Whatever I do in life, I don't think I'll ever surpass this wot I did when I was a teenager. Love and joy come to you etc etc youtube.com/watch?v=eE32...

Lord Hendy's been making a lot of positive news this week for walking, wheeling and cycling! First, we had the first confirmation that Bikeability (CC @bikeabilityuk.bsky.social) and the National Cycle Network will get multi-year funding settlements. 🧵

Want a break from the budget? Good news! Across Europe, there are zebra crossings at side roads. They make it clear that people walking and wheeling have priority, rather than stopping every few metres. In the UK, governments haven't officially allowed them - until today 🧵

In our new strategy, one of our goals is Connecting. This includes making longer journeys possible for everyone by making it easy to walk, wheel or cycle to catch a bus, tram or train.

Integrated transport, joined-up journeys, multi-modal, whatever you say: the transport select committee's started a new inquiry, so I've taken the opportunity to set out how walking, wheeling and cycling are the glue that holds together other modes. www.walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk/our-blog/res...

New fave Dutch word just dropped

Drumroll please! 🥁 We are now Walk Wheel Cycle Trust 🚶‍♀️ 👩‍🦽 🚴‍♀️ For our health our wellbeing and our world 🌍 #HealthWellbeingWorld #ActiveTravel #SustainableTransport #Walking #Wheeling #Cycling #NationalCycleNetwork #FreshAir #Nature #Community #ConnectingCommunities

Just been to a conference fringe which was an hour and a half, not the usual hour, and it was honestly so much more worthwhile because of the space for discussion. Fewer fringes, more discussion!

Very exciting to be a late addition to this interesting panel tomorrow! We can build the 1.5 million homes we need and create places where people want to be. I'll explain how walking, wheeling and cycling can play their part.

Charity comms jobs can be so interesting. Talking about inspirational work done by wonderful people? ✅ Using the media to make the case for wider change?✅ Here's one you might wanna look at. www.sustrans.org.uk/job-vacancie...

The Embankment cycleway (CS3) in London was purposefully built to be wider than was usual in order to future proof it. Some said it would hardly be used. Now there’s a decent case for widening it further. Induced demand is real.

As of yesterday, it's five years since the consultation into pavement parking opened in England, but it still hasn't been responded to. It's great to see lots of coverage - including my first appearance on the radio this morning! 🧵 www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home...

It's five years today since the pavement parking consultation launched, but it's still parked. In that time, we've all been kept waiting for this simple fix. It's great to see MPs pushing it back up the agenda.

Giving councils powers to tackle pavement parking is sometimes seen as something which will "never happen". But, it did. In Scotland. We're putting on this webinar to look into the positives and learnings from the Scottish approach. 👇

The transport select committee have just released a report into buses. Almost every bus journey starts with a walk or wheel, so improving bus journeys is vital to Sustrans' mission, and vice versa. Some thoughts: publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...

20mph isn't right everywhere. But London's shown that it shouldn't be the last resort either, confined to roads outside schools or hospitals. In built-up areas, where people are walking and wheeling, councils should give people what they want: safe streets.

Almost got run over by Kyle Soller on a Lime and my partner said that I was honoured!

Transport provision for new homes is probably where Sustrans can be most inventive. We've successfully helped change planning policy, and we're now expanding our delivery into a new strategic priority. That's where this new role comes in 👇

Planning is so important, but the system in England is broken. It's great to see a report that neither advocates for the status quo or a free for all. We can plan better communities and build more homes by learning from our neighbours.

Happy 15th birthday to Boris Bikes! (I think we can accept everyone calls them that now). They changed the face of cycling in the capital, making it an option for people without their own bike. My partner learned to ride on one and now cycles everywhere. Amazing!

Great to launch this research yesterday. Our transport system is neither fair nor sustainable, and disabled people want it to change. Check out the five big ideas we developed together 👇

After years of up-down funding, it's great that councils and mayors now have stability and flexibility to deliver for their communities. Fixing our transport system won't happen overnight. And almost every bus journey starts with a walk or wheel. We need to plan for the long term, across modes.

Electric cycles can be transformative for helping us get around, but "fake e-bikes" are risking people's safety. That's undermining confidence in all electric cycles. This report sets out clear ways to tackle this systematically, rather than simply blaming consumers.

Sustrans Policy and Public Affairs Manager @iamthedans.bsky.social will be speaking at this event on Thursday (19th June). More details and info on how to register below 👇

On our way to Utrecht for a month! Not our most ambitious train journey, but definitely our most exciting trip.

In 2000, @englishheritage.bsky.social ran some sort of promotion to sign young people up, offering a voucher for your children to attend for free in 2025. My dad has kept it all that time, and today I went to the incredible Eltham Palace.

No matter how many times I go to Bristol, I'll never stop thinking that "Brislington" is a parody place name

I feel very lucky that I've started a new role at @sustrans.bsky.social as Policy and Public Affairs Manager. As you may know, Sustrans has had a restructure over the last few months, so I'm glad I get to continue making it easier for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle!

It's not all about money, but how funding is allocated at the spending review will give us a sense of the government's transport priorities. I'm looking forward to this conversation with some real experts. Come along to find out if I'm still so positive once I've seen the spending review!

Dutch word of the day: cloves are "spice nails"

Really important to highlight that more and more people are ineligible for salary sacrifice schemes (like the Cycle to Work Scheme). @sustrans.bsky.social suggested a solution to that last year, and the case has only got stronger. www.sustrans.org.uk/cyclingoppor...

It's great to have positive examples for the future of our high streets, rather than just a focus on the issues. It was a delight to feed some @sustrans.bsky.social work into it.

Hoi, Utrecht! In 31 days' time, I should be packing my bags to spend a month working from Utrecht. While I'm there, I'd love to meet people I can learn from - working in transport, spatial planning or politics. Do you know someone I should meet? Please put me in touch!

Hoi, Utrecht! In 31 days' time, I should be packing my bags to spend a month working from Utrecht. While I'm there, I'd love to meet people I can learn from - working in transport, spatial planning or politics. Do you know someone I should meet? Please put me in touch!

Great that the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking are looking into this. Electric cycles can be transformative - particularly if you have a mobility impairment, want to carry a lot or go further. www.bikeradar.com/news/dangero...

What an incredibly well-attended Westminster Hall debate - apparently 33 MPs were there! They highlighted lots of elements which help more families walking, wheeling or cycling to school, from cycle training to tackling pavement parking.

Did a double take when I saw that @gogopenguin.bsky.social had released a track named after the Fallowfield Loop on @sustrans.bsky.social's National Cycle Network! A track made for me. open.spotify.com/track/0ou7H1...

A trip to Stockton and Darlington, full of the number 1️⃣ (a 🧵) Route 1️⃣ of Sustrans' National Cycle Network runs 500m from my flat in Bethnal Green, and it goes all the way to Stockton.

A typically helpful summary from the Commons Library on potholes and local road maintenance funding in England (outside London), including where to find the details on funding for specific local authorities👇

The Roomba and Bucklebury are getting on just fine, thanks for asking!

A new study by @WeAreCyclingUK reveals women are put off cycling by safety fears and intimidating drivers.

The NHS app is fascinating. I was "excessively sweaty" when I was 4. There are graphs for tests which were previously just analysed for me by GPs. Is this a good thing? A lot of it's only understandable by medics. It's quite easy to panic yourself, devoid of interpretation.

I'm fielding suggestions for good mugs ☕ This was my favourite mug, and it's broken. It's just a cheap one which came with some stroopwafels, but it's light, slightly curved at the bottom and has a thick enough rim that it doesn't clink on your teeth. Go!

Another lovely place I've been to recently. Great bakeries, beautiful countryside and a market that takes over the whole town centre. And now this!

I had great fun cycling along the Greenway with @lizzicollinge.bsky.social before the election, and it's lovely that she's continuing to make the case for its improvement, locally and nationally. I get to see some beautiful places in this job!

Last week, the Government's Planning and Infrastructure Bill was introduced. The bill requires health inequalities to be considered in planning for the first time, something Sustrans and partners have long championed (see our blog from the archive below). 👇 buff.ly/xqqbrrd

Not an original thought but: coffee shop menu screens increasingly cycle through ads for individual drinks, before maybe showing the whole menu for five seconds. That is Bad.

Office companies are complaining that their cycle parking isn't full. I'm not surprised. So many have really badly designed parking, meaning you have to lug your bike. I generally just park on the street. Other people will just give up.🧵 www.theplanner.co.uk/2025/02/24/b...

Yesterday we launched our Children's Walking and Cycling Index report - the first of it's kind - in Parliament, at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking. A huge thanks to Chris Boardman for speaking at the event.

I'm really proud of my friend @kevinmckenna.co.uk 💙