The UK's 'Cycling Revolution' Quickly Stalls

There are very good reasons for wanting to encourage more UK folk to use bicycles rather than cars, for short journeys. Switching from cars reduces the harmful emissions, poisoning the atmosphere and increasing global heating. Bicycle riding is also very good cardio-vascular exercise, with a limited impact on joints. One of the few good things to come out of the Covid19 pandemic, was a marked UK increase in bicycle use. Government sought to build on this by, in 2020, funding a £2bn plan to boost rates of cycling and walking (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/01/number-of-people-cycling-in-england-falls-a-year-after-2bn-plan). In the pandemic, there were many fewer cars on the roads. Some councils even created temporary cycle-only lanes. Public transport might also have been judged, at this time, more risky than bike riding. Infection transmission is more likely in a shared, enclosed space. Between November 2020 and November 2021, the Department of Transport found a 1.5% reduction in the number of people cycling at least once a week for any purpose, compared to the pandemic year. Only 13.1% of adults cycled once a month, in the year ending November 2021, making it the lowest rate, since surveying began. Cycling for leisure showed the biggest drop and young people showed a marked decline. There could be many reasons for cycle use falling. Perhaps people now regard riding a bike as being more risky than at the time of the pandemic. £2bn sounds a big figure but, adapting UK roads for cyclists and pedestrians, starts from a very low baseline.