Unfortunately Copenhagen is also planning to expand capacity. And now it is wholly state-owned. ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ
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@sfrost.bsky.social
Transport & social inclusion | Climate policy | Public engagement Views my own. Dad in Bristol, raised in Norfolk (both UK). There will be typos.
Unfortunately Copenhagen is also planning to expand capacity. And now it is wholly state-owned. ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ
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๐ฏ โThe economic benefits are at best uncertain, and there are no indications that the environmental and health impacts of airport expansion can be adequately mitigated.โ
04.08.2025 16:12 โ ๐ 7 ๐ 2 ๐ฌ 1 ๐ 0Is it time to reimagine the rules that govern transport planning?
"To make the radical changes that our climate goals and society demand of us, our written & unwritten rules need to be challenged," writes James Gleave of Mobility Lab in this guest blog:
Good to hear. My perception of it in Bristol is mixed. Drivers are more likely to give way when Iโm out with my kids (as was found in the study) on the way to nursery or on the high street. But there are certain junctions where drivers rarely give way (likely due to traffic volume & road design)
04.08.2025 10:30 โ ๐ 2 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0New case study on compliance with the 2022 update to the Highway Code granting pedestrians right of way at side road junctions.
โโฆ only 31 % of drivers complied with the rule when turning from a main road into a side road where pedestrians were approaching or waiting at a junction to crossโ
ICYMI. A report for Active Travel England on estimating the benefits of active travel was published last week.
Looks to be a helpful summary of some of the key appraisal issues and identifies the interventions that can do badly under the current approaches (eg traffic reduction & area wide schemes)
As car financing is back in the news in the UK, re-upping this article on its wider consequences.
โโฆ new retail car financing models have deepened car dependency and indebted consumers, to the benefit of a crisis-ridden car industry, and to the detriment of everyone elseโฆโ
Hats off to the decision makers behind the 20mph policy, including๐
03.08.2025 17:17 โ ๐ 10 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0Everyone needs access to trees and green space. Not just those who live in the countryside, or who have a car and can drive there. Not just those who can afford to live on leafy avenues with big gardens. Street trees and parks in urban areas are absolutely essential - and will become even more so.
03.08.2025 13:02 โ ๐ 63 ๐ 13 ๐ฌ 3 ๐ 0A before and after collage of a street in central London. The before is an asphalt-dominated three-lane thoroughfare. The after a lush green pedestrian zone with seating.
We shouldnโt have to escape the city for a daily dose of nature, no matter how short or small.
By challenging the privilege of the car on our streets, we create new opportunities for re-greening them; thus boosting our physical, mental, and social well-being.
Strand Aldwych, London. 2021 vs. 2025.
Raleigh increased bus service from every 30 min to every 15 min on its route serving Glenwood Ave. Ridership then doubled in the year that followed.
Over last year, cityโs high-frequency routes have had 89% ridership growth.
People will ride when you give them service that they can rely on!
A hugely important verdict.
The victims were pedestrians, so Tesla can't argue they knew/accepted Autopilot's risks.
People walking, biking, and inside other cars didn't consent to be Elon Musk's guinea pigs.
All the latest data from Transport for Wales is here (updated mid July).
The reduction in casualties is being achieved with minor increases in vehicle journey times (mostly under 2 mins) & greater journey time reliability.
As Drakeford rightly said in 2023: โโฆ it doesn't seem an unfair bargainโ
I thinks weeks newsletter I breakdown why the data suggests that the 20mph limit in Wales wales actually an amazing idea.
willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/turns-out-...
Really useful article summarising the data around 20mph speed limits. One to save, and send to local councillors and MPs.
03.08.2025 08:27 โ ๐ 27 ๐ 7 ๐ฌ 1 ๐ 0Interesting looking article from Australia on the impact of autonomous vehicles.
Finds: โIncreases in autonomous transport are expected to be accompanied by greater sedentary transport behaviourโ
If the goal is improved public health then widespread AV use is not the answer.
โWhat is great about evidence based policy is that it has a wonderful habit of workingโ
The 20mph policy has reduced casualties by over 25%, paid for itself already, and reduced insurance premiumsโฆ. Win, win, win!
Also see๐
โOn roads previously subject to 20 or 30 mph limitsโthose now covered by the new defaultโcasualties decreased by 26.2%.โ
Great piece on the Welsh governmentโs 20mph policy by @willhaycardiff.bsky.social
โWhat is great about evidence based policy is that it has a wonderful habit of workingโ
Inspiration for England as DfT work on the promised road safety strategy.
๐ค One of the most common questions weโre asked when starting work with climate colleagues in local authorities is: โHow can we persuade people to change their behaviour to reduce emissions?โ
๐ซ But in our work, we often experience people pushing back against this approach.
๐งต ๐
Important conclusion. Good communication can make a difference to how policies are perceived and avoid provoking unnecessary opposition. But, ultimately, for a policy to be perceived as fair it actually has to be designed to be so
02.08.2025 14:05 โ ๐ 6 ๐ 2 ๐ฌ 2 ๐ 0Peopleโs tendency to underestimate how much others support climate action is recurrent finding in empirical studies of climate policy support, and is a huge sore point for political climate action.
02.08.2025 13:30 โ ๐ 83 ๐ 33 ๐ฌ 4 ๐ 2Great paper. Must read for climate policymakers.
โThe path to net-zero emissions depends not only on the effectiveness of climate policies but also on public support for them.โ
โBlistering heat swept northern Europe in mid-July, driven by hot waters off the Norwegian northern coast and a stubborn area of high pressure that brought temperatures in the Nordics 8-10C above seasonal norms.โ
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Agreed. Would like to see more of this kind of thing in the UK though
02.08.2025 10:50 โ ๐ 1 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0Experience of a long distance bus ride today making me strongly support the idea of dedicated lanes for coaches & buses on the motorwaysโฆ
02.08.2025 10:31 โ ๐ 15 ๐ 0 ๐ฌ 4 ๐ 0Interesting finding on the impact of Londonโs ULEZ expansion.
โโฆ [it] led to increased footfall on local high streets, particularly in deprived areas, where the policy may have heightened reliance on nearby commercial hubsโ
Argues creates new need/opportunity to invest in local town centres.
QTWTAIY
โWishful thinking about future tech is not a coherent plan, and certainly not a plausible basis to allow the huge increase in emissions from a third runway at Heathrow. It's kicking the problem down the road for a future government to deal withโ
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Sunset over Tintern from the Devilโs Pulpit (Offaโs Dyke path)
Good evening Tintern
31.07.2025 20:00 โ ๐ 21 ๐ 2 ๐ฌ 0 ๐ 0Interesting new paper on the challenge increasing numbers of SUVs pose to climate efforts.
โThe current trend runs the risk of undoing climate achievements and solidifying unsustainable mobility habits unless there is a structural change in both urban design and consumer norms.โ