If you had the levers of power...? « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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If you had the levers of power...?

(28 posts)

Started 8 years ago by rbrtwtmn
Latest reply from Cyclingmollie

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change power

rbrtwtmn
Member

I've been thinking about this problem a lot: In simple terms it's "If you had access to the levers of power, in relation to transport issues, what would you do?" BUT before you answer here's what makes it an interesting question:

Firstly - there aren't really 'levers' of power - 'levers' which can lead to direct change. What there actually are is a set of tools which provide weak influence.

Secondly - even if using these tools then if you act too strongly or clumsily in the interests of social change the effects can be the exact opposite of what you intend.

Don't believe me that there aren't powerful levers... look at equal pay. Equal pay for men and women is established securely, strongly, and clearly in law. I can't imagine how it could have been more securely, strongly and clearly established... but we're far from there yet.

Don't believe me about unintended consequences... just look at pretty much any political mission to change things...

So before anyone says "I'd ban driving in cities" - forget it. You couldn't do this. I'm not offering a magic wand. I'm offering the so called levers of power... So "I'd start a conversation about banning driving in cities" I'll allow!

If it helps, think of Boris' work in London to build a few high profile cycle routes. He seems to work at about the outer limits of what's possible in terms of change... he would appear to be relatively independently minded, and elected to be independently minded, and pro-cycling... and yet has (as far as I can tell) had to stick his neck out a very long way just to get a few routes put in place.

Genuinely really interested in people's thoughts on this. Not interested in views on Boris or the other issues, but specifically on the initial question - what would YOU do within these limits with the so-called levers of power...??

After all, we can't criticise if we don't have sensible ideas on this.

Posted 8 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

Two things:

1. make a serious commitment towards investing significant and sustained sums of money into cycling both at national and local level. You can't build a bridge by just adding on a bit whenever you have some spare cash, and nor can you build a network

2. Strengthen the design standards so that no road can be built or even maintained without consideration of where bikes (and pedestrians) will go, based on the Dutch Crow Manual. That's ALL roads, not just those deemed to be bike routes.

Posted 8 years ago #
rbrtwtmn
Member

Thank you - a nice opener... which itself raises more of the kind of questions I'm interested in (how to get the political support, how to ensure money spent on real stuff...).

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"there aren't really 'levers' of power"

That isn't entirely true.

'Let's ban smoking in pubs'

'You can't, people wouldn't stand for it. Anyway the tobacco lobby is very powerful.'

'Let's pass a law and see what happens...'

Presumably Governments get better/stronger advice on some Public Health issues than others.

Clearly 'spend some money on prevatative things - like walking and cycling' isn't listened to as much as 'build a bridge, widen some roads - it's good for the economy'...

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

A bit of ruthless political will"

http://www.citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15075#post-192515

Posted 8 years ago #
rbrtwtmn
Member

chdot: the smoking ban is an excellent example of how such things CAN be changed... the point being that the law could only be put in place once enough public support existed (once smoking was already becoming unpopular).... and with an absolutely overwhelmingly massive amount of very powerful medical evidence to back it up. There are plenty of other examples of good laws... I'm definitely not arguing that change can't be brought about, nor that laws shouldn't exist. I'm suggesting that there's only a certain distance that people can stick their necks out in support of cycling... and asking what they should choose to do it in support of to achieve the maximum amount of change - or if you like the maximum effect so that they can move onto more powerful things.

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"the point being that the law could only be put in place once enough public support existed (once smoking was already becoming unpopular).... and with an absolutely overwhelmingly massive amount of very powerful medical evidence to back it up

...

I'm suggesting that there's only a certain distance that people can stick their necks out in support of cycling"

There is a real danger of circular arguments here.

There is plenty of evidence of the benefits of walking and cycling.

By "people" I assume you mean politicians? There are plenty sticking their necks out. If we are just talking Scotland, at Holyrood and, notably, CEC.

John Swinney has been reluctant to spend money on 'cycling' because he has not been convinced that it has been well spent. He may well be right because most spending is done by LAs which the current government has allowed to be more autonomous in the way they spend money but also restricted in the amount of money they can raise.

Meanwhile SG sticks to spending most of its transport money on roads and bridges for 'economic development' reasons - in spite of plenty of evidence that money spent on 'Active Travel" gives a better 'financial return'.

In addition it seems to be the case that politicians believe that people/voters want money spent on 'cars' rather than 'bicycles'.

I suspect this is much less so than they imagine (look at the size of the demo against 20mph) BUT - and this is the importance of the smoking case - the crucial thing is to realise that 'public opinion has changed' OR 'whatever public opinion, this is the right thing to do'.

Things have changed significantly (but not that much - yet) with the emergence of PoP. This has built on the work/campaigning of Spokes (and others) and has gone in directions that other existing 'cycling organisations' have been unwilling or unable to go.

Of course both Spokes and PoP rely on a handful of 'volunteers' which is a strength but also a restriction.

In future I think there is more need to work with people in Public Health rather than (mostly) concentrating on 'transport'.

A clear understanding of anti-tobacco campaigning - and how various decisions - pricing, plain packaging, bans on advertising and smoking in public places all came about - would be useful.

Time for a call for 'honest' car ads - no more images of open roads and deserted cities?

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Don't underestimate what can be done by a tiny number of campaigners -

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jill-runnette-activist-and-teacher-who-led-the-campaign-against-lead-in-petrol-1791655.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27067615

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

And he wants to forge a much stronger link between climate change and health by highlighting the health dangers posed by global warming to spur people into action and also to encourage people to equate health and environmental benefits. “A big blind spot around the debate on the environment is around health.

It is an area where we haven’t really made the connections we should have done over the last few decades. We’ve got really strong and established environment and health sectors and actually not that much collaboration between them at the moment. That is extraordinary,” he says.

"

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-movement-must-escape-its-white-middleclass-ghetto-says-friends-of-the-earth-chief-craig-bennett-10366564.html

Posted 8 years ago #
UtrechtCyclist
Member

Pretty much agree with SallyHinch - sustained investment and better road design for new roads and developments.

But it's worth saying that blocking rat runs and making 20mph the default speed limit have a huge role to play. My girlfriend learned to ride a bike three years ago in Utrecht, and for the first six months the route that she took from home (in the centre) to work involved hardly any bike specific infrastructure. The route went through areas of housing from about 1900 where almost nothing had been done to the relatively narrow streets except little things to make rat running difficult (and of course one-way exceptions for bikes). It was only as we got more confident that we started going on the very busy segregated cycle lanes along the main route from the centre of town to the university.

So while there's much to be glum about in the world of cycle campaigning, the rise of 20mph zones and professed interest of the council in stopping up rat runs could be very good news indeed.

Posted 8 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

I agree on the importance of stopping rat runs and lower speeds - although I do think you need both that and infrastructure, especially where the nice quiet streets meet the busy road.

Interestingly, some of the most effective rat-run closures have had nothing to do with cycling and were apparently originally to stop kerb crawling. So if you want decent roads around where you live, move into your local red light district and then start campaigning hard ...

Posted 8 years ago #
mgj
Member

Scottish central government spends money on trunk roads because they are the responsibility of national not local government. Local government is responsible for local roads. If central government suggested taking over the funding of all roads projects, there would be a national outcry from the opposition about over centralisation and power grabs, etc. Central government does support large capital projects though, like the trams, after a proper application.

If there was a business case, there is nothing to stop CEC applying for central government capital funding for a transformative transport infrastructure that looked the New Deal, and if there was a business case and a proper return (based on health, taxes, etc) then it would be considered fully.

The difference between smoking and cycling is that the vast majority of politicians didn't smoke; they nearly all drive (or are driven). One of the reasons the parliament building cost as much as it did was because of demands for parking space from end users (who were overcome).

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"One of the reasons the parliament building cost as much as it did was because of demands for parking space from end users (who were overcome)."

Not really.

I seem to remember main reason was because politicians (and perhaps civil servants) 'underestimated' likely cost.

Spokes actually asked MSPs how many of them 'needed' a parking space. I think only about half said yes, which led to a reduction in the number of spaces originally planned. (Didn't seem to save any money!)

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"if there was a business case and a proper return (based on health, taxes, etc) then it would be considered fully"

Perhaps, but there's a real problem with politicians being willing to 'invest' when the savings are 'long term'.

Investing in 'cycling' now should mean health savings over 60 years - hard to estimate and (seems to be) difficult to 'authorise'.

Posted 8 years ago #
mgj
Member

All that pesky democracy gets in the way...

Posted 8 years ago #
mgj
Member

Here is a recent model though;

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/-10-million-for-V-A-Dundee-14b3.aspx

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"All that pesky democracy gets in the way..."

True.

Whether democracy is 'better than all the alternatives' remains an open question.

Over the past 20 years or so politicians seem to have been paying too much attention to public opinion/focus groups.

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

As for the Dundee V&A, don't know much that is 'blackmail', 'fear of the embarrassment of a failed project or just the usual - 'politicians love BIG projects'.

If CEC proposed a MASSIVE segregated-cycle-routes scheme, unfortunately it wouldn't 'fail' just because the council couldn't afford to build all of it - so no chance of a SG bailout.

Posted 8 years ago #
rbrtwtmn
Member

Here's one of the things I'd do with the levers of power... I'd be sharing this map everywhere I could. And I'd choose a story of one of the many people killed and I'd talk about them - about who they were as a person... aiming for 'cyclist' to mean someone like them (instead of what it means to many just now).... And, importantly, I'd make sure that I always asked a question at the same time: "How are we going to change this? What can we do to stop this?"

Risky of course... it might put some people off getting on a bike... but genuinely asking the question rather than pretending to know the answers is a powerful tool...

Posted 8 years ago #
ih
Member

@rbrtwtmn this is a tremendously tragic and powerful map. I did a count of the fatalities within the by-pass (extended to Musselburgh and the River Almond).

Some observations:
There were 54 pedestrian deaths, 7 cyclist, 6 motorcyclist, and 24 vehicle occupants.
An age profile of fatalities shows roughly an even spread except for pedestrians, where 19 of the 54 fatalities were aged over 70.
I'm not up on modal share but I guess that 7 cyclist deaths compared with 24 vehicle occupant deaths shows an higher rate for cyclists that vehicle occupants.
I am making the assumption that all pedestrian and cyclist deaths resulted from crashes with vehicles.
I looked at Leith Walk in particular and you can see the cluster of injuries around the junctions at McDonald Road and Pilrig Street. I don't feel that the present proposals for this section, which specifically avoid segregated facilities at these junctions, will do anything to reduce this carnage, and may even increase it.

I agree this data should be shoved in front of anyone who has a hand on the levers of power, and they can't fail to see the damage that is caused by vehicles, and in particular how many elderly pedestrians are killed. They should also see that you can't reduce death and injury, and reduce other environmental damage without seriously reducing the number of vehicles on our streets and increasing other modes of transport, and this map should provide evidence to counter any arguments that we can't possibly cope without driving everywhere.

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"

Cycling and walking can play an exceptionally valuable role in local transport. Recent research by Sustrans showed that the National Cycle Network has saved the UK economy more than £7billion (equivalent to almost £1m a day) since it was established 20 years ago, by improving people’s health and reducing congestion, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

"

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/blog/summer-budget-2015-failure-fuel-and-vehicle-excise-duty-promise-devolution

Posted 8 years ago #
rbrtwtmn
Member

So... (holding the levers of power) ...you'd publicise this? Certainly would be a powerful thing to hear a politician say out loud.

Posted 8 years ago #
gkgk
Member

Great to read that permeability and closing rat runs is a live topic in real life. In fantasy power scenario, I'd put my political oomph behind a people power mechanism where occupants of residential streets could petition my planning dept for plant pot road-closing blocks if a majority of occupants in a street were shown to want it. If I were re-elected, I'd look for a way to roll it out to by-local-demand cameras too.

Posted 8 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

These are all great ideas. If I had one chance to operate the levers of power I would do something about lack of interdepartmental communication in local authorities. For example, dropped kerbs should be added while pavements are being repaired or replaced. Too often the drops are added afterwards, sometimes years afterwards if at all and presumably the cost is borne by the sustainable transport/cycling/walking budget. In part I think this happens because planners need to find ways to use money which has vague aims attached to it before the end of the financial year.

Posted 8 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

Of course we will all, briefly, have our hands on the main lever of power in May 2016 ... whether bikes will figure largely in that contest or not remains to be seen. Hopefully it will at least concentrate the minds of those who mainly operate the levers of power that it's not all about the car

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"May 2016"

We have thread for that! -

http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=14787

Of course PoP2016 (April 23rd??) will be a useful reminder that politicians will be expected 'to do better', but the manifestos will have been written by then.

I expect the SNP to still be the government and I don't really expect too much in the way of policy changes.

I'm sure there will be pressure from LAs to end the Council Tax freeze and (having looked at 'developments' south of the border) perhaps calls for more devolution of powers. It's councils that do the most in encouraging cycling - or not. Certainly not clear what councils could/would do if given stronger directions/guidance from SG/TS - but more money should help.

Posted 8 years ago #
rbrtwtmn
Member

@Cyclingmollie - I like your idea, but I don't know how that could be delivered as such.

I've worked in very large organisations before, and inter-department communication just becomes impossible or at best extremely challenging... So if you'll forgive me I'd like to assign this idea to the magic wand (wish list) box... as something to aim for but which can't be actually delivered as such using the offered levers.

But that's not to say that creating inter-departmental communication is entirely impossible - just that it's yet another thing which has to be grown, encouraged, developed, supported, nurtured.... (the levers operate the encouragement, not the communication directly if you like)

What could a real-life politician (or senior official for that matter) do to do this?

Is there anyone out there who has seen really effective inter-department communication created in any real life organisation that we're worked in?? How was this achieved? How was this culture grown?

Posted 8 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

@rbrtwtmn It's in the nature of departments that their roles don't overlap from a service led perspective. "Customers" see the overlaps and interpret them as an institutionalised jobsworth mentality. I would have suggested that outside agencies might provide more effective leadership until I remembered the trams.

Posted 8 years ago #

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