How can Bristol be a safer place for cycling?

Dulce Pedroso calls her vision for the future of safer cycling, walking and wheeling in Bristol a “pipe dream”, but the organisation she volunteers for is striving to make the visions of its volunteers and the people of Bristol become a reality.

The campaign committee member for Bristol Cycling Campaign says: “I would like to live in a city that questions the dominance and normativity of having cars everywhere, all the time, wherever, whenever – with everyone else having to adjust their lives and movements around that.

“As much as it is about cycling, it’s also about having the freedom to be able to move in the city in a dignified way. That includes being able to walk on our pavements and not having to verge onto the road and onto oncoming traffic.”

Thousands of people have signed Bristol Cycling Campaign’s petition calling for Bristol to be a safer environment when it comes to active travel.

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— Bristol ? Cycling (@BristolCycling) October 17, 2022

The voluntary organisation launched the e-petition on October 3, calling on Bristol City Council officials to take a serious look into how to make the city a safer place for cycling.

Bristol Cycling Campaign is pushing for a proper plan to improve cycling networks in Bristol, so more people feel comfortable travelling on their bikes.

We spoke to Dulce Pedroso in the latest episode of Bristol247’s Behind the Headlines podcast. She emphasises the importance of not just prioritising good cycle lanes in the heart of the city, but also creating good cycling infrastructure to benefit wider communities too.

Dulce also explains how Bristol Cycling Campaign is striving to reach a range of people from different backgrounds, to make Bristol a safer city for cycling, for all.

Listen to the full interview with Dulce on Episode 70 of the Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:

With Bristol being a relatively small city with lots of cars on the road, things are becoming more congested and improved cycling infrastructure couldn’t come at a better time.

Dulce said: “Bristol is geographically quite a small city, and it’s a very congested city. It’s very cyclable despite its hills. It’s also a very old city that in recent years has had to accommodate an increase in car traffic, not just an increase in the number of cars, but also the size of cars – which is making cycling more dangerous.

“We do have relatively high numbers in Bristol of people who cycle and that doesn’t seem to be because of infrastructure, but despite of infrastructure.

“If we really want to increase the number of people who have the option to cycle, we do need to make things safer.”

Dulce Pedroso spoke to Bristol247 on what Bristol Cycling Campaign is doing to make cycling safer in Bristol – photo: Dulce Pedroso

To this date, the petition, which was launched by Ian Pond, has more than 3,800 signatures and will be debated by councillors in a full council meeting on November 8.

The momentum for the petition was built on the removal of a bike lane on Cheltenham Road. Along with proposed plans to remove a cycle lane on Whiteladies Road, which are now set to be scrapped.

You can add your signature to the petition until it closes on November 7.

Main photo: Catherine Dunn

Read next: 

• Bristol needs a ‘comprehensive’ network of protected cycle lanes 
• Why was there no consultation before removing Cheltenham Road cycle lane? 
• Council U-turn as Whiteladies Road cycle lanes likely to be retained
• Three-quarters of people do not feel safe cycling in Bristol

Listen to the Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: