CycleFife

Decidedly average

Fife has one of the UK's most comprehensive cycle routes. There are over 300 miles (500km) of cycle routes along quiet country lanes, disused railway lines and forest tracks as well as commuter routes in towns. (FifeDirect)

This might be true but you have to ask, where are all the cyclists? The Scottish Government's Scottish Household Survey finds that less than one percent of adults in Fife who are in work or full time education report that they usually get there by bike.

Even if we allow for the fact that some people will only cycle some of the time – in the summer (if we ever get a summer) when the weather is fine – and include all the people who say that they regularly cycle to work or education even though they usually get there some other way, the percentage is still only around 3%. That’s 16th out of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. Decidedly average but pretty poor when you consider the boasts about having one the UK’s most comprehensive cycle routes.

Fig 1. Percentage of adults in work or education who usually or regularly commute by bike

OK, perhaps people aren’t commuting by bike but all those old railway lines and quiet country lanes must be drawing in the leisure cyclists. What about all those adults who ride with clubs at the weekend or the families who wouldn’t dream of cycling to work? They must be taking the kids for a cycle at the weekend. Seems not. In fact, if anything the position is worse. When we include adults who have cycled for at least 30 minutes, at least once in the past 28 days, Fife musters just 8% of adults who could be classed as a cyclist. This places Fife 23rd out of the 32 councils.

Fig 2. Percentage of adults who usually or regularly commute by bike or have cycled for leisure in the past 28 days

It’s hardly surprising when you look at what actually makes up these "comprehensive cycle routes". Google maps has started to display them (solid and dotted green lines) and looking at the area around Limekilns you can see how disjointed they are. There’s nothing at all comprehensive about them when you start to consider using them to get anywhere. Who, for instance, would set off on a bike to do some shopping in Dunfermline when there's just little chunks of cycle path around that major trunk road and they end in a field?

Fig 3. Google maps cycle routes around Limekilns and Rosyth

Re: cycling

I got home from holiday last night in the early hours of the morning and, sorting through the mail behind the door, came across a leaflet from Fife Council letting me know about its new recycling arrangements. The Council has targets to meet in relation to recycling. By 2013, the council must divert 50% of household waste from landfill to recycling and it's currently only recycling 54% so stringent new measures are needed if it's to meet the target of 70% by 2025. Only 13 years to close that gap! Best get cracking now.

Eh? What? Don't get me wrong. I've nothing against recycling. Actually, that's not true but I do it anyway. Composting, paper, glass etc. The lot. I don't even mind having four bins festering in the driveway for up to four weeks between collections.

But where did these targets come from? Why is Fife Council so desperate to exceed them and how do we get them for cycling? Is it the old adage: what gets measured gets done? Here is Fife ahead of its targets for recycling striving to do more. It's figures for cycling are decidedly average.