Author: Maya Watson

On March 26, in the midst of the COVID19 crisis, the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport (DfT) released a key document, “Decarbonising Transport: Setting the Challenge”, announcing bold plans. While the document promises support for active travel, UK cycling organisations remain skeptic. 

This document takes the first step toward developing the UK Transport Decarbonisation Plan to be released in Autumn 2020 before the planned United Nations climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow, November 2020. The final plan will detail the transformations that people, businesses, and the government need to make in the transportation sectors to reduce emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2050. From improving air quality, to helping create new jobs, to mitigating climate change, the document promises bold changes for a better life in the UK. From the start, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP, calls for innovation: “The scale of the challenge demands a step change in both the breadth and scale of ambition.”

Where cycling is concerned the plan is certainly momentous. Cycling and walking play a key role in one of DfT’s six strategic priorities for carbon reduction: “Accelerating modal shift to active and public transport”. Indeed, the document even calls cycling and walking “the ultimate forms of zero GHG emission transport”. A successful cycling investment case study from Manchester further highlights the power of investing in cycling: after building three miles of cycle lanes, volumes of cycling increased as much as 176% (between zero and two miles from the city centre). Also considering that cycling infrastructure is the cheapest a mayor can commission, this case shows how efficient investments in cycling can be.  

As part of this larger strategy for active travel, the document reveals the UK government’s plans to invest £350 million in a Cycling Infrastructure Fund. 

“We will create a long-term programme and budget that dramatically increases investment in cycling and walking”, DfT promises. 

But, will the UK government follow through on its own challenge?  

Cycling UK, the British cycling advocacy organisation expressed its worries. “Mr Shapps, we will wholeheartedly support your vision, but we cannot let you fail to deliver it”, writes Roger Geffen. An opinion piece by Duncan Dollimore  for Cycling UK seconds Geffens concerns. Dollimore writes: “Spending £27 billion on the “largest ever investment in English strategic roads” and building 4,000 miles of new roads by 2025 is difficult to reconcile with [Government] statements that we need to reduce transport emissions”.  

Xavier Brice, CEO of Sustrans, a charity working in the UK to make walking and cycling easier for people, similarly noted his support of the ambitious plan. However, he also cautioned: “We will need to work hard to get there”.  

Without pressure from the public, these bold plans could easily fail to make the cut. Cycling organizations in the UK remain hopeful but urge citizens to make their voices heard.

How can you help? 

To get involved share your views on decarbonising transport, register for regular updates on the progress of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan and register your interest for the workshops by emailing TDP@dft.gov.uk as well as by following @transportgovuk on Twitter. Cycling UK also announced that it will be also prepping a briefing document on the points which you can make if you do attend a meeting. Email Cycling UK’s campaigns team to get a copy. 

Go to workshops. Engage in regional sessions. Participate in any public feedback opportunities presented. If you are in the transportation sector, you use transportation, or you are a UK citizen this is your moment to tell the government what you think.