The ongoing three year research suggests that to alter people’s perception of cycling as a safe and clean alternative mode of transport, especially for short journeys, cyclists and cycle routes need to be separated from the main road. It shows that over 60 years the transport infrastructure for cars has developed to become the default for anyone wanting to get from A to B, even for the shortest of journeys. The same infrastructure change can be made for cycling to provide the infrastructure for more people to use cycling as an alternative to cars.

Understanding Walking and Cycling

Employers who join the scheme make a pledge to provide employees with secure, safe bike storage, changing and locker facilities, bike repair services, incentive programmes to cycle more to work and access to the tax-break scheme, Cycle to Work. Many government departments, local authorities and some hospitals have already signed up, with some large companies. The hope is that more employees will leave the car at home and ride to work instead.

The money will go into providing ‘cycle hubs’ at 10 major stations and increasing bike storage at stations to 10,000 places. The cycle hubs will include extra storage facilities, repair services and cycle hire schemes. Current statistics show that 60% of rail commuters live 15 minutes from a station but only 2% of passengers get to the station by bike. Compared to Holland, for example, where a third of all trips to and from rail stations are done by bike.

Two cyclists have come up with two laser beams attached to a bicycle that paint a virtual cycle lane around the cyclists, giving a visual indication to motorists of their whereabouts. The plan is to make cyclists more confident about using the roads at night rather than cycling on footpaths. The device is reckon to cost around £30 and can be recharged via a mobile phone charger.