One of the most common complaints we hear on social media is that if more space is given to cycling, it must therefore be taken away from motor traffic, which in turn will lead to more congestion. At first, this seems perfectly logical. But guess what happens when you provide excellent bike routes? That’s right — people will actually use them!
But at present, cycling is so unattractive that people are forced into their cars. As the narrator says in this video, “Designing to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport actually works out better for drivers.”
Imagine what it might be like if we give more of our town centre road space to bikes and pedestrians, and a bit less to cars. One consequence is that cycling ends up being quicker and more direct.
“If cycling wasn’t faster, many of these people would be in cars, and the streets would be so clogged with traffic that the direct route would be even slower than the indirect route is today.”