![]() Transport for London statistics show the ethnic mix of the city’s cyclists roughly matches that of the population. The myth-busting here comes in two parts: first, it’s not as true as some argue, and second, where it is an issue, this is a sign that you need more safe cycling routes, not fewer.īut yes, poorer people and those from minority ethnic backgrounds do ride bikes. They’re only used by white, middle-class men/commuters One classic example is Seville in southern Spain, where the recent construction of 50 miles of bike lanes led to an 11-fold increase in rider numbers. It seems that on Twitter you’re never more than 10 minutes away from seeing a bike lane critic post a photo of an empty cycle route with the triumphant message: “See?!” Often this is just a cunningly timed picture, but other factors are at play, not least the efficiency of cycle lanes, which means any “traffic” tends to rapidly bunch up at red lights.Īround the world, in just about every city where proper cycle routes have been built, many more riders start using them. Most compelling of all, of course, is the fact that motor vehicles cause the congestion in the first place, and the only real way to reduce traffic congestion is to have fewer of them on the roads. Yes, traffic jams have worsened in some cities where bike lanes have been built, but studies show this is largely down to other factors, for example the growth in the number of Uber-type private hire vehicles and Amazon delivery vans. This is especially so with bike lanes, which are such an efficient use of the same space that they can often mean the same amount of space carrying more people overall. The idea of induced demand – more road space brings more cars – has been known for decades, and it also works in reverse. This is perhaps the most common myth, possibly because critics confuse what feels like it’s true with what actually is true: the assumption that if you take some road space from motor vehicles, you get more traffic jams – as with (a commonly used parallel) forcing water down a smaller pipe.īut fluid and traffic are not the same thing, as shown by 60 years of governments trying and failing to road-build their way out of congestion. Cycle lanes increase congestion (and thus pollution) An official leaflet from the Conservative party. ![]()
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