Campaigning for fair, effective delivery of cycle spaces

Key info: 

• Partner: Clean Cities Campaign 
• Amount: £50,000 
• Duration: Eight months 
• Programme: Health effects of air pollution 

What are we doing together?

If people are supported to cycle in cities, it will mean fewer polluting cars on the road, better air quality, and better health. Yet research from Transport for London shows more than half of Londoners say a lack of secure bike storage has stopped them from cycling.

In 2022-23 we supported Clean Cities Campaign to deliver the first phase of the This is Awkward campaign. We were delighted with the results, which included councils across London pledging over 30,000 cycle hangar spaces across the city.

We are now backing the second phase of the #ThisIsAwkward campaign to hold councils to account on the clean air pledges they made in local election manifestos. That includes the pledge for an extra 30,000 cycle hangar spaces.

Clean Cities Campaign will:  

• Run a creative and digital campaign to encourage councils to deliver the cycle spaces they have pledged. 

• Champion best practice in the delivery of cycle spaces. Clean Cities Campaign will look at what works and what doesn’t and share this information with local authorities. 
• Engage with Lambeth Council to understand more about the methods used to deliver their secure cycle storage in residential areas. Clean Cities Campaign will explore how this varies across different areas and demographics, with a focus on housing estates. They will also ask residents about their experiences. 
• Produce a policy report which highlights what they learnt, explores how policy has changed, and how it’s being implemented across London.

The aim of the partnership

We’re supporting Clean Cities Campaign because making safe, affordable cycle storage accessible to more people, particularly those living in low-income neighbourhoods, will encourage cycling, reduce polluting emissions, and improve health. 

Cycle storage that is already available is often expensive and poorly located. Encouraging councils to deliver their pledged cycle spaces fairly will mean an increase in affordable bike storage for people living in different types of housing, including housing estates.

Clean Cities Campaign will listen to councils about barriers they face when providing more cycle storage and will use that information to create a new policy report.  

Using that report, we will continue to keep clean air, including the question of accessible cycle storage, on the political agenda ahead of London’s Mayoral election. This work will also inform a campaign plan for use in other UK cities, starting with Manchester.

Connection to our strategy 

Our Health effects of air pollution programme focuses on people who are disproportionately affected by poor air quality. This includes people living on low incomes and racially minoritised communities.  

We know more affordable bike storage in low-income neighbourhoods will mean more people cycling and fewer cars on the roads. The improvements in air quality will prevent ill-health, particularly among those who are affected by air pollution.