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The UK has been promised a biking revolution for many years. In 1996, then-transport minister Steve Norris enthused about quadrupling biking journeys by 2012. Equally, former prime minister David Cameron promised a “biking revolution” in 2013 which fizzled out as funding did not comply with. Little has modified for over 50 years. Over this time, biking journeys have been in steep decline. The identical is true of strolling. Solely not too long ago has there been a small improve in cycle use.

However streets empty of vehicles throughout lockdown meant that energetic journey turned enticing to a level not seen for many years. Proof from Scotland, the place I’m based mostly, exhibits a altering sample of journey behaviour from March onwards, with 9% of these surveyed saying that they had been strolling and biking extra and 62% saying that they had been driving much less. Automotive use is now again up close to pre-March ranges however this may increasingly nicely change as winter – and the second wave – progresses.

Nationwide campaigns are being run encouraging folks to cycle or stroll slightly than take public transport in an try to cease COVID spreading. Small scale funding has been launched throughout the UK. Measures embrace widened pavements, pop-up cycle lanes – usually re-allocations of highway area from two lane carriageways – and 20mph pace limits.

This may occasionally make a distinction for some residing and travelling alongside specific corridors the place area has been protected, but it surely gained’t assist most who would possibly ponder strolling extra usually or beginning biking: analysis exhibits that they need an entire, perceivably protected community. And importantly, the present protection of COVID-19 insurance policies to help energetic journey are very a lot patchwork, with many gaps. Some appear to be being applied the place schemes might be put in shortly, slightly than the place they’re wanted most.

It’s comprehensible that schemes could have their pitfalls – having, in any case, been put in extremely shortly. The hope is that, over time, longer routes will begin to be created and networks fashioned. However the second should be seized: the coronavirus disaster provides an actual alternative to revolutionise energetic journey within the UK – with the potential for widespread well being, social and environmental advantages.

Sadly, it doesn’t appear to be that is the case: in October the Transport Secretary appeared to backtrack, writing to native authority leaders instructing them to “stability the wants of cyclists and pedestrians with the wants of different highway customers, together with motorists and native companies”. Contemplating ongoing discouragement of using public transport there clearly must be some important and clear help for energetic journey if solely to cease city areas from reaching gridlock if extra folks really feel there isn’t any selection however to drive.

And the methods to attain this usually are not speculative – they’ve been accomplished earlier than, and within the UK.

1. 20-minute neighbourhoods

The idea of the 20-minute neighbourhood encapsulates the concept every thing you want for day-to-day residing needs to be inside a 20-minute stroll.

Persuading folks to remain native is straightforward sufficient to attain in cities and cities as a result of most city localities have already got sufficient outlets and facilities inside a 20-minute stroll. Energetic journey might be inspired by putting in modal filters: highway blocks or planters put in in residential streets that cease rat-running, forcing most motorised site visitors on to major roads whereas giving direct route entry and benefits to these on foot or biking.

This encourages folks away from routine automotive use to a norm of strolling or biking. It additionally helps rebuild communities: folks begin to see one another routinely on the road, permitting neighbours to attach and construct belief.

COVID-19 response funds might make a serious contribution right here. Variations of 20-minute neighbourhoods have been applied within the UK. Most well-known is London borough Waltham Forest’s Mini-Holland scheme, the place over 50 facet highway junctions have been reworked into “steady footways” lately. Pedestrians have precedence over autos. Cycle hubs have been established at native practice stations. Modal filters discourage through-traffic. In comparison with areas elsewhere in London the place such schemes have been applied extra slowly, in Walthamstow common survey members elevated their energetic journey by 41 minutes per week.

2. College road closures

College runs have been a spotlight of consideration in transport coverage for over 30 years. How do you obtain excessive ranges of energetic journey whereas charges of automotive possession are rising and extra dad and mom are in work? Most earlier interventions have relied on encouraging folks to alter their behaviour with out altering the bodily surroundings. As native champions and eager faculty employees transfer on, these schemes have usually failed.

Enter faculty road closures: merely shut the highway to motorised site visitors forward of the beginning and shut of the varsity day. I used to be positively shocked once I undertook a evaluate of the proof earlier this yr. Regardless of the highway closures solely making use of to 1, two or three roads instantly exterior major colleges, the outcomes demonstrated important reductions in automotive use and a corresponding rise in energetic journey. As well as, no important highway security issues arose, similar to automotive migration to neighbouring streets.

The college run has lengthy been a headache for transport planners.

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3. Scale it up

Each of those examples are comparatively easy to attain. However constant city and city-wide schemes are wanted, and these are trickier. But, final yr, my colleagues and I recognized a number of profitable previous such schemes, throughout the UK, that supplied larger help and security for pedestrians and cycle customers.

The Sustainable Journey Cities (2004-9) was one such scheme. Three city programmes put in place a variety of initiatives aiming to encourage extra use of non-car choices. The methods adopted included the event of a powerful model; journey consciousness campaigns; promotion of public transport, biking and strolling; and faculty and office journey planning. Automotive mileage per individual was lowered by as much as 10%, in comparison with a nationwide pattern of lower than a 1%.

How a lot did that price the taxpayer? A miserly £10 million shared throughout the cities. Scaling this up can be an actual discount, particularly in comparison with the poor worth for cash of the billions spent on roads, and would permit the UK to lastly ship an actual revolution in native journey behaviour.

Adrian Davis acquired funding from the Street Security Belief in 2019 in endeavor a evaluate of the proof on faculty road closures and highway security referred to on this article. He additionally acquired funding from Sport England for work on a evaluate of proof addressing energetic journey in 2018 additionally referred to on this article.