Thread by @OActivetravel, Ok, we are going to take a break from Twitter as we [...]

Ok, we are going to take a break from Twitter as we think the joke may have run its course and there are bigger issues at play, like kids not knowing where their next meal may come from, as we enter the winter of discontent.

But we want to leave you with some final thoughts....

We would love to see OCC Twitter actually acknowledge that county active travel infrastructure is still poor despite (some/many) people working hard to try and make it better.

If you start from a realistic appraisal of the situation you are likely to win more support. If you keep saying 'Oxford is great for cycling why not take your family into town by bike' the natural response from people who know the city is 'because my kids might die'

There are some great examples of recent improvements like some of the work on the towpath between Kennington and Iffley.

But there's still an irrational aversion to segregated cycle lanes by OCC. Often cost is the excuse but you add up all the money wasted on paint and think hmm

So then space is the excuse, but countless experts have shown that there is space (not on every street but on many) if leadership is brave enough to tackle nightmare political issues like on-street parking

Then Covid came and for a brief window there was money and political will from central gov and our leadership put in one of the tamest, misguided bids for funding, which really shows their lack of ambition and lack of understanding of the societal benefits of active travel

Any number of groups would have been able to tell leaders the key things that make this city&county unsafe and unworkable for people out walking, with pushchairs, on wheelchairs or on their bikes but we failed

And then we failed again with Bus gates. They were a chance to learn

So when you see @OxfordshireCC going on about how wonderful things are for active travel, what it feels like they are saying to most of us is
'We are not listening and you should shut up and be glad for what you have'

Meanwhile a number of hardworking councillors, experts and activists are working flat out to try and push the councils to make the small uphill steps needed to lay foundations for a cleaner, more vibrant, healthier, modern city.

Posting 'Everything's peachy download the app and get on your bike' is an insult to those individuals, groups and elected officials who are working so hard to incrementally make this city and county have better active travel alternatives for its citizens

People will walk more when well maintained streets feel safe & healthy without noise and fast traffic
People will cycle more when it is safe for them to do so and that means no paint but a separated space.
People will take the bus more when the buses can escape car congestion

These are the truths that some councillors seem to get but for the last 10 years or so has been consistently disregarded as policy by @OxfordshireCC

There wouldn't need to be a need to take the piss if the tone was sincere and conciliatory

We do need to demand better leadership in key positions. To ensure schemes like CO aren't watered down and painted over. That means thinking outside of the city and working with other areas and marginals in Oxfordshire to ensure Active Travel becomes an election issue in 2021

We remain open to seeing our current leaders deliver a program that can actually be defined as 'bold' but many of us have waited too long to keep faith

If the leadership won't change, let's change the leaders by campaigning in marginals and showing how active travel benefits all

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