Pedal on Parliament begin a national online campaign today called Space for Distancing, supporting reallocation of road space to allow for safe distancing for people walking, cycling and wheeling.
We have spotted other schemes from across the world offering more space for those walking and cycling with temporary cycle lanes literally being rolled out. Now the cycling campaigners demand the same here.
Last week, the campaign wrote to Michael Mathieson, the Scottish Transport Minister, as well as all party leaders, asking that The Scottish Government urgently set up an Space For Distancing scheme modelled on plans that were recently put in place in New Zealand. The four measures they are asking for are:
- Temporary widening of pavements to allow people to pass each other safely on foot and queue outside shops if they need to (two metres is much wider than you think).
- Temporary segregated cycleways along key commuting routes to enable key workers and others to cycle where possible.
- Temporary modal filters, closing off vehicular access to residential streets except to emergency services and residents, to discourage speeding, prevent rat-running and allow families to continue to exercise safely outside.
- Lower speed limits on key rural roads to create cycle-friendly routes into towns and villages.
Pedal on Parliament today call on the public to help their local authorities to implement the safe distancing measures, even when the end of lockdown is announced.
Using social media, images of spaces where safe distancing is currently difficult and where space can easily be reallocated, are expected to flood in from supporters with the hashtag #SpaceForDistancing.
Sally Hinchcliffe from Pedal on Parliament said “We need to be putting these measures in place now, while traffic is light and there is space to do so. If we wait until we’re gridlocked, and all those families have been frightened back into their cars, it will be too late.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has proved devastating for many, and life-changing for almost all of us. We need these measures now to reduce the risk to the general population post-lockdown. However, as other cities and countries around the world have recognised, such measures can also serve as a bridge – from the car-centric, unhealthy urban design of the present to more sustainable, livable towns and cities of the future.”
Iona Shepherd, also from Pedal on Parliament said: “Key Workers, especially those without cars, have become increasingly reliant on active travel for getting to and from work during this crisis, and we urgently need to ensure that they have safe space to do this, safely distanced from others on our pavements, and protected from traffic.
“While car use is reduced, and we are seeing the clear benefits that come from that, now has to be the time to examine our urban and rural spaces, to work out a fairer way to divide that space up for people. We hope this campaign will be helpful in encouraging councils to see how and where they might be able to do this.”
Denise Marshall, mother of two young children and Pedal on Parliament organiser, would like to see traffic calming measures put in place on her street. She said: “So many people are now parked at their homes, I need to fully cross the street with my kids to allow enough space to pass other pedestrians on the pavements. Unfortunately, my residential street often has speeding rat-runners and poor visibility. Closing the street to through-traffic would make it safer.”
Pedal on Parliament run annual protests around this time of year aimed at making Scotland a cycling, and people friendly country.
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Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
