Gender Gap in Barriers to Cycling Widens
The latest survey from Cycling UK reveals that the gender gap in barriers to cycling has widened in the past seven years. The survey shows that women face unique challenges, including intimidation from motorists, which can lead to a decrease in cycling participation.
- Women face intimidation, including shouting and close passes, which can be traumatic and affect their cycling habits.
- Men, on the other hand, tend to have a more neutral experience, with fewer reports of intimidation and hostile behavior.
Experiences of Women Cyclists
Agustina Martire, a senior lecturer in architecture at Queen’s University in Belfast, shared her experiences of being bullied while cycling. She highlighted the differences in her and her partner’s experiences, with her often facing hostility while cycling to work or with her daughter on the back of her bike.
“I’ve gone through periods where we’re both cycling to work every single day, yet once a week, I get some kind of encounter, being shouted at or close passed on purpose. My partner and his male friends simply don’t experience this,” she said. “I’m part of the Belfast Cycle Campaign, and I’ve talked to the women in that group and we know it’s a shared experience. It’s kind of common knowledge.”
Differences in Behavior
Agustina believes that better infrastructure could help reduce bad behavior on our roads. She highlighted European cities that have made drastic changes to their infrastructure and seen improvements in air quality, fewer incidents, and a healthier population.
- Holland, Denmark, Barcelona, and Paris have implemented separate cycle lanes and seen significant improvements in cycling safety.
- These cities have prioritized the creation of infrastructure, which has led to better air quality, fewer incidents, and a healthier population.
Personal Experiences
Aoife Murray, a member of Titanic Quarter cycling club, shared her personal experiences of being targeted by motorists. She reported feeling intimidated by the routes she takes and has had close passes and hostile behavior from drivers. “It’s not particularly inviting, the routes can be very intimidating. I know a few people who have stopped cycling to work due to road rage from motorists. I have had a few close passes, especially when I’m wearing my cycle gear. There have been a few incidents where motorists have yelled out of their windows, but I didn’t hear what was said, and to be honest, I don’t want to.”
Gender Gap in Cycling
Lisa White, a fellow club member, believes that the gender gap in cycling is not about women being intimidated, but rather an overall dislike towards cyclists in general. She emphasized the importance of educating drivers about sharing the road and creating safe cycling infrastructure. “A lot of drivers don’t like cyclists and I don’t think they would take the time to determine if we are male or female before shouting or passing too close,” she said. “In my view, men can sort of hold their own, but women may not feel safe in confrontations.”
Cycling UK Campaign
Cycling UK is calling on all four governments in the UK to invest at least 10% of their transport budgets in active travel. The charity is supporting a campaign called “My ride. Our right,” which aims to improve cycling infrastructure and make roads safer for women.
Quotes from Cycling UK
“We need to create a society where women and girls feel safe to cycle. We need to build a network of separate cycle lanes across the country, and we need to educate drivers about sharing the road.”
Quotes from the Department for Infrastructure
“The Minister recognises the importance of adequate active travel infrastructure, to ensure that women feel safe and are safe. And she is working to create a society where women and girls are safe.”
The Importance of Infrastructure
Cycling UK director of external affairs Sarah McMonagle emphasized the importance of infrastructure in improving cycling safety. She highlighted the success of European cities in creating separate cycle lanes and reducing incidents. “All of these cities made very drastic changes to their infrastructure. And now you have better air quality, fewer incidents and a healthier population. Holland has the lowest number of casualties compared to kilometres cycled. Even though they have roads that you share with traffic, there’s more respect,”
Cycling Safety
Cycling UK is calling on drivers and cyclists to be mindful of each other’s safety on the road. The charity emphasizes the importance of sharing the road and creating safe cycling infrastructure.
Cycling UK’s Road Safety Strategy
“Road safety is a priority for the Minister and the importance and quality of active travel provision is recognised within our policies and action plans to encourage active travel and promote road safety.”
The Importance of Education
Lisa White emphasized the importance of educating drivers about sharing the road and creating safe cycling infrastructure. She emphasized that men and women may experience different levels of intimidation and hostility from motorists. “I think for women, we almost face a double-edged sword. Cycling routes do not take gender into account. Many aren’t well lit and can be quite dark, which is concerning if you were to have a puncture,”
The Lagan Towpath
Aoife Murray mentioned the Lagan towpath as an example of a safe cycling route. She highlighted the importance of well-lit and separated cycling infrastructure in making women feel safe on the road. “The Lagan towpath is a great example of what can be done to make us feel safe, it’s well lit and away from busy traffic,”
Cycling UK’s Campaign “My ride. Our right”
Cycling UK is supporting a campaign called “My ride. The charity is calling on all four governments in the UK to invest at least 10% of their transport budgets in active travel.
Quotes from Cycling UK’s Campaign “My ride. Our right”
“Women and girls should be able to feel safe and confident when cycling.
