With 50% of all journeys under 5km in the Liverpool City Region taken by car - and private cars accounting for 18% of the UK's carbon emissions - a shift from driving to cycling can not only help to drastically decarbonise our transport system, but can improve air quality, enhance people's physical and mental health, and humanise our neighbourhoods, among many other benefits.
But for cycling to become a viable alternative to the car, it needs above all to feel safe. What does that actually look and feel like for the novice or casual rider? Liverpool City Region now features state-of-the-art active travel schemes to see for ourselves.
Dr Alex Nurse – a Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning at the University of Liverpool – will be our guide for an ‘infrastructure safari’, where we will observe bold and ambitious walking and cycling schemes ‘in the wild’ across Liverpool.
This is not a strenuous ride but will take around 1.5 hours including stops, so please ensure your cycle is roadworthy and wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident while cycling. If you don’t have access to a cycle, then one option is the VOI scooter and cycle hire scheme.
We will meet at Lime Street Station for a circular route, and then finish for refreshments afterwards at a venue TBC to catch up with peers and discuss the issues raised during the ride.
