Heather Mckenzie from Dundee is loving her life in the saddle. Picture: Mhairi Edwards.

Courier survey highlights bike enthusiasts’ demand for safe, improved access

More than six in 10 people who cycle in Tayside and Fife believe their local area is lacking in decent, safe infrastructure, according to a new survey.

The Pandemic Pedal Power survey, commissioned by The Courier as part of a series examining how transport could change for the better post-lockdown, found 62% of those surveyed rate their local bike-friendly routes as either “poor” or “very poor”.

In the survey, published today, 55% of those polled say support for cycling is underfunded in their area, and the same number also say they are cycling more because the roads are less busy.

Our poll of 983 people also found that: Four out of five people say they cycle for fitness, while just one in 10 believes cycling is a time efficient way to travel;

More than half of those surveyed cycle less than five miles a day on average;

Three-quarters say they have either been involved in an accident or a dangerous near miss.

Veteran and new cyclists alike rated and described their local cycling experiences.

What the survey reveals is that those who cycle largely do so for their health rather than as a primary means of travel; feel largely unsafe using both urban and rural roads; and are crying out for segregated infrastructure.

Excluding those who were unsure, just 11% of cyclists rated their local infrastructure as either “good” or “very good”, with just 8% rating public funding for cycling as the same.

Catherine Grant, a cyclist from Dundee, described the level of funding for cycle paths as “pretty woeful”.

“There’s almost (no infrastructure),” she said.

“All that redesign of Dundee waterfront roads with no provision for bikes, so we’re sharing space with pedestrians and V&A sightseers in a very unsafe way. Really astonishing lack of thought there.”

Peter Robertson, from Angus, said making small changes in many areas of people’s lives could encourage cycling.

“Improved infrastructure, dedicated and distinct cycle lanes, better facilities at workplaces such as lockers, showers etc, facilities at transport hubs such as lockable bike lockers, improved facilities on bikes and trains for carrying bikes -– these all make commuting by bike more attractive,” he said.

Only half of Courier Country cyclists hop in the saddle to head to work, and are more likely to use their bikes to travel to a local shop, or to meet up with family and friends.

Our poll found that car drivers are the biggest concern for bike users, followed closely by lorry drivers and bus drivers.

Dogs and dog walkers and pedestrians are of equal concern, while fellow freewheelers tend not to be a worry.

Peter Hill, a Perthshire cyclist, said he was once knocked off his bike by a lorry at the East Port roundabout, where the Seagate meets the Marketgait, in Dundee.

“Very often there are near misses, usually when car drivers overtake despite there being no room, or when they’re coming in the opposite direction overtaking on your side of the road,” he added.

Terry Arnott, a cyclist from Perth and Kinross, believes cyclists are seen as less deserving of consideration among many other road users.

“It’s obvious to all experienced cyclists that here in the UK there are far too many people out there – car/ lorry drivers, pedestrians, families out walking – who have zero experience with dealing with cyclists,” he wrote in his survey response.

‘Shared use’ paths, which see pedestrians and cyclists both given right of way, are a subject of consternation among riders who, largely, feel as though they are imposing on those travelling on foot by being in the same space.

Dundee cyclist Lynsey Penny notes: “I feel like cyclists get the roughest end of the deal out of all modes of transport – cars hate us for being on the road and pedestrians hate us for being on paths (even though it’s supposed to be a shared path).

“I’ve nearly run over people’s dogs so many times because dog walkers aren’t watching their dog.

“We need segregated cycle lanes for everyone’s safety.”

Just short of three-quarters of local cyclists say they have experienced either a near miss or have been involved in a collision.

Philip Forte, a cyclist from Dundee, said: “There is no culture of bike friendliness. The police have told me that there is no local problem of vehicles close- passing cyclists as they get few reports. They ignore what is obvious to cyclists – under-reporting.”

Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride. Belgian cycling great Eddy Merckx needed no excuse to get on his bike and he was passionate about seeing other recreational riders do so too.

Across Courier Country enthusiasm for cycling as a mode of transport has grown in recent years.

But the results of our exclusive Pandemic Pedal Power Survey suggest there is significant room for improvement if the popularity of cycling is to continue to rise and its wider benefits gained.

Bringing together the views of almost 1,000 cyclists locally, the survey results indicate that non-cycle friendly infrastructure is a barrier to increased uptake of the sport locally, even in modern, urban spaces.

The survey also points to safety concerns around cycling in traffic as being a blocker to greater participation, entirely understandable given there is only ever going to be one winner in a collision between a car and a bike.

You might expect such considerations to be at the forefront of town planners’ minds when making changes to the public realm and to the roads network. But there is definitely still scope for learning and improvement.

A single bad experience can put an end to participation in cycling for good. But a good experience can forge a lifelong passion, improve general health and wellbeing while, at the same time, reducing our footprint on the planet.

It is a goal worth pursuing. Saddle up.