Tuesday Talks - the cycling city

A Radio 4 broadcast from yesterday, Bristol: Cycling City, provides the inspiration for today’s extension activity - there is a short synopsis here. This 30 minute audio documentary looks at the way in which £22m has been used over the past 3 years to increase the use of bicycles by residents of Bristol. Cyclists, motorists and local taxpayers seem to think that in general the scheme has not been successful, with only a small increase in the number of cyclists combined with poorly thought-through cycling infrastructure.

After listening to the documentary, students could draw up their own cost-benefit analysis of the scheme, and discuss whether the £22m has been used in the most effective way (around two thirds of the funding went towards infrastructure and the remaining third towards education relating to cycling). More details on the specific projects that have been run as part of this scheme can be found here. Able students may want to consider how they would have tackled the scheme differently.