Two big opportunities for developing Ryedale cycling in 2017 are the proposed pedestrian/cycle bridge at Malton railway station, and the proposed Malton to Pickering Cycle Route.
Cycle forum
European Cycling Federation : Useful Statistics
Some recent stats from the European Cyclists Federation website.
Economy & Job Creation.
Cycling is good for the rural economy. A visiting cyclist spends an average of £25/day on locally provided food and services, compared to car-borne visitor’s £7.30. Car users bring what they’ll need with them, whereas cyclists can’t. Because of the exercise: cyclists feel hungrier when they stop and that they’ve earned the right to pamper themselves.
According to a 2014 European Cycling Federation Report, Europe’s cycling industry now employs some 655,000 people – more than mining and quarrying and almost twice as many as the steel industry. This includes bicycle manufacture , tourism, retail, infrastructure and services
In Scotland, cycle tourism generates over £200m pa – more than the Whisky industry
Health.
The health benefits of cycling outweigh the safety risks by a factor of 20 to one.
Cyclists on average live two years longer than non-cyclists and take 15% fewer days off work through illness
An adult who cycles regularly will typically have a level of fitness equivalent to being 10 years younger.
Countries with the highest levels of cycling and walking generally have the lowest obesity rates.
Cycling has a positive effect on emotional health – improving levels of well-being, self-confidence and tolerance to stress while reducing tiredness, difficulties with sleep and a range of medical symptoms.
People cycling to work ‘mortality rate is 28% below the average population.
Walking and cycling have benefits at the population level. As has been the case for decades, the biggest impact at the public health level would come from increasing the levels of walking and cycling by those population groups who do the least walking and cycling.
Carbon Emissions.
When the complete life cycle of the following modes are taken into account, the carbon emissions are approximately:
- Bicycle: 21 g CO2/passenger/km travelled
- Electric-assist bicycle: 22 g CO2/passenger/km travelled
- Passenger car: 271 g CO2/passenger/km travelled
- Bus: 101 CO2/passenger/km travelled
A bicycle commuter who rides 8 Km to work, four days a week, avoids 3220 Km of driving a year, the equivalent of 380 L of fuel saved and 750Kg of CO2 emissions avoided.
Kirkbymoorside Sportsfield Cycle Track
Ringway are starting work on a cycle-way across the entrance to Kirkbymoorside Sports field in early December 2016.
They are being paid with some S106 funds that were allocated to Kirkbymoorside from a housing development in 2014, these funds need to be used by December 2016.
We don’t have all the funds we need yet to finish the work, so for the moment the path will stay as a widened footpath.
Any contributions for completing the work would be gratefully received. We need funds for signs, dropped kerbs, and other safety aspects.
This scheme has been arranged by Kirkbymoorside Environment Group and Ryedale Cycle Forum.
We are also raising funds for design work for other routes. If you have a cycle route in mind, please contact us for further discussion.
You can donate today by bank transfer to the Kirkbymoorside Environment Group account:- 60 16 30 81074077 , using ref “Cycle tracks”. Or via Paypal account Ryedaletownandcountrytrails@outlook.com.
Space for Cycling is coming to a town near you!
We will be in Leeds on 12 November, to register your interest – please see here.
Anyone is welcome, all are free and will cater to all levels of campaign experience – from avid activist to tentative cyclist!
Come along to hear about:
- The ‘Plan, Invest, Build’ Space for Cycling process and how to get your council signed up
- Forming and running a campaign group
- Making a ‘Tube Map‘ of desired infrastructure
- The national political context and lobbying your local authority
- Cyclescape
- Local campaign experiences
- Devising a comms strategy
- Auditing cycle infrastructure using the Cycle Environment Assessment Tool
- In Leeds we will be joined by Fabian Hamilton MP, Treasurer of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, for a Q&A about cycle campaigning
Moreover, come along to meet like-minded people who may be able to help in your campaign!
So please register your attendance – we look forward to seeing you there!
Ryedale Cycle Forum Backs Calls for Safer Routes
The Ryedale Cycle forum recently commented on a story which was featured in the Gazette and Herald.
Cycling Safety
The Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire are looking for people to report near misses and accidents as a way of building evidence for North Yorkshire Police to take action regarding cycling safety.
If you have evidence of a near miss on your cycle, please email info@northyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk with ‘cycling’ in the subject.
