A Call For Cycle Paths

Cycle paths, especially in the country, would make such a huge difference to all aspects of our lives – physical health, mental health, accessibility of communal facilities (schools and shops), the list goes on.

My sisters and I are sitting at home, in a small, sleepy village just 3 miles from the nearest town, where everything is located, from schools and extra-curricular activities to shops and the train station connecting us to all the big cities. Yet we can’t get into town… We can’t drive (and if we could, we could not afford to run our own car), it’ll take an hour to walk through farmers’ fields, and while it would probably take about 15 minutes by bike, it is incredibly dangerous to cycle along the roads and there are no cycle paths (or pavements for that matter). Roads are often narrow, with barely enough space for two cars to pass, and there are big hedges on either side which, combined with constant bends, mean it is difficult for cars to see cyclists. There is definitely space to introduce cycle paths; there is just no planning permission for this.

Having grown up in a small town in Northern Germany, relatively similar in many ways to this stereotypical English village, the different attitude towards cycling is stark. Granted, my village does have a bus, running every two hours or so, but the cost quickly mounts up, and the irregular timings make it inconvenient. In my opinion, a cycle path would be a great addition to the area – all areas of Germany I have visited, have been very bicycle friendly, from small towns such as Bueckeburg, to big cities such as Munich, to areas of beautiful natural beauty, such as the Rhineland. The different attitudes are also shown in the population’s attitude towards teaching their children to cycle; while German children will be on bike from a young age, and often have cycling lessons with school, they become confident and keen cyclists, while I think it’s fair to say much fewer British citizens will be confident on their bikes.

To me, it makes sense for cycling to not only be accessible, but also encouraged; there are so many benefits which come from people using their bikes, both personal and societal. Positive externalities are derived from the fact it is environmentally friendly, healthy (both in terms of physical health and mental health), it saves lots of money, is much more flexible than relying on often irregular public transport, and it reduces traffic congestion for those travelling far enough that a car is required.

Not only would the introduction of cycle paths be beneficial for recreational reasons, but it would also save sixth form students a significant amount of money on school bus fees. Where I live, a school bus is essential for almost everyone (the only people not requiring one will rely on their parents to bring them to and from school, or have their own car). Because the Ministry of Education provides no other way of getting to and from school, I feel like the claim of ‘free education up to the age of 18’ (HMC Projects) becomes almost defunct. If there were usable cycle paths, families would save a substantial amount of money, school would be more universally accessible, and it would be one step closer to being a more environmentally friendly community.

I think this problem seems to be more prominent in rural areas. Lucy Watson, from Wells, a small city in the south west, believes cycling becoming more accessible is well overdue, and that it needs to become a focal point for local councils.

Meanwhile, Alice Jones says of Oxford: ‘everyone cycles; it’s almost a rite of passage’. I think a potential reason behind so many people currently cycling in Oxford is because it is the ‘done thing’ – people following people. Yet even in Oxford there are very few designated cycle paths.

Cecilia Nguyen in London says: ‘tonnes of people cycle however it’s not exactly the safest city to cycle in just because the cars are hectic and there’s not really any cycle paths on many roads’. However, she does admit that ‘in the centre it’s better’. There has been a movement towards a more bicycle friendly city, for example through the introduction of the Santander Bikes to rent. I am unsure though as to whether this is just targeted towards tourists, rather than those who travel around the city day in day out.

It could perhaps be suggested that, in order for more people to cycle in the more rural areas of the country, there needs to be a trigger. However, I don’t think this is the sole reason; I for one would gladly cycle, were it not for the dangerous roads. I think cycling is definitely more accessible in the big cities, and this motion needs to be extended into the countryside, which is arguably where it is more needed due to the limited public transport.