The government’s active travel minister has admitted pleading with her children not to cycle as she pledged to “dial down” the divide between motorists and cyclists.
Trudy Harrison, 45, said that the “terrible” state of local roads and “so-called cycle infrastructure” had forced her to urge her daughters not to cycle, despite the health benefits.
“I have taught my daughters to ride bikes but I have many, many times pleaded with them not to go out on their bikes because I’ve been worried about their safety,” she said. “That can’t continue. That’s something that I really want to change. I would like children to be able to walk and to cycle to school.”
Speaking to the all-parliamentary group for cycling and walking, Harrison said that a priority for her was to help make more women feel safe and able to cycle.
The MP for Copeland in Cumbria, who has four daughters, the eldest of whom is about 24, said that officials and councils needed to realise that a “white line on a road does not constitute a cycle route” and that a cultural change was required to get more people on bikes.
She said there could be “an unhealthy divide created between cyclists and motorists” even though many people can describe themselves as both.
“Ultimately we are all just people trying to get to the places we need to be,” she said. “I would very much like to dial down that divide and recognise the value of cycling — for health, for the environment, for reducing congestion, for our economy.
“Somehow we need to find a way through all this and I am very, very keen to be part of the team that improves the way in which we get about. I really want to see us, this government, roll out [an incredible cycling revolution](https://archive.ph/bwvR1).”
She added that she wanted more children to be able to cycle and walk to school safely and said that there should be a focus on building zebra crossings on side roads and better cycle infrastructure that is focused on “a couple of miles” around primary schools.
Harrison told MPs: “If children can establish those healthy and safe routines from the age of seven or eight until 11, that will really put them in the best possible situation to look to walk and cycle into adulthood.”
In January Chris Boardman, the Olympic cyclist, was [appointed national commissioner](https://archive.ph/znfkl) for the government’s new cycling and walking body, Active Travel England.
The arms-length body of the Department for Transport was announced this year to put into action the government’s Gear Change vision as part of Boris Johnson’s “[golden age of cycling](https://archive.ph/GH1aU)”, which includes a 50 per cent active travel target by 2030. At present cycling accounts for 3 per cent of journeys and walking 32 per cent.
The body has a £2 billion budget and will be responsible for making sure that new schemes are properly planned and built. The first funding decisions on local cycling schemes will be announced in the next few weeks, Harrison said.
She said: “We do want to see some really good examples of well-thought-through infrastructure which sometimes costs more, but with materials that stand the test of time. That is the right way to approach things.”
In the past, routes were sometimes not designed for longevity, when finances were tight and there was an expectation just “to put something in”, she claimed.
“Now we are really trying to ensure there is quality, routes have been thought through and things are fit for purpose — and not just vanity projects.”
Considering that she’s representing Copeland in Cumbria, I think she’s right to be reluctant to let her kids cycle on the roads here. There’s some infrastructure but it could be better. I know several colleagues who cycle to work and they are very leery about cycling in the road when there are cars and lorries whizzing past you at over 60mph. I don’t think her statements are attacking cyclists but the infrastructure in dire need of improvement. Road infrastructure in general could be better, what cumbria is in desperate need of is a proper motorway link that isn’t coming up J36 on the M6 and slogging your way through the awful Barrow coastal road or coming off at J40 at Penrith and going through Keswick.
I feel like the rest of the quote is pretty important here.
“That can’t continue. That’s something that I really want to change. I would like children to be able to walk and to cycle to school”
Next week: Sajid Javid implores his family to not get ill due to the state of the health service.
(Joke – they all get the best care by going private)
you want to see vast amounts of stupid on uks roads, cycle commute.
cities would make a mint if they replaced their traffic and speed cameras with plain clothed bobbies on e-bikes recording the bullshit that drivers do via gopros
In Greater Manchester we now have a few “Cyclops” junctions.
I’m sure someone was paid a very large amount of money to design them.
They looked at the standard junction used in the Netherlands and thought “We can do better!”.
Unsurprisingly, they’re worse.
At least she knows the score.
Is she actually going to do anything concrete about it? E.g. properly charge and punish drivers who kill cyclists? I’m not confident.
8 comments
The government’s active travel minister has admitted pleading with her children not to cycle as she pledged to “dial down” the divide between motorists and cyclists.
Trudy Harrison, 45, said that the “terrible” state of local roads and “so-called cycle infrastructure” had forced her to urge her daughters not to cycle, despite the health benefits.
“I have taught my daughters to ride bikes but I have many, many times pleaded with them not to go out on their bikes because I’ve been worried about their safety,” she said. “That can’t continue. That’s something that I really want to change. I would like children to be able to walk and to cycle to school.”
Speaking to the all-parliamentary group for cycling and walking, Harrison said that a priority for her was to help make more women feel safe and able to cycle.
The MP for Copeland in Cumbria, who has four daughters, the eldest of whom is about 24, said that officials and councils needed to realise that a “white line on a road does not constitute a cycle route” and that a cultural change was required to get more people on bikes.
She said there could be “an unhealthy divide created between cyclists and motorists” even though many people can describe themselves as both.
“Ultimately we are all just people trying to get to the places we need to be,” she said. “I would very much like to dial down that divide and recognise the value of cycling — for health, for the environment, for reducing congestion, for our economy.
“Somehow we need to find a way through all this and I am very, very keen to be part of the team that improves the way in which we get about. I really want to see us, this government, roll out [an incredible cycling revolution](https://archive.ph/bwvR1).”
She added that she wanted more children to be able to cycle and walk to school safely and said that there should be a focus on building zebra crossings on side roads and better cycle infrastructure that is focused on “a couple of miles” around primary schools.
Harrison told MPs: “If children can establish those healthy and safe routines from the age of seven or eight until 11, that will really put them in the best possible situation to look to walk and cycle into adulthood.”
In January Chris Boardman, the Olympic cyclist, was [appointed national commissioner](https://archive.ph/znfkl) for the government’s new cycling and walking body, Active Travel England.
The arms-length body of the Department for Transport was announced this year to put into action the government’s Gear Change vision as part of Boris Johnson’s “[golden age of cycling](https://archive.ph/GH1aU)”, which includes a 50 per cent active travel target by 2030. At present cycling accounts for 3 per cent of journeys and walking 32 per cent.
The body has a £2 billion budget and will be responsible for making sure that new schemes are properly planned and built. The first funding decisions on local cycling schemes will be announced in the next few weeks, Harrison said.
She said: “We do want to see some really good examples of well-thought-through infrastructure which sometimes costs more, but with materials that stand the test of time. That is the right way to approach things.”
In the past, routes were sometimes not designed for longevity, when finances were tight and there was an expectation just “to put something in”, she claimed.
“Now we are really trying to ensure there is quality, routes have been thought through and things are fit for purpose — and not just vanity projects.”
*Ben Clatworthy, Transport Correspondent*
Monday March 28 2022
>Sun 27 Mar 2022:
>
>[Observer: Get on your bike? Not if some Tory councils have their way](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/mar/27/get-on-your-bike-not-if-some-tory-councils-have-their-way)
>
>Local authorities still see ‘the car as king’ and have been abandoning government plans for cycle lanes and pedestrian areas
Considering that she’s representing Copeland in Cumbria, I think she’s right to be reluctant to let her kids cycle on the roads here. There’s some infrastructure but it could be better. I know several colleagues who cycle to work and they are very leery about cycling in the road when there are cars and lorries whizzing past you at over 60mph. I don’t think her statements are attacking cyclists but the infrastructure in dire need of improvement. Road infrastructure in general could be better, what cumbria is in desperate need of is a proper motorway link that isn’t coming up J36 on the M6 and slogging your way through the awful Barrow coastal road or coming off at J40 at Penrith and going through Keswick.
I feel like the rest of the quote is pretty important here.
“That can’t continue. That’s something that I really want to change. I would like children to be able to walk and to cycle to school”
Next week: Sajid Javid implores his family to not get ill due to the state of the health service.
(Joke – they all get the best care by going private)
you want to see vast amounts of stupid on uks roads, cycle commute.
cities would make a mint if they replaced their traffic and speed cameras with plain clothed bobbies on e-bikes recording the bullshit that drivers do via gopros
In Greater Manchester we now have a few “Cyclops” junctions.
I’m sure someone was paid a very large amount of money to design them.
They looked at the standard junction used in the Netherlands and thought “We can do better!”.
Unsurprisingly, they’re worse.
At least she knows the score.
Is she actually going to do anything concrete about it? E.g. properly charge and punish drivers who kill cyclists? I’m not confident.