European Mobility Week – The UK lycra-clad future

UK coordinator Richard Evans has been part of European Mobility Week (EMW) from the very beginning and has been organising green transport events since the mid-1990s. So if anyone knows about the past and present of EMW, he is the man.

Heir
But not for much longer it seems, as Richard is preparing to hand the baton on to someone new. Heir to his mobility throne is Rory McMullan, who acts as marketing and membership manager at ACT Travelwise, a network of organisations that work to promote sustainable travel. The pair are working together to coordinate this year’s event, which will be a final hurrah for Richard as he rides off – quite literally – into the sunset, on one of his beloved bicycles.

Permanent and tangible
Richard says last year 33 of the 48 British towns and cities that took part launched permanent measures, creating a total of 227 projects. The most popular were cycle parking spots, while workplace and school travel plans and car sharing schemes also proved to be popular.

Across Europe, there were more than two thousand cities participating last year. Richard says, on average, three permanent measures are introduced in each one. He says permanent measures are the bedrock of EMW and he was one of the leading voices behind their introduction.

“Providing something permanent and tangible that is available after EMW and into the future. That’s what will make the difference long after EMW itself has ended,” says Richard.

Pedi Cabs
Inverness in Scotland is always particularly active during EMW in the UK. This year its new permanent measure is an electric vehicle recharging station in the city centre, while it will be offering free cycling lessons and demonstrations on road sharing to get people out of their cars and onto their bikes.

In the past it has provided free bicycles for hire at the train station to encourage a shift towards more sustainable travel. Activities have also included Pedi Cabs, Canoe to Work, and free coffee, water and newspapers on public transport.

Slow down
Further south, London’s borough of Westminster, home to 225,000 people, is hosting interactive exhibitions on cycling, walking, electric vehicles and leading a healthy lifestyle. Free bike checks will also be on offer.

Free bike checks are right up Richard’s street. The cycling nut sees the bicycle as the ultimate in sustainable transport of the future. He believes the humble two wheels can carry the burden of the UK’s transport issues: reducing congestion, cutting CO2 emissions and the country’s reliance on fossil fuel. One of his ideas is to reduce the urban speed limit in the UK to twenty miles per hour, cutting the noise as well as the speed and making it less dangerous for cyclists.

“Motor traffic is too fast, it’s dangerous. If we slow it down, more people will think it’s safe to cycle and less people will drive. What’s more, cycling will improve everyone’s quality of life by making them fitter and healthier,” says Richard. And then he’s gone, pedalling off into his lycra-clad future.

Related on MindsinMotion.net

• European Mobility Week project page - find all EMW coverage right here