The UK’s bicycle revolution is well underway, find out how your journeys from A-to-B can benefit not just your own health, but that of the planet and your fellow Leeds citizens.
Why Cycle?
For Yourself
Health
The physical and mental benefits of exercise are extensive and well documented, as I am sure you are aware if you have read our week 2 blog posts under ‘Looking after your body‘. If you have not, take a look at this article from week 2 for an overview of the ways exercise can make your mind and body feel great.
Cycling is a sport the promotes both weight loss and muscle gain simultaneously, improving both strength and cardiovascular health (Harvard Medical School, 2020). Cycling is one of the few ‘low impact’ cardio sports, lower weight bearing means there is less exertion on your bones and joints, reducing likelihood of injury (ibid).
Convenience
Another huge personal benefit to cycling is efficiency and flexibility, especially for urban short journeys under 5km. In busy urban centres, short journeys are very inefficient for many forms of transport, by way of example consider the following scenario:
You are in Hyde Park and need to get to Trinity shopping centre and have four possible options:
Option 1: Walk
Process: Simply walk from Hyde Park to Trinity Directly through the University.
Time: 32-34 Minutes
COVID RISK: Very Low
Cost: Free
Environmental Impact: Zero
Subjective experience: In fair weather it is a nice experience, albeit the walk is a little long and monotonous. Walking is less enjoyable in the rain.
Option 2: Public Transport
Process: Walk to the nearest bus stop, wait up to 10 minutes for the bus, ride the bus, get off at the bus stop then walk to Trinity.
Time: 15-17 Minutes (Minimum assuming no waiting time for bus and short walk (<1min) to bus stop; could easily add another 15 minutes)
Cost: £1.30 (with student card)
COVID RISK: Relatively high
Environmental Impact: Relatively good
Subjective experience: Fairly neutral, public transport in Leeds is reasonably reliable and will get you into town no problem.
Option 3: Drive (or Uber)
Process: Find your car, it is likely you will lose your parking space once you have left, drive into Leeds navigating the one way system, find somewhere to park and pay for parking, walk from your parking space to Trinity. Once in town, you have to make sure you make it back to your car before your ticket expires. On top of that, many students do not have cars and can only share private lifts through Uber which requires even more cost, COVID exposure and waiting around.
Time: 14-18 Minutes (Not including finding parking and walking from parking to Trinity, unusual traffic or waiting for Uber)
COVID RISK: Own vehicle: Very Low. Uber: Moderate.
Cost: Own Vehicle: £2-6 Not including Petrol (According to Just Park) UBER : At least £6.42 (Assuming no surcharge) (UBER)
Environmental Impact: Poor
Subjective experience: Manoeuvring traffic and finding parking can be very stressful. Although in times of cold and wet weather or when carrying significant shopping, driving is certainly an attractive option.
Option 4: Cycle
Process: Hop on your bike, breeze down the cycle path into town straight to Trinity. Lock it up for as long as you like.
Time: 10-12 Minutes
COVID RISK: Very Low
Cost: Free
Environmental Impact: Zero
Subjective experience: With plenty of cycle lanes and an almost entirely downhill ride (at least on the way there!), the cycle into Leeds is quick and reasonably stress-free. However, much like walking, poor weather makes this option less attractive and it is problematic when carrying more than one or two bags.
All images: Google Maps, 2020
Of the aforementioned scenarios, one option comes out on top (or joint-top for some indicators) in terms of time, cost, convenience, COVID safety, and arguably subjective experience (although this will vary depending on the person and trip context). That option is cycling.
For Other People
Cycling will not only make you feel healthier and happier, but will raise the wellbeing of the residents which we share the city with in a myriad of ways.
Air Quality
Vehicle traffic is the main source of localised pollutants in developed urban cities (TfL, 2014). NOx, SO2 and NO2 are just some of the many toxic compounds that emit from vehicle tailpipes that linger in the streets like a blanket of poison. The impacts on human health are well established, air pollution exacerbates respiratory aliments (asthma, bronchitis) and can increase the risk of cancer (UCSUSA, 2020). Unlike cars, cycling is powered by human muscle alone! You will not only improve your own lung capacity by cycling, but all of those in which you share the urban space.
Noise
Cars a huge source of urban noise, the quintessential urban soundscape consists of car horns, engine noises and the friction of tires on concrete. Traffic noise has a significant adverse impacts on human wellbeing by elevating stress, raising blood pressure and reducing the capacity of the cardiovascular system (BMA, 2012). Conversely, the noise of bicycles in negligible in comparison.
Safety
The logic is simple: more cars = more accidents. In addition, research shows that the greater the number of people that cycle in a given area, the safer the activity of cycling becomes (Pucher, Bueler, 2008). You are more likely to get in a cycle accident in Los Angeles than Amsterdam, hence by getting on your bike in Leeds you are making the roads safer for all.
For Your City
Urban Space
Land in urban centres is very scarce, and currently a large proportion of this land is taken up inefficiently by cars. Cars are wildly inefficient in terms of space; 60% of journeys contain just the driver, in addition cars lie dormant for 90% of the time, taking up valuable space (TfE, 2017). The images below depict how cars, both stationary and on the move, take up disproportionate city space:
The space taken up by cars can be used for green space, socialisation, businesses, and well…just about anything other than emissions emitting metal boxes. Particularly in the context of short urban journeys, space used for cycle lanes, and indeed public transport, can transport far more people with a fraction of the land required; greatly reducing traffic build-up (Fistola et al, 2020). In addition, up to 30% of urban congestion arises from drivers looking for parking spaces (Begg, 2014). In short, you can do your city a favour by getting on your bike, leaving more urban space for the things which make life fun!
Economic Stimulation
The link between thriving local economies and strong active transport is well known, logic dictates that heavily pedestrianised towns will have greater footfall into local businesses. Congested, polluted, dangerous and noisy city centres choked with vehicles are not attractive places for consumers to spend their time and money. Conversely, cycle-cities, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, are attractive places where people gather to socialise and spend money, in turn creating a thriving local economy (WACUK, 2016). In addition, improved health from cycling will lower public spending on healthcare, and instead can be funnelled into supporting local economies (ibid)
Of the images compared below of London’s Oxford Street and Amsterdam’s Kalverstraat, which one looks more appealing to you to go and spend money?
Sociability
Urban streets were designed to connect people, however in recent decades they have been taken over by cars. The danger, noise and pollution directly emitted from cars has severely hindered the role of public spaces in building relationships.
Urban environments that encourage active transport, e.g. walking and cycling, create frequent and informal opportunities for socialisation amongst diverse groups of people (Middleton, 2016). In his influential book, Liveable Streets, Donald Appleyard hypothesised that there is an inverse relationship between the degree of traffic on your street and the number of local acquaintances you interact with (e.g. the more traffic, the fewer friends) (Appleyard, 1992). Streets with slower traffic, green spaces and pedestrian/cycle priority foster social integration and contentment within the neighbourhood (Sauter, Huttenmoser, 2008). Many authors attribute the breakdown of community fabric with the rise of the private car. Through the difficult times which we live in, community fabric ought to be protected!
For the Planet
Carbon emissions
As a reader of this blog, I am sure you are well aware of the short and long term harmful impacts of climate change. You may not know that the transport sector is the largest contributor of GHGs in the UK, holding 28% of the culpability in 2018 (DfT, 2020). Hence this sector requires significant attention in order to meet the UK Government’s goals for net-zero emissions by 2050 (ibid). Unsurprisingly, cycling plays a key role in this challenging transition. As part of their Gears for Change initiative, the Government aims to increase cycling by 300% through a range of hard and soft measures such as: cycle lanes, bike hire schemes, cycle clubs and education programs (UKGOV, 2020).
Cycling in Leeds
We hope that this blog post has convinced you to at least give cycling a go. Cycling as a student in Leeds is fantastic, instead of walking 20 minutes into university, you can cycle in less than 5. Here are some ways to make this happen:
How to Source and Maintain a Second Hand Bike
Leeds Bike Mill – 37 Mabgate Green, Leeds LS9 7DS
Leeds Bike Mill are a non-profit community ran bike repair/trade centre that aims to make cycling more accessible. They receive bicycle donations, fix them and then sell them for a reasonable price. This model not only minimises waste, but helps to build community and encourage exercise to those of all abilities.
The Bikes College – Copley Hill, LS12 1HY.
The Leeds Bikes College is a social enterprise that runs on a similar model to the above, they buy and sell second hand bikes and are happy to fix faulty bikes for those in needs.
Internet – Facebook Marketplace/Gumtree/Freecycle
The above websites often sell bikes at very low prices, be sure to keep your eyes pealed as they are often snapped up quickly!
Where to Cycle
Although not quite as well endowed with cycle infrastructure as many cities on the continent, Leeds still provides plenty of spaces for cycling.
A personal favourites is the Aire Valley towpath that runs along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. This can be directly accessed from Viaduct road in Burley, just a 5 minute ride from Hyde Park (See Map below). This path is fantastic as it is completely flat, well paved and is just for runners and cyclists so there is no need to worry about cars.
For longer and more challenging rides, follow this link here to see the recommendations from Leeds List.
Reference List
Begg D. 2014. A 2050 VISION FOR LONDON. [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: https://www.transporttimes.co.uk/Admin/uploads/64165-transport-times_a-2050-vision-for-london_aw-web-ready.pdf
British Medical Association (BMA). 2012. Healthy transport = Healthy lives. [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: https://www.cycling-embassy.org.uk/document/healthy-transport-healthy-lives
Department for Transport (DfT). 2020. Decarbonising Transport Setting the Challenge. [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/932122/decarbonising-transport-setting-the-challenge.pdf
Fistola R., Gallo M., La Rocca R., Russo F. 2020. The Effectiveness of Urban Cycle Lanes: From Dyscrasias to Potential Solutions. Sustainability. 12. pp1-23.
Harvard Medical School. 2020. The top 5 benefits of cycling. [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-top-5-benefits-of-cycling
Middleton J. 2016. The socialities of everyday urban walking and the ‘right to the city’. Urban Studies. pp1-20.
Pucher J., Buehler R. 2008. Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. Transport Reviews. 28:4, 495-528.
Sauter D., Huettenmoser M. 2008. Liveable streets and social inclusion. Urban Design International 13. PP67-79.
Transport for Environment. 2017. Does Car sharing really reduce car use? [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: https://www.transportenvironment.org/publications/does-sharing-cars-really-reduce-car-use
Transport for London. 2014. Transport Emissions Roadmap; Cleaner transport for a cleaner London. [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/sasp-20151015-part-1-item08-transport-emissions-road-map.pdf
Union of Concerned Scientists USA (UCSUSA). 2020. Vehicles, Air Pollution, and Human Health. [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/vehicles-air-pollution-human-health#:~:text=Vehicles%2C%20Air%20Pollution%2C%20and%20Human%20Health&text=The%20health%20risks%20of%20air,system%20with%20substantial%20medical%20costs.
We Are Cycling UK (WACUK). 2016. Cycling and the economy. [Online] [Accessed: 2/11] Available from: https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default/files/document/migrated/info/economy1fbrf.pdf
Looking After Leeds 
Fantastic piece – knew some but by no means all the benefits and the images were really powerful way to communicate argument
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