Street's ahead

Regional mayors are leading the way in enabling cycling infrastructure

- Laura Laker

OPINION: THE GOLDEN AGE OF CYCLING?

Three years ago, I spent a week delving into cycling in the West Midlands for an article, as you do. I was concerned that the region's mayor Andy Street's plan for cycling back then seemed to amount to a network of unlit canal towpaths. In a region where 41% of journeys are less than two miles, and 30% of people say they would cycle more if it felt safer, targets for 5% of trips to be by bike seemed unambitious and I said this in my Guardian article at the time.

Well, dear reader, how things have changed. Now Street and his team have discovered a newfound cycling verve, attracting hundreds of millions of pounds for cycling over the next five years, and becoming somewhat of a success story. So what happened? While the big, sexy cycle routes (yes, in some circles kerbs are sexy) are the visible results of a major turnaround, a lot more has been going on behind the scenes.

In May 2021, Andy Street was re-elected, and that December he appointed Adam Tranter as walking and cycling commissioner. For the record, Adam is a friend, colleague and podcast co-host of mine, but, girl guides' honour, this is an honest assessment of their achievements, as I see it.