local councillors opposing these schemes? At first, I have to admit I thought it must be Labour councillors trying to ‘derail’ SNP targets, as the first headline I read suggested:

‘As another segregated cycleway hits the skids: are some councils derailing the Scottish Government’s cycle targets?’ (Herald, 6^th October 2016)

Imagine my surprise when I read that ‘SNP, LibDem and independent councillors clubbed together to oppose the Labour-Conservative coalition and stop the [Bearden] cycleway in its tracks in a tight 12-11 vote last week.’ (Herald, 6^th October 2016)

It’s a serious matter too. I read also in the Herald, that back in December 2015, ‘Police probe death threat as mystery Bearsden resident threatens to “execute” council staff over cycle path.’ When I saw that the route was to be named the ‘Bears Way’, I have to admit, shamefully, that I thought the route must be in Govan. What will any such route in Govan now be named….’Walter’s Way?’

And then, also in the Herald on the 6^th October 2016, I read: ‘SNP councillors lead bid to tear up ‘dangerous’ Ayr cycleway.’  I’m an SNP member in Ayr and don’t remember being asked my opinion on this. The suggestion that the segregated cycleway will be dangerous is an interesting argument and for me, a rib-tickler. I speak as one whose ribs have been more than tickled after being forced off the road.

So, what’s going on here? Are SNP councillors undermining a Scottish Government initiative? Is there a greater loyalty than that to your Party operating here? Lesser disloyalty would have you expelled from the Labour Party, tout suite!  Is it a largely older male obsession with cars and an unquestioning assumption that they come first? 76% of local councillors and 83% of Scottish MEPs are men. The average age is 58. ‘Millenials’ (18-34 years-olds) are buying far fewer cars than older men and they are cycling more too. See this:

‘Millennials are now biking more than ever before. Fewer are interested in obtaining their driver’s licenses, and buying a car—once a rite of passage into adulthood alongside home ownership and marriage—is often seen as a burden. As they age and enter the workforce, Millennials are turning to public transportation and biking as commuting options.’

Let me take you back to the rationale for these segregated cycleways – you need to invest first in safety before people will cycle. 50% of Danish urban journeys are by bicycle. Why not here?

Come on, Scottish local councillors, get on your bikes! Get your legs over if you can! What sort of men are you?

PS: Notice my rejection of any easy cyclepath/psychopath allusions here? No puns either about cranks or peddling myths? Classy or what?

Sources:

http://www.transport.gov.scot/news/%C2%A322m-funding-package-boost-scottish-cycling-rates

http://www.injurylawyers4u.co.uk/2014/news/uks-most-dangerous-sporting-activities/

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/tide-turned-for-womens-representation-scotland/

http://www.apse.org.uk/apse/index.cfm/research/current-research-programme/the-future-of-elected-members-in-scotland/the-future-of-elected-members-in-scotland/

https://www.fastcoexist.com/3027876/millennials-dont-care-about-owning-cars-and-car-makers-cant-figure-out-why

http://thegbrief.com/articles/millennials-and-bike-culture-reshaping-the-urban-landscape-551