Walk or cycle to work, says the Government

[yellowbrickwhorl]

I'm just deciding whether to walk or cycle the 25 miles to and from work each day. Which would be preferable, do you think?

Bloody Hell, I thought the will relax parking and CC and allow everyone to drive to work.
That would be 2h each way walk!
How nice!

If they limit passengers on public transport the roads will become even worse with traffic.
This is going to cause major problems.
Not everyone will choose walking or cycling in fact I predict only a small percentage will choose to walk/cycle over driving themselves (unless they live in London)
I've always wondered why adult scooters aren't more popular. Much easier than cycling, they not as big , can fold them up etc

In London busses are only going to be allowed 15 people instead of 85.

How's that going to work? Who will monitor and stop people boarding?

I think what would be really good is if more people do it, then facilities may be improved - better cycle routes, funding for offices to install bike storage & shower facilities etc.

I know it won’t work with lots of people but it will be an option for many - even more if better cycle provision gets put in and people can get grants/funding for electric bikes etc.

It takes me half an hour to walk into work. Because of the shit traffic where I live on the few occasions I have driven in it’s taken me 25/30 mins anyway. I’m fat and unfit but can easily do the walk (note, obviously people with disabilities won’t be able to do it!). The amount of times it’s actually raining during my commute is quite few actually.

I commute in to London from the south coast so a 36 mile journey for me. Can’t wait to cycle up the M25 at rush hour!

How's that going to work? Who will monitor and stop people boarding?

I would have thought monitoring numbers on a bus would be way easier than tubes and trains. Presumably if you touch in and out with oyster it can monitor how many people are on the bus?

I get the train from one city to another. No option to drive due to lack and expense of parking and time it would take to drive. It's about 30 miles and I'm not cycling that. The roads are far too busy and it's not safe. Also I'd be a sweaty mess at the end of it and no showers!
When I commute into London for work I always walk rather than public transport to the offuce-it's three miles so totally doable. They need to make the roads cycle friendly long term to make me consider any alternative...

Im a bit worried about this. Dd goes to school four miles away - the journey taking her through C London. A 13 yo can’t do that journey even with less traffic - it’s too dangerous. But no buses or tubes. Not sure what’s going to happen

My commute would take 11 hours to walk or 3 to bike but I commute to london so I could take the train in and cycle instead of tube the last 3 miles. If I work from home I am happy to look at cycling my little boy to nursery if I can find something suitable to take him in. I think I will be working from home more. My colleague commutes into work using an electric bike and beats his wife who takes the tube. We are lucky we have secure bike parking and showers though. If I didnt have my little boy I would also go back to motorcycling in as another option as it's more reliable than the trains most days.

I could probably walk or cycle to work. But I need to collect da2 on the way home. He has SN so could walk but it would take ages!!

I thought the will relax parking and CC and allow everyone to drive to work

If 'everyone' or even a small percentage tries to drive into London, or any other large city, the congestion will mean that it will be quicker to walk anyway even if you live 5/10 miles away.

We need a combination of measures for it to work, because there simply won't be the capacity to socially distance on public transport.

As many people as possible to WFH to reduce demand.

Varied start and finish times so everyone isn't commuting at the same time.

And yes, the people who live shorter distances and don't need to use their cars during the working day to walk or cycle instead of using public transport or driving and gridlocking the roads, leaving those options available for those who need to drive or use public transport due to disability, travelling from site to site, long commutes etc.

We all need to do what we can and sarcastic comments of the 'I couldn't possibly walk 20 miles a day or cycle 50 miles a day' are not funny or clever.

cherry there's a few people who commute to our business park on electric scooters and skateboards . I am very tempted to get a scooter, but I don't think they're legal on paths yet so it might be a waste of money.

I'd cycle to work but i'd want a safe cycle route. I d like some proper investment in cyclecways.

In preparation they could massively ramp up e bike production and put schemes in place to help with both the purchase cost and secure storage facilities at workplaces in anticipation of increased demand.

I work in an office of about 30 people and at least half have a round trip commute of 5 miles or less and most of them drive nearly every day, which is ridiculous

Maybe They have commitments which makes this impossible?

I work 3 miles from work. I've timed the walk. 45mins. I enjoy the walk. However I drop my dc at Breakfast Club at 8am (takes 5m), then need to be at my desk 25mins later. Therefore I take the 3stop public transport option which gets me there in about 22 mins.

Home time I finish at 5. My CM closes at 5.30. If I get the opportunity to finish 15mins early, I walk. However I'm not paying the late fees I'd incur walking each day. So again, I take the swift option of public transport.

I cannot ride a bike. I've never been able to do so.

I am looking forward to seeing their plans for London commuter services.

Our local peak hour (6.30 - 9.30am) trains are always standing room only by the time they get to us - which is 12 miles from Waterloo.

If I ride my bike further than a mile my face is purple and sweaty and my hair is a giant ball of fluff and I look like I have been dragged through a hedge backwards.
I don’t know if I could turn up to work like that.

As a lone female, I would not feel particularly safe walking through some areas, especially in the dark.

How about electric scooters? I could certainly handle that (except in the rain), but government's really dragging its heels on this one. They've sorted it out in most other European countries, why not the UK?

If the nice government people buy me an electric bike and ban cars from the route I take plus fix the weather to always be sunny but never over about 22 degrees then perhaps, otherwise I'm sticking to my car

We live 25 miles away from the city we both work in. DH has cycled home from work on occasion but it can’t be a regular occurrence. He takes the slightly longer route home because it’s slightly safer. He can’t cycle into work because there is no shower at his work. So cycling home involves driving with the bike in the boot on morning one, cycling home, catching the train in on morning two and driving home. Therefore, we also need to factor in not needing the car in the evening. He has a road bike (I know, MN hates cyclists but he is one) but if he switched to a fold up bike it would take him even longer the two hours it currently takes him.

As for the saying, you never forget how to ride a bike, you don’t forget but you do become rubbish on a bike after a certain amount of time. I stopped cycling when I was about 14. Went to a country park to cycle for the first time in 14 years. I was rusty. I was very slow and didn’t have a grasp on how sensitive the handlebars were. I was oversteering and understeering. I nearly crashed into a stationary car (as the man was getting into his car, obviously ). Also, my arse was so sore for about 3 days afterwards because of the saddle. It would take me a lot of practice, at country parks on rented bikes, to be confident enough to even cycle 5 miles to work.

Maybe I’ll get a Segway instead.

With regards to electric scooters, the government has said they’re going to look at the legislation ASAP, which will go with extra funding to improve cycling and walking routes. I imagine we’ll end up with something like Paris, with scooter banned from the pavement but allowed in cycle routes.

Honestly I'm almost feeling sorry for the government with so many people queuing up to say why this is impossible.

Im very unsporty but I have cycled (for transport) as a teenager, student and in London on a 5 mile commute. Then stopped when we had kids/school runs and a 25 mile commute. Now I live 3 miles from work and have just got a bike on the cycle to work scheme. I am going to ride in normal clothes, Dutch style and not break a sweat.

Cycling up to about 5 miles (half an hour) would catch a huge number of commuters who use public transport and don't have tools/school pickups/additional needs etc. Its not aimed at people driving 50 miles a day. To take umbrage at something that doesnt apply to you is missing the point.

ROLLER SKATES! Why not skate to work? I love my quads...

Knee, elbow and wrist pads and you'll be grand.

This is really a London problem. I don't think the government cares that Sally in Slough or York is driving to work, as per usual.
They can't run the tube and train network into London at any decent capacity so want Londoners to get on their bike or walk. This is fair enough if you are within 3 miles of work. ..

Outside 3 miles, the issue with this is many fold:

• The hills, the hills! London - particularly North - is a nightmare
• Traffic is so dangerous. I've cycled in various cities including Paris. Nothing feels like London on a bike.
• Bikes are stolen all the time in London. This would get worse as demand increases.

Unless the roads were completely redesigned so were cycle only, we will see many deaths.