Streets Ahead

A special edition of Streets Ahead, in which Laura travels to the Isle of Wight to meet Detective Superintendent Andy Cox for day one of his nationwide challenge to cycle and run 30 miles a day for a week, raising awareness of road danger, and money for charity RoadPeace.Andy is on a mission to drive a culture change around roads policing and road danger, having this week revealed, via the Times, a major shakeup in how police record contributory factors in road collisions, which revealed speeding as the number one cause of crashes, contributing to three times more collisions in Manchester and London where a pilot took place. He's pushing data-led policing, taken from his time investigating murders, having targeted the most dangerous roads and drivers in his time as head of Vision Zero in London's Metropolitan Police, and is having a huge impact in his goal of tackling what he insists we call road crime. Andy's challenge is all about raising funds for a charity that does a huge amount of good with not a lot of funding. He's hoping to raise double - or more - than last year, at least £100,000, and police forces around the country are taking part in their own challenges to help the charity help even more people whose lives are changed by road crime. From a clifftop near Lands End, having just fallen waist deep into a nettle-covered rock crevice with a half-eaten cheese sandwich, Laura introduces us to Andy's challenge - while Ned's somewhere in Italy covering the Giro d'Italia, and Adam's working away on the West Midlands' cycling and walking transformation.You can donate money to Andy's challenge here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/andycoxchallenge2022 You can read about his shakeup of how contributory factors are recorded, in the Times (paywall) here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/8959cbb4-d3a3-11ec-b39a-dd0cbc8c6f6d We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Streets Ahead's second birthday, Adam, Ned and Laura go rogue - or at least go outdoors - sitting together on the banks of the River Thames to shoot the breeze. We are, for this episode, a pod without portfolio - drifting beside the Thames like an empty crisp packet and seeing where the current takes us.The Streets Ahead trio reveals the topic, if not the title, of Laura's forthcoming book, and a street that's being named after her late dad, as well as discussing e-scooters, e-bikes, the strop that got Ned his own bike racks at City Airport (sort of) and how Adam's dad once broke his arm doing a flying leap and yelling 'who's the daddy'. There is also some minor aircraft trivia, Ned's new book about football, a real-life trip to Paris to see just how many people are velo-ing on its new cycle lanes - and nobody falls in the river.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cities around the world used quick, cheap materials to transform streets for people during the pandemic, but tactical urbanism can, in theory, be initiated by communities and individuals to transform a bare patch of their neighbourhoods at any time. Laura, Ned and Adam talk about their greening efforts, and Laura shares recordings from her giant planters project, during two weeks of construction and two community planting days. Adam also talks about £254m of funds recently awarded for active travel in the West Midlands.Some links:http://tacticalurbanismguide.com/Adam's van made the news https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-57569344 Possible's campaign to enable more community parklets nationwide https://www.wearepossible.org/actions-blog/get-parklets-on-your-streetsLondon Parklets Campaign: https://londonparkletscampaign.wordpress.com/people-parking-day/ The story of Brenda Puech's People Parking Bay: https://www.peopleparkingbay.com/We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ned and Laura chat with Dame Sarah Storey, not only Britain's most successful Paralympian, but the new Cycling & Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester, having previously held the role for three years in South Yorkshire.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time we’re talking all about mapping walking routes. Back in the Autumn, Emma Griffin from the Footways project joined Laura for a stroll around Bow in East London. Footways is a network of quiet and interesting streets for walking in London, with the aim of getting people out on the pavements and walking for transport.Their aim is to make the pedestrian network the top priority when it’s often the lowest.View Footways’ Google map layer: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1djPyfTHyWyHfqVNNIqStpRbvXZ7yabk0&ll=51.51235318211866%2C-0.13645850981252927&z=14 Read Laura’s CityLab article on Footways: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-27/mapping-london-s-best-walking-streets We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a new Highway Code! Rules for all types of road users have been updated in The Highway Code to improve the safety of people walking and cycling.Naturally, some people have taken the news very badly with strange headlines and talk radio stations going into overdrive.What do the changes mean and what difference will they make?We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2021: it happened, that we can say for sure. Ned, Laura and Adam go through their highlights and lowlights of the year - and look back at some of the big stories in active travel.Plus: Adam has a new job. Ned and Laura quiz him on being the new West Midlands Cycling & Walking Commissioner.Thank you for your support this year and we look forward to bringing you new episodes in 2022!We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.CORRECTION: In this episode, we stated that the Cowley LTN in Oxford had been made permanent. In fact, Oxfordshire County Council agreed to an ETRO of 3 further LTNs in East Oxford. This is on top of the 3 Cowley LTNs which have been in place for nearly a year. The decision as to whether the Cowley LTNs will be made permanent will be made in February. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, sponsored by Superpedestrian, Ned, Laura and Adam visit Nottingham, a city bustling with integrated transport. We try the city's new Link e-scooters, by Superpedestrian, visit the tram, ride bikes and hire cars. It's a true smorgasbord of sensible and sustainable transport options - delivered in part by the city's Workplace Parking Levy.We also follow in the footsteps of the Prime Minister, 18 months on from his Gear Change announcement - visiting the bike shop he launched the strategy in - to see how things are going.Thanks also to Scootfit for their help in keeping us safe on scooters and pointing out Adam has weird knees.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re talking about the power of behaviour change - why, perhaps, soft measures deserve hard cash. While much of the focus in active travel is around the need for dedicated infrastructure, quietly, around the country - organisations are implementing softer measures that can have a significant impact. A few weeks ago Laura visited the Chrisp Street Community Cycles, a ‘cycle hub’ in an empty high street shop in Tower Hamlets, East London.Want to support the hub? The fundraiser is here (until 23 November): https://www.spacehive.com/continue-chrisp-street-community-cyclesWe hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, Adam chats with Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director General at DG MOVE, part of the European Commission. Baldwin works on sustainable mobility, including how to protect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists in the coming era of connected, automated and autonomous mobility.Ahead of COP26, it’s an interesting look to active travel’s importance on the world stage - and how we can work together as a global community to communicate best practices to reduce emissions and improve health. In the episode, Baldwin says: "Somehow we've allowed the bike to be seen as an agent of the liberal metropolitan elite. How can that be that we seem to be losing that argument? When in the town I live in, 50% of the households don't have access to a car - and spoiler alert - it's not the richer 50%!"We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A year ago we explored e-scooters as the UK began its official trials of rental scooters. How's it gone since? How are other countries dealing with e-scooters in cities? Are we just scared of new stuff?In this episode, sponsored by Superpedestrian, Adam heads to Lisbon to try out their Link scooters and we put some tricky questions to the company's Policy Director for the UK & Ireland, Jean Andrews.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are (probably) coming. In this episode, Laura is taken for a spin on public roads in one - going on a journey through Greenwich, London, with nothing other than a robot car for company (if you ignore the two safety drivers ready to step in at any moment).Are Driverless Cars, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, or AVs, a solution to a problem, or are they just tech for tech’s sake?The UK is betting big on AVs. The Government wants to make the UK a hub for this technology and has invested £200m into Research and Development already. Our thanks to this episode's interviewees: Balazs Csuvar - Head of Delivery at DG Cities; Stephen Kyberd, Field Engineering Lead at Oxbotica; Niranjan Thiyagarajan, Management consultant advising the car industry on AVs; Krishnan Jayaraj Menon, Project Manager at Oxbotica - and last but not least our driver, Tristan, and co-driver, Dan.You can watch a video of the car in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZNIE_ABGf0&t=26s; and see their vision for the future here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUCSnrWUBc0 you can even order your own VR headset from the Endeavour Project here, to experience the vids in 3D: https://www.projectendeavour.uk/vr-registrationWe hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July saw the publishing of the UK Government's Transport Decarbonisation plan, followed by the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, which didn't make for pretty reading.In the UK surface transport is the single largest contributor of greenhouse gases, producing 23% of our emissions, and we’ve made no significant in-roads to cutting that contribution, in a decade. So what needs to change, and are we (and our policymakers) capable of doing it?We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ned rode a cargo bike and he liked it. Streets Ahead have a partial real-life reunion which culminates in Ned riding a cargo bike.Thanks to Raleigh for having us at the launch of their new Stride cargo bike range at the Olympic Park in London.Are we on the cusp of a cargo bike boom in the UK? What do we need to consider to take cargo bikes to the masses?For the record, Amazon are trialling cargo bike deliveries in London.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're talking with Dr Gemma Briggs, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University, about distracted driving.Dr Gemma Briggs’ research found mobile phone conversations, as opposed to conversations with a passenger, encourage a driver to create mental images - using the same cognitive resources we need for accurate visual perception of the driving environment. This means competition in drivers’ brains for limited resources.It’s not just the responsibility of individual drivers to change, argues Gemma, it’s about changing public acceptability of mobile phone use. She says mobile phone legislation has been inadequate from its inception, despite the evidence that hands-free is as dangerous as handheld phone use. This, she says, is partly due to pressure from fleet operators to keep drivers available by phone, and motor vehicle manufacturers aren’t helping matters with in-car entertainment and interactivity.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexei Sayle is an English stand-up comedian, actor, television presenter, author and former recording artist. He is also a cyclist with a surprising interest in active travel.Ned pops for a coffee with Alexei to talk about his cycling history, his return to bike riding in the capital and - of course - Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.You can listen to Alexei Sayle's new podcast here: https://audioboom.com/channels/5038428 - and his YouTube videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDNNsx1x7YDiV8JEysO3DmAWe hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are elections up and down the country this Thursday 6th May 2021, but how do you vote for better active travel provision? There are a plethora of political positions up for grabs - from Metro Mayors to Police & Crime Commissioners, but who does what when it comes to cycling and walking?We're not going to review the candidates' ambitions - you can get that elsewhere and should read the Manifestos of the candidates where you live - but we will explain how it all works and some of the big battles taking place.Update: Ned managed to get a proxy vote after all - hooray! Find out where to vote here: https://www.gov.uk/how-to-voteWe hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Advertising is everywhere and while most people think it doesn’t affect them, research shows it undoubtedly impacts the decisions we make. Tobacco advertising has been banned - will car advertising be the new smoking?This week we have Leo Murray from climate action charity Possible. Leo is one of the people behind Badvertising, a campaign to put a stop to the promotion of highly polluting Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs).We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rapid changes in our towns and cities are providing new access to active travel for some people, but are they excluding some disabled people in the process? That's the topic we're discussing with Katie Pennick, Campaigns Lead at Transport For All.Why are disabled people seemingly ignored when it comes to some consultations? What needs to change? Is that status quo a better option? These are all questions you'll get the answers to in our latest episode.You can read Transport For All's report, Pave The Way, here.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For episode 23, Ned, Adam and Laura chew the fat with London's Walking & Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, on the capital's active travel revolution. Four years ago, Laura wrote In The Guardian: "Is London's new cycling tsar too nice to face down the bike-haters?"It turns out being nice can be effective. London has built nearly 100 miles of protected cycle lanes in the last year alone with 4% of Londoners also now living within a Low Traffic Neighbourhood.But it hasn't all been plain sailing. We chat to Will about bikelash, the importance of consultation, e-scooters and, of course, the Kensington High Street debacle. Adam also humblebrags about the time he cycled up Holland Park Avenue at "up to 9mph".We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pace of change in some of our towns and cities has been designed to prevent a car-based recovery from COVID-19, but it hasn't all been positive. As Councils moved quickly to make changes under national government guidance, many of them neglected the basics of engagement and impact assessments. On this subject, we talk to Isabelle Clement, director of Wheels for Wellbeing, a charity that helps everyone enjoy cycling regardless of disability, health or age.Laura's interview with Isabelle explores the importance of cycling for all and some of the barriers society puts in the way that prevents access for many disabled people.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our 21st episode! How did that happen? Ned, Laura & Adam are discussing the government's £27 billion road building plan and its recent legal challenge. What are the merits of road building? How does active travel fit in? Is it compatible with the necessities of protecting our climate (Spoiler: probably not)? We'll discuss all this and more (including a new feature, er, LTN News).We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 20, we team up with Doug Gordon, co-host of The War on Cars podcast and one of the USA's foremost cycling advocates. Our very special virtual guest speaks to us all the way from New York City, a city adapting in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.We compare how our two nations are faring in terms of active travel. Who is better at failing, or succeeding, when it comes to cycling and walking? Is the grass always greener on the other side?We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening!PS: You should definitely go and listen to The War on Cars podcast if you haven't already. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 19 rounds up the year that was, er, pretty well awful - but you can count on us to look at the positives and so we’ve collated all the things we can be thankful for in active travel. Now, if there is a small silver lining to the year 2020, it came in the form of progress on cycling, walking and electric scooters.We're joined by renowned urban planner Brian Deegan, who is Chris Boardman's technical advisor in Greater Manchester, to review 2020 and what interesting things we have to look forward to in active travel in 2021.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and write a review? It helps us more than you probably think.Thanks for listening!PS: Here's what a Cyclops junction looks like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 18, we're discussing cargo bikes; the ingenious contraptions designed to move people and things in our towns and cities.Ned, Laura and Adam discuss the weirdest things they've carried on their bicycles - and we speak to some experts: Ben Knowles, co-founder of cargo bike logistics firm Pedal Me and Jim Blakemore, CEO at community interest company Bikeworks.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 17, Christmas has come early! Tranche 2 of the (no longer Emergency) Active Travel Fund has been announced along with renewed guidance on consultation and research showing the majority support measures to reallocate road space.If you want to get the low down on the latest £175m announcement, Laura, Adam and Ned have all the info you need.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 16, we're talking e-scooters. Will they change the way we travel? Are E-Scooter trials a bit weird? What would Alan Partridge think of them? There's all this, some more serious stuff, and much more in this packed episode for Halloween, so there's a spooky intro as a treat. We're thankfully joined by Phil Ellis, CEO of micro-mobility company Beryl, whose company has been taking part in UK E-Scooter trials.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 15, we're discussing how we talk about road collisions and, in particular, the new Road Collision Reporting Guidelines: why they're important, what they are and what they're not. We consider why we should be using the word "collision" or "crash" instead of "accident", as well as the impact our language can have on the families of road collision victims.We also reflect on a week where the guidelines were somewhat misrepresented in some media outlets, and talk about the time that Ned quit his newspaper column in protest.You can read and respond to the consultation on the guidelines at: www.rc-rg.comWe hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 14, we need to talk about Worcestershire. The county, and its city, Worcester have been on the receiving end of much criticism relating to their apparent lack of enthusiasm for active travel. Laura, Adam and Ned discuss the importance of local campaigning along with guests (also known locally as "Cycle Mad Morons") Dan Brothwell (Bike Worcester) and Cllr Matthew Jenkins (Green Party). There's also bonus content from Ned on how to successfully grow a basil bush.You can read the Tweets and articles we refer to here: https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/15996184.letter-day-make-cycling-better-experience/ + https://twitter.com/thejeremyvine/status/1293112820524036096 + https://road.cc/content/news/extension-cycling-ban-worcester-embarrassment-277387You can find out more about Bike Worcester here: https://bikeworcester.org.uk/We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely. If you leave your name on a review, we'll try to give you a shout out!Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 13, we explore whether the UK's golden age of cycling is in jeopardy. Has "Gear Change" become "Gear Slip", and if so, why?Laura, Adam and Ned discuss the politics at play and the battle between local authorities and the government. Ned does so from a 12th century castle in Kent and explains how he and Chris Boardman have had their daily commutes hindered by grounds staff.You can read the articles we refer to here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/05/councils-must-stop-abusing-green-roads-cash/ + https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/05/grant-shapps-tells-councils-stop-abusing-250m-fund-meant-green/We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsaheadIf you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely. If you leave your name on a review, we'll give you a shout out!Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 12, we thought we'd go for the lighthearted and totally uncontroversial topic of free hospital parking. Rather than get ourselves embroiled into a row with what seems like the entire population, we thought we'd invite Peter Walker to tell us why free hospital parking is often not a good idea. Peter is The Guardian's Political Correspondent and author of Bike Nation: How Cycling Can Save the World.Because Peter explained the flaws of free hospital parking so wisely and succinctly, we spent the rest of the podcast talking about the politics of cycling, which we hope you find interesting.Peter's New book, The Miracle Pill: Why A Sedentary World Is Getting It All Wrong, is out Jan 21: http://bit.ly/29xs4saWe hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead If you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely. If you leave your name on a review, we'll give you a shout out!(Apologies for Adam's sound quality at the end, he had a mic fail)Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 11, we're answering your questions about the Prime Minister's "Gear Change" active travel announcement. Are we changing gear? How much will it all cost? Can you really get a Mini Holland for a fiver? What will Active Travel England do? Did the Dutch invent the Dutch reach? Nearly all will be answered.If you can hear birds chirping in the background, it's Ned showing off that he's back at work, commentating bike races in Italy.If you wanted to nominate and vote for Streets Ahead at the Active Travel Awards, please head here: http://blog.westminster.ac.uk/ata/events/media-awards-2020/We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead If you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 10, we're talking walking; the most accessible form of travel. We learn that the podcast was nearly called "Talkie Walkie" but, perhaps more insightfully, we discuss walking in planning and even how it can support therapy with two experts. Thanks to our guests Susan Claris from Arup and Carmen Rendell, walking therapist at Soulhub, for their contributions.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead If you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 9, Ned and Laura bravely venture outside of London and visit Adam's neck of the woods, to explore what's happening in terms of active travel in the West Midlands. We're joined by Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council. We ask: What is Birmingham doing well, and what else can be done for cycling and walking in the West Midlands? Hint: It's not using the canal network.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead If you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and NedPS: We said we'd share a picture of Manchester's "Cyclops" junction here, so here it is: https://twitter.com/ManCityCouncil/status/1279444984853389313/photo/1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Episode 8, we did our first live Q&A. It was all in aid of the fantastic Herne Hill velodrome as part of their Virtual Velofete event; the velodrome is a venue very close to all of our hearts. It was lots of fun, so thanks for all of your great questions. If you're able to, please donate to the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust and keep this amazing London home of cycling funded for future generations: https://www.hernehillvelodrome.com/velofete/We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead If you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and NedLegal disclaimer: Do not use an angle grinder or other power tools to adapt or adjust cycling infrastructure that does not meet the requirements for use by riders of non-standard bicycles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 7, we're discussing school streets and play streets; two types of temporary road closures that make our communities, well, a bit more pleasant. We find out what's involved with school and play streets and the wider benefits to the community, which spurs Adam to have a moan about bollard removal and Ned to have a moan about local authorities. Laura interviews two experts on the subject: Alice Swift, Project Coordinator for School Streets at Sustrans and Alice Ferguson, co-founder of charity Playing Out.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead If you're reading this, please can you take 1 minute to give us a 5-star rating and a review? It helps us hugely.Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode six and the Streets Ahead team have managed to infiltrate a significant part of the all-powerful motor lobby. It helped that Edmund King, President of The Automobile Association (now known as The AA), quite likes to ride a bike too. King has recently called for the government to reconsider its £28.8bn road building programme, backed temporary walking and cycling infrastructure and called for "park and cycle" hubs outside cities to encourage active travel for longer journeys. It's not exactly what you'd expect from a motoring lobbyist. That said, in the interest of balance, we did go down a "cyclists could do themselves a favour by not always alienating drivers" rabbit hole, to even things out a bit.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead Please rate and review us too!Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode five and things are moving fast, or so it seems. But is active travel in the UK in a chicken and egg situation? The current government advice is "cycle or walk if you can" meaning more people than ever are interested; but two weeks later, apart from a few select councils, there's barely any infrastructure for the potentially huge increase of people on bikes, and traffic is returning. Councils claim they still don't even know how they will get their hands on the £250m emergency funding.Cycling advocates know that if you build it, they will come, but are councils building things quick enough? We'll explore a variety of things that need to happen very quickly if we are to realise the UK's golden age for cycling, speaking with Phillip Darnton, Chair of The Bicycle Association, Cllr Adam Clarke, Deputy Mayor of Leicester and Dr Jonathan Kelly from St Bart's NHS Trust. Ned also, for one day only, pretended he had a job and commuted into central London, bringing us with him.We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead Please rate and review us too!Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode four and we've convened to bring you a special emergency broadcast. In the last week, the UK government has announced a raft of measures, some more helpful than others, to help get more people cycling and walking for short journeys. We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.That Government AnnouncementA lot can happen in a week, but the challenge in front of us will be the decider of whether cycling and walking reach their potential in Britain, or whether we'll just continue to drive everywhere. We don't have long to make a difference, so we're discussing what the government's latest announcement means for active travel. Spoiler: £2bn isn't enough and it's old money, split over five years. But there are some positives too.In this episode, we look at the local and national picture for active travel and explore behind-the-scenes of why there is a newfoundimpetus to get people on bikes and out of their cars. Is this Boris Johnson doing his thing?We also talk to one of active travel's newest advocates, sports broadcaster Jacqui Oatley, and ask: Is she perhaps a better ambassador for getting the nation cycling than Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome?We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead Please rate and review us too!Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode three and we're joined by Chris Boardman, Greater Manchester's Cycling and Walking Commissioner. We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a new podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.Cycling and Walking CommissionersWe wanted to find out more about the increasing number of Cycling and Walking Commissioners across the UK, and who better to speak to than Chris Boardman? Chris has travelled from his first job in carpentry in Tranmere to revolutionising cycling and walking in Manchester, with an Olympic Gold in Barcelona in between. Chris is hesitant to use the words "career", but we discuss the latest in his project; the only one that's kept him up at night in twenty years.In this episode, we explore what's required of a Cycling and Walking Commissioner, discuss Chris' frustrations over Zebra crossings and whether he'd consider a job in politics. In addition, Ned makes a colossal faux pas, Adam struggles to speak in full sentences and Laura does her best not to follow remote podcasting etiquette.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead Please rate and review us too!Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our second episode and we're focusing on Behaviour Change, with our first guest, Dr Ian Walker. We hope you enjoy this episode of Streets Ahead, a new podcast dedicated to the world of active travel, liveable streets and people-focused urban design.Behaviour ChangeStreets Ahead welcomes our first guest, Dr Ian Walker, Environmental Psychologist at the University of Bath. Ian is most famous for dressing up as a woman and impersonating a Police officer, all in the name of research on driving habits.In this episode, we explore what is required to change people's behaviour, during normal times and currently during the pandemic. How can we use this to get more people cycling and walking? We also explore if we're addicted to cars and what might be required to overcome that. Meanwhile, Ned drops the bombshell that he showers outdoors, Laura name drops her new best mate Greta Thunberg and Adam reveals his interest in car fetishes.We’re on Twitter and welcome your feedback on our episode: http://www.twitter.com/podstreetsahead Please rate and review us too!Thanks for listening!From Adam, Laura and Ned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.