If not now, when?

By: Clare Morley

I am not a cyclist. I don’t own any lycra shorts; I don’t subscribe to Strava; I wouldn’t know how to repair a puncture or probably even get a bike chain back on properly if it came off. I don’t compete over time or distance; I’m not a member of British Cycling.

But I do own a - slightly rusty, very squeaky, second hand - bike. And I ride it relatively frequently, alongside my kids, as we seek a way to be outdoors and stray a little further from our front door than travelling on foot would allow, without having to jump in the car.

As I am a self-declared ‘not a cyclist’, but do own a bike (and a car), I don’t know if I am in the audience that has had so much vitriol directed towards it over social media and in the comments pages of the press, following the recent changes to many roads across the country as part of the Government’s emergency reallocation of road space project.

It appears from many of these comments that ‘cyclists’ are selfish, inconsiderate, road-tax dodging, offensive, road-hogging and many other, all negative, things.

Labels, labels, labels… All of which are unhelpful when we stop to consider the bigger picture.

I have a friend who’s not a footballer. He plays football regularly (well, he did pre-Covid) with his mates as part of a five-a-side team in a social league. He’s got a pair of stud boots and a pair of astros. He’s got a few pairs of shin pads, and he knows the rules of the game. He can articulate the offside rule and has an opinion on all of Steve Bruce’s tactical approaches (it could be argued that Bruce doesn’t have any tactical approaches, but that’s another article). My friend wouldn’t describe himself as a footballer. But he plays football…

I have a daughter who’s not a gymnast. She goes to once-a-week gymnastics classes where she’s learning to do cartwheels and forward roles; where she’s learning about balance and flexibility; understanding what her body can do. She got a leotard for her birthday as she was desperate to feel super-special in something sparkly. My daughter wouldn’t describe herself as a gymnast. But she goes to gymnastics…

I have a son who’s not a swimmer. He goes swimming every week and owns a pair of goggles. He’s learning to float and be comfortable with his head under the water. He’s learning to kick his legs to propel himself forwards and is having water-safety messages drummed into him by the swimming instructor. My son wouldn’t describe himself as a swimmer. But he goes to swimming…

Labels, label, labels…

So, back to the point of me writing this piece.

We have probably all seen, or are aware of, changes to local road networks over recent weeks as local authorities seek to implement changes to roads and pavements in order to allow for social distancing and to support people to travel by foot or by bike. A vast array of schemes have been brought forward quickly, as they had to be if they were to benefit from the Government funding. As is inevitably going to be the case, making such changes, so quickly, is going to have an impact on all road users. Some of which will be deemed to be positive, and some of which will be deemed to be negative, potentially depending on your own ‘label’.

I would like to take a moment to step back and consider who these changes are for, and why they are being introduced. After all, it appears from much of the social media furore that these changes are for the benefit of ‘cyclists’ and not for anyone else (and therefore not for me).

Many of the changes that have been brought in rapidly are to aid with social distancing, either right there on the pavements where people may be queuing for shops, or to ensure that people can walk or cycle rather than rely on public transport, which is running at reduced capacity in order to enable people using it to keep their distance from one another during the pandemic. We are clearly living in exceptional times and so exceptional measures are needed to protect one another.

But thankfully, many local authorities aren’t just considering solely the immediate needs created by the pandemic, but are thinking about how these changes may also support, in a joined up and connected way, the longer-term need for modal shift away from cars and vans. Many local authorities have declared climate emergencies, often meaning that specific targets have been set to make an area carbon neutral over the coming years. Reducing transport emissions is essential if carbon targets are to be achieved, and reducing transport emissions is also imperative for better health; after all, each year in the UK, around 40,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution.

And what about own innate human need to move? The term ‘obesogenic environment’ has been coined to refer to the many influences that our surroundings, opportunities or conditions of life have on promoting obesity in both individuals and communities. Where our built environment doesn’t ensure that movement via walking, running or cycling is the easiest and best option for short journeys, then it continues to contribute to the obesogenic environment and therefore to potential health and wellbeing conditions connected to weight.

Having built environments that promote active travel has perhaps never been more important for our physical and mental wellbeing than during the current pandemic. Brisk walking that gets us slightly out of breath and increases our heart rates can help to strengthen our immune systems. A more leisurely walk that allows you time to reflect and enjoy being outside, is good for our mental wellbeing.

So, these changes aren’t just for ‘cyclists’, they are for everyone (including me as a ‘not a cyclist’), either in the short term, the long term, or both. Prior to Covid, as a society we talked a lot about being kind – particularly following high profile cases of media hounding and social media trolling. But many of us are too quick to jump critically onto changes in road use or priority that local authorities have introduced quickly in order to deal with Covid, climate change and physical and mental wellbeing. Surely we now need to give time for learning and adaptation, and be kind to those who are trying to implement significant road and pavement changes, as well as those who are trying to use them, whatever label we may choose to put on ourselves or others. We all need to support our society through the pandemic, and improve our society not just for ourselves, but for generations to come.