The new Raleigh Stride bikes are designed to transform everyday trips and unlock a new sense of freedom, fun and discovery for the whole family…

Raleigh has announced the launch of its new Stride E-Cargo range with the aim of offering families a replacement for short car journeys.
With a whole section of Raleigh’s company dedicated to encouraging UK businesses to use cargo bikes for greener ‘last mile solutions’, Raleigh have long advocated cycles designed specifically for carrying heavy or bulky loads. 
Previously used most often by delivery riders, new e-bike technology has seen recent demand for everyday family use grow across cities. With 68% of journeys in the UK under just five miles, e-cargo bikes offer a sustainable, time efficient and fun alternative for short trips like the school run or weekly shop.

The DfT say local authorities must ‘always’ leave cycling and walking schemes in place long enough to be properly assessed after it was revealed three councils face court action for removing cycle lanes.
Minister of State for Transport, Chris Heaton-Harris said that the government would shortly be issuing guidance to all local transport authorities ‘making it clear’ that school streets, low traffic neighbourhoods, and cycle lanes, should be given time to have an impact.
He said: “The Department will be issuing updated statutory Network Management Duty guidance to all local transport authorities shortly which will make clear that they should always leave cycling and walking schemes in place for long enough for their impacts to be properly assessed.”
The statement came as Cycling UK revealed that three councils are currently facing court action for removing cycle lanes and experimental traffic orders.

Campaigners have won a court battle to prevent the “scandalous” construction of a road tunnel near Stonehenge.
The £1.7bn Highways England project aimed to reduce A303 congestion but campaigners said it would detrimentally affect the world heritage site.

The government approved plans in 2020 for a two-mile (3.2km) tunnel to be created near the Wiltshire monument.
Mr Justice Holgate’s ruling means the order granted by transport secretary Grant Shapps has been quashed.
Highways England said it wanted to build the tunnel to reduce traffic and cut journey times on the A303, which is the most direct route for motorists travelling between the South East and South West and is used by thousands of people daily.

The BBC understands the project will have to be frozen while the government considers its next steps.
In his ruling the judge found Mr Shapps’ decision was “unlawful” on two grounds.
He found there was a “material error of law” in the government’s decision-making process as there was no evidence of the impact on each individual asset at the site.
And he said Mr Shapps had failed to consider alternative schemes, in accordance with the World Heritage Convention and common law.

John Whitelegg Foundation for Integrated Transport

The Silvertown Tunnel – which is due to be constructed under the Thames – is a remarkably good example of the political preference in transport policy and spending for large scale, ‘business as usual’ infrastructure projects. In spite of the rhetoric around climate change and decarbonisation, there is a lack of interest in zero carbon alternatives to big infrastructure. Large and expensive carbon generating projects are contrary to the purpose of declaring a climate emergency. 

The Government and councils are united in their commitment to help more people switch short car trips with safe and convenient walking and cycling journeys. More active travel and fewer car journeys reduces pollution and increases levels of exercise to improve public health. Less traffic also reduces congestion. To promote further action the Government introduced a step-change in its active travel ambition in ‘Gear Change: a bold vision for cycling and walking’ with £2 billion in new funding by 2024 to deliver on its aims. This urges councils to go further and faster to increase walking and cycling. This will involve some initially controversial decisions, in the reallocation of road space from cars. Low-traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) are a high-profile example of this kind of policy that polarises opinion in many quarters.

The UK is already undergoing disruptive climate change with increased rainfall, sunshine and temperatures, according to scientists.

The year 2020 was the third warmest, fifth wettest and eighth sunniest on record, scientists said in the latest UK State of the Climate report.
No other year is in the top 10 on all three criteria.
The experts said that, in the space of 30 years, the UK has become 0.9C warmer and 6% wetter.
The report’s lead author Mike Kendon, climate information scientist at the UK Met Office, told BBC News: “A lot of people think climate change is in the future – but this proves the climate is already changing here in the UK.
“As it continues to warm we are going to see more and more extreme weather such as heatwaves and floods.”

West Sussex received £780,000 from the DfT’s Covid-19 Emergency Active Travel Fund last summer to install seven temporary cycleways. However, the Conservative-controlled council removed the lanes just four months later (LTT 13 Nov 2020). A petition with more than 4,000 signatures had called for the lanes to be removed. 
In a letter, dated 14 June, Heaton-Harris told the council that cycle lanes funded under the Emergency Active Travel Fund were “not allowed to be fully tested and/or optimised” before they were removed.

Sarah Butler
Window cleaners, milk deliverers, beer purveyors, plumbers and DJs are all getting on their bikes as UK government incentives and new infrastructure kick off a two- and three-wheel revolution.
About 2,000 cargo bikes were sold in the UK for commercial use last year, according to the Bicycle Association, and a similar number were sold for use by families and individuals. Sales of the bikes, which can carry heavy or bulky loads, are expected to jump by up to 60% in the UK in the year ahead, according to the association, boosted by various initiatives at local and national level to reduce carbon emissions and congestion.

In his transition plan, Biden aims to “provide every American city with 100,000 or more residents with high-quality, zero-emissions public transportation options.” The US House of Representatives-passed Moving Forward Act (PDF) promotes a similar ambition to significantly improve transit service across the country.
How effective is transit in American cities today, and how might the federal government facilitate high-quality, zero-emissions transit? A major transit improvement would require a major federal intervention, but it could make public transportation convenient and reliable for people throughout the country, thus reducing emissions, improving access, and increasing social equity.