A decade of cycleway activism:what‘s just happened?

A decade of cycleway
activism:
what‘s just happened?
Katja Leyendecker
Northumbria University, UK
Newcastle Cycling Campaign, Newcastle UK
4 December 2019
1

The historical omission of women’s voices from
urban design has been detrimental to women’s
full inclusion and participation in public life …
(Greed 1994; Eichler 1995)
4

“LTN 2/08 Man” – front cover: UK cycle infrastructure design manual 5

‘‘Why [is it that] in London in the early 21st
century, are cyclists more likely to be male,
affluent and to identify themselves as White?
Steinbach et al. 2011:1124
6

Cyclists in low-cycling countries, like in the UK
and anglophone Western countries, have an
image problem …
(Leonard, Spotswood, and Tapp 2012; Cupples
and Ridley 2008).
7

‘‘ Some young men on bicycles (dressed
in lycra outfits, face covered with air-filter
masks) are extremely arrogant and aggressive,
just like some men in cars, and seldom are they
burdened with shopping or children.
Greed 1994:41
8

to: Marc van Woudenberg @amsterdamize 10

Sanchez de Madariaga’s (2013)
“Mobility of care”
12

Care journeys
Women
between 25-
40
... are
constantly
moving
13
Civitas (2014), nach Lehner Lierz

women
men
Based on figures from
National Transport Survey 2013
14

Utility trips
>> daisy-chained trips
>> shorter trips
>> complex mobility
>> fewer trips alone: Children, shopping etc
15

+ other needs
The coginitive abilities of older and younger
people are not catered for in streetscapes
>>> no room for errors
16

17
Cycleways are a
fundamental first step
in transport transition

‘‘ It is clear from our research that most
non-cyclists and recreational cyclists will
only consider cycling regularly if they are
segregated from [motor vehicle] traffic.
Pooley et al 2013:176
18

‘‘ No city in Europe or North America has achieved
high level of cycling without an extensive network
of well-integrated bike lanes and paths that
provide separation from motor vehicle traffic. […]
Separate cycling facilities are a crucial first step
towards increasing cycling and making it socially
inclusive.
Pucher & Buehler 2012:351
19

Streetscapes with children
Aldred 2015
20

21
‘‘ If you want to know if an urban
environment supports cycling, you can
forget about all the detailed ‘bikeability
indexes’— just measure the proportion of
cyclists who are female.
Jan Garrard, in: Baker, Scientific American
2009

Susan B Anthony,
wrote in 1896:
“I think [bicycling]
has done more to
emancipate women
than any one thing
in the world”
22

Fastforward to the 21st Century:
In the UK, it is increasingly heard from policy
and campaigning circles that more women must
be encouraged to cycle …
(Allatt 2018; British Cycling 2013)
23

Where women cycle …FrauenanteilbeimRadfahren
Radverkehrsanteil
Berlin
Tokyo
Städte in USA, UK, Aus, NZ
KOP
AMS
Graph:Garrard,J.,etal.201).
red:UKCensus2011,blue:VEPBremen2025
Newcastle
Bremen
24

Leading by example
Women are travelling more sustainably.
The car is the breadwinner‘s domain.
EU27, source Civitas 2014
25

26
A story of
cycleway activism

28282010
Petition for safe cycling to the council
–800 respondents of which 93% said
they would cycle more often if safer
routes were provided

29292010
Petition for safe cycling to the council
–800 respondents of which 93% said
they would cycle more often if safer
routes were provided

3030
Claire Prospert wins the Sheila
McKechnie campaigning award for
transport
2010

Christian Wolmar :
“If you want to improve cycling conditions,
start a campaign.”
312010

“Set up a campaign
to improve cycling
facilities and create
more cycle routes in
Newcastle”
OCTOBER 2010
322010

“Bike lanes,
pedestrianisation,
safer streets for
cycling… we want to
take a cooperative
approach with
decision-makers”
OCTOBER 2010
332010

Local Transport Plan 3
Our first consultation result:
…in Newcastle, the second
most popular response (58%)
was ‘Giving priority to and
invest in walking and cycling’.
This is attributed in part to the
effectiveness of the recently-
formed Newcastle Cycling
Campaign which maintains a
high profile in the media…
Was ‘translated’ into: “LTP
consultation hijacked by the
Cycling community”
342010

Local Transport Plan 3
Our first consultation result:
…in Newcastle, the second
most popular response (58%)
was ‘Giving priority to and
invest in walking and cycling’.
This is attributed in part to the
effectiveness of the recently-
formed Newcastle Cycling
Campaign which maintains a
high profile in the media…
Was ‘translated’ into: “LTP
consultation hijacked by the
Cycling community”
352010

January - a Cycling Strategy for
Newcastle
Strategic Cycling Routes included
382011

Creation of a Strategic Cycle Network
Improved safety measures in the city centre
Creation of liveable neighbourhoods
Integration of bikes with public transport
Encourage cycling throughout Newcastle
Endorsed by full Council in September 2011
April 2011 we asked Councillors to
support a Cycling Manifesto:
392011

PhotoTedThomas
June – Cllr Nick Forbes: ”because quite frankly
our cycling infrastructure is bonkers…”
402011

Civil servants concerned
Politicians called a meeting with
activists to discuss activists’ behaviour
41412011
@newcycling newcycling.org

Civil servants concerned
Politicians called a meeting with
activists to discuss activists’ behaviour
42422011

Information sharing
Campaign requested to see
background reports for example LSTF
bid, data on bike counters
44442011+

Information sharing
Campaign requested to see
background reports for example LSTF
bid, data on bike counters
45452011+

46
January – news clipping
2012

47
March – talking through the media
2012

Council meetings
Numerous meetings took place. “We
want your views” – wide public:
parents, older citizens, working
population.
48482012

Council meetings
Numerous meetings took place. “We
want your views” – wide public:
parents, older citizens, working
population.
49492012

Meetings/council forum
“We want your views”
51512012 https://katsdekker.blogspot.com/2012/02/consulted-till-boredom-do-us-part.html

Meetings/council forum
“We want your views”
52522012 https://katsdekker.blogspot.com/2012/02/consulted-till-boredom-do-us-part.html

Mapping 20mph
coverage in the city
centre and discovering…
Plenty twenty in
Newcastle, really?
532012

Standing invitation to the council
leader to meet up
We wanted to discuss the way ahead,
foster relationship and build trust
54542013+

Standing invitation to the council
leader to meet up
We wanted to discuss the way ahead,
foster relationship and build trust
55552013+

Council online forum
“We want to hear your views”
57572012+

Council online forum
“We want to hear your views”
58582012+

April
Newcastle’s 3-year
plan, 10m GBP
592013

November
Love Cycling Go Dutch
Conference
Cllr Nick Forbes
“Cycling is integral to how we
seek to transform the city for
the future and that’s why it
will be so interesting to hear
from colleagues in the
Netherlands about how they
have done that.”
602013

In December address of the Transport
Select Committee in London
612013

63
May
Protest ride No.1 “The Big Toon Ride”
PhotoDuncanBuckingham
2014

June
Newcastle’s 3-year plan –
progress?
652014

June
Newcastle’s 3-year plan –
progress?
662014

67
September
Protest ride No.2 “The Civic Cycle Ride”
PhotoShannonRobalino
2014

71
April
Protest ride No.3 - COUNCIL SAFETY CONCERNS
PhotoDuncanBuckingham
2015

72
Local Plan includes strategic
cycle network
72
2015

Mapping 20mph
centre and discover a
shocking reality…
Plenty twenty in
Newcastle??
2012…
732015

Mapping 20mph
centre and discover a
shocking reality…
Plenty twenty in
Newcastle??
2012…
742015

5 years of cycleway campaigningOrganising
Newparty
Arguments
Planning
Protests
762015
Admissions

Political activities
Petition
City Chief cycle challenge
Councillor transport survey
Cycle manifesto and strategy : adopted by Full Council
Giving politicians a platform
Hustings
Campaign AGM
conferences
Speaking at Full Council meetings
Organising events and collaborations with partners
Replying to local consultations (and hijacking them…)
Oral evidence at Transport Select Committee
Providing briefings to Newcastle MPs
Presenting at APPCGNATIONAL
LOCAL
LEVEL
782016

What’s happening?
79
Some good things
Cycle infrastructure
But / still
Old-school transport planning : on the road (safety) to
nowhere
Piecemeal approach – no city-wide network planning
Bits and pieces – no infrastructure design standard
Protests and public mobilisation is necessary
Communication channels are clogged

8181
So little change
Cycleways are removed or not built
Cycle mode share stagnant (Newcastle, Bremen)
2016

8282
‘’stubbornly
unshifting”
Spotswood et al 2015
2016

Despite significant national and local
efforts over the last decade to stimulate
uptake of cycling in the UK, levels of
cycling (particularly utility cycling)
remain at around 2% of journeys
Spotswood et al 2015
83

84
What do women activists experience
when advocating for cycleways?
What can be learned from women cycle
activists’ experiences in order to improve
the planning and implementation of
cycleways?
PhD
2016

Cycle share of all trips
England 2% Germany at 11%
(DfT 2017) (BMVI 2018)
86

The two cities
Source: opencyclemap.org
Newcastle + Gateshead Bremen
___________________________________________________________________
Population 490,000 550,000
Density person/km 2,000 1,700
Source: Wikipedia
1 % 25%
87

892017
Newcastle… on the one hand

902017
Newcastle, on the other hand

Autoethnography
93
Women
activist
Thematic analysis
Women
activist

Themes
• Protect cars and business
• Ineffectual politics
• Technocratic bureaucracy
• Vehicular cycling
• Cooperation
94
“[Politics] categorically avoids anything that
could hurt some drivers” (D4)
“it is taboo [for councillors] to say that the
car is not needed” (D5)

Themes
• Cooperation
95
“We have definitively grown through
learning and actually bringing more people
into the campaign but the council hasn’t
really moved on, or built on this initial
support for cycling they have” (UK1)

Themes
• Cooperation
96
“Politicians are constantly told [the highway
engineering department at the council] are
the experts, don’t criticise, they know what
they are doing” (D3).

Themes
• Cooperation
97
“There already was a lot of
acceptance that roads couldn’t
be changed, or that roads
aren’t even an issue.” (UK1)
“[VC:]If people don't want to
cycle like we [cyclists] want to
cycle … then they must be
educated and taught so that
they act differently” (D5)
“Something I don't know
whether that's a man/woman
thing: to not be able to say I
learnt something from you!”
(D2)
“Of course, this is unbelievable, how a
minority can so forcefully dominate the
debate for 20 years and thereby destroy
a politics promoting cycling for all” (D1)

Themes
• Cooperation
98
"Well, I want to know I suppose to some
extent it’s about getting to know him
[senior councillor] and what makes him
tick" (UK2)
"long-term relationship building and
everyone having some sort of mutual
respect and a vision" (UK3)

Themes
• Cooperation
99

Autoethnography
101
Decision
makers
Decision
makers
Narrative analysis

102102
Interviews – decision makers
Newcastle transport politician
Newcastle transport planner
Bremen transport politician
Bremen transport planner
NEW-POL
BRE-POL
NEW-PLAN
BRE-PLAN

104
Theme 1
People do not really
know what they want

105
Theme 1
We need to work
with people

107
Theme 1
People do things
for all sorts of
reasons

109
Theme 2
“I am voted in and
voted out”

110
Theme 2
“How to include
grassroots activism?”

111
Theme 2
“I engage and
converse with
citizens”

112
Theme 2
“Need continued
exchange
between
elections”

114
Theme 3
Decision making
remains invisible

115
Theme 3
Staking hopes for
change on (new
regional) mayor

116
Theme 3
Consensus-
building

117
Theme 3
Working with
others and
understanding
others

120
So what?
(Autoethnography showed that) both cities
• still designed roads for the car
• Bremen: vehicular cycling
• Newcastle: space depoliticised
• cycling activists felt excluded
In Bremen citizens are much better positioned to
change the course of action, i.e. reform transport
paradigms, as the democratic process is more intact
and transparent
Newcastle would depend on an autocrat ‘to get things
done’, risky ‘strategy’ - or reform democratic process
AND reform transport paradigms (post-politics)

‘‘ The global hegemony of automobility
means that velo-mobility always operates
in the shadow of automobility, shaped by
the hegemonic dominance of car-systems.
Cox 2019:29
121

Post political characteristics:
• Politics and the political conflated
• Vague discourses (the people…)
• Quasi-consultations
• Public disenchantment / powerlessness
Allmendinger 2017
122

123
Political transport system
(now)
123
INSTITUTIONAL AUTOMOBILITY SOCIAL AUTOMOBILITY
Technical
sphere
Political
sphere
Social
sphere
Personal
sphere

Shifting political
Structural
Socialrights
Personal
responsibility
NEW CYCLE CAMPAIGNING OLDER CYCLE CAMPAIGNING
124
Progressive Liberal Conservative

125
INSTITUTIONAL AUTOMOBILITY SOCIAL AUTOMOBILITY
Technical
sphere
Political
sphere
Social
sphere
Personal
sphere
Politics and
democratic
process
Cultural
transformation
Communicate
to connect
Friction in the system

126
Technical
sphere Socio-
political
sphere Personal
sphere
‘Agora’
New system

127
Cycleway activism
puts a challenge to
local democracy

Sources
129
Aldred, Rachel. 2015. ‘Adults’ Attitudes towards Child Cycling: A Study of the Impact of Infrastructure’. European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure
Research 15 (2): 92–115.
Allatt, Anna. 2018. ‘What Is Stopping Women from Cycling?’ BBC News, 21 January 2018, sec. Leicester. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-
41737483.
Allmendinger, Philip. 2017. Planning Theory. 3rd ed. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Baker, Linda. 2009. ‘How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road’. Scientific American, 21 September 2009. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/getting-more-
bicyclists-on-the-road/?page=1.
British Cycling. 2013. ‘Improving Road Safety Is Key to Encouraging More Women to Cycle’. 2013. https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/article/20131209-
campaigning-news-Improving-road-safety-is-key-to-encouraging-more-women-to-cycle-0.
Civitas. 2014. ‘Smart Choices for Cities - Gender Equality and Mobility: Mind the Gap!’ Policy Note. Civitas Policy Notes.
http://civitas.eu/sites/default/files/civ_pol-an2_m_web.pdf.
Cupples, Julie, and Elisabeth Ridley. 2008. ‘Towards a Heterogeneous Environmental Responsibility: Sustainability and Cycling Fundamentalism’. Area 40 (2): 254–
264.
Eichler, Margrit. 1995. Change of Plans: Towards a Non-Sexist Sustainable City. Toronto, Canada: Gramond Press.
Eurofund. 2018. ‘Women in Management : Underrepresented and Overstretched?’ Policy brief. Working Conditions. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the
European Union. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_publication/field_ef_document/ef18018en.pdf.
Garrard, Jan, Susan Handy, and Jennifer Dill. 2012. ‘Women and Cycling’. In City Cycling, edited by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT
Press.
Greed, Clara. 1994. Women and Planning: Creating Gendered Realities. London, UK: Routledge.
Leonard, Sarah, Fiona Spotswood, and Alan Tapp. 2012. ‘Overcoming the Self-Image Incongruency of Non-Cyclists’. Journal of Social Marketing 2 (1): 23–36.
https://doi.org/10.1108/20426761211203238.
Pooley, Colin G, Tim Jones, Miles Tight, Dave Horton, Griet Scheldeman, Caroline Mullen, Ann Jopson, and Emanuele Strano. 2013. Promoting Walking and
Cycling : New Perspectives on Sustainable Travel. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Pucher, John, and Ralph Buehler. 2012. City Cycling. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press.
Sánchez de Madariaga, Inés. 2013. ‘From Women in Transport to Gender in Transport: Challenging Conceptual Frameworks for Improved Policymaking’. Journal
of International Affairs 67 (1): 43–XVIII.
Steinbach, Rebecca, Judith Green, Jessica Datta, and Phil Edwards. 2011. ‘Cycling and the City: A Case Study of How Gendered, Ethnic and Class Identities Can
Shape Healthy Transport Choices’. Social Science & Medicine 72 (7): 1123–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.01.033.
Transport, DfT Department for. 2008. ‘LTN 2/08 Cycle Infrastructure Design’. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycle-infrastructure-design-ltn-208.

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