Thank you for sharing!

Many rural communities want traffic‑free paths, but too many are stuck trying to deliver them...That’s why @lauralaker.bsky.social created the Rural Path Campaigner Toolkit, with real advice from communities who’ve made greenways happen.

Toolkit in comments 👇

In the aftermath of a collision, it's usual to see 'person arrested after x happened involving vehicle' as not enough may be known or possible to make public yet. While it's better to foreground the driver it can be a tricky line to walk - and not necessarily the Guardian's fault in this case.

Hiya - yes I wrote the guidelines. It sounds like a horrific incident. Some context, based on what I can see: this piece was from PA media (see the byline); usually these stories are based on wording from police - the Guardian headline 'car driven into pedestrians' is actually as recommended...

I'm hoping 'pavements' are second?

#bookplug #Potholes

I just launched a greenway campaigners' toolkit, with lots of great stories about the impact of the traffic-free paths communities have delivered :) in the hopes it will inspire and empower more communities to push for these transformative traffic-free paths bsky.app/profile/laur...

The march of progress? ...and the political hokey cokey around cars

Enjoyed this thread - such great routes around there! The chap running to be Labour mayor this time seems to be a very different kettle of fish, however open.substack.com/pub/lauralak...

Me and John on bikes

Me and John close up

This weekend, I was treated to a wonderful tour of the Royal Docks Corridor – an area that has 6 KM of protected cycle lanes in London 💫💫

I was invited by the Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport in Newham, John Morris
@plaistovian.bsky.social
and it was a proper adventure. … 1/19

200 Miles of Community Paths Held Up As New Toolkit Launches A year-long project finally launches

Excellent piece on #Greenways by @lauralaker.bsky.social - rural areas need #ActiveTravel routes connecting towns and villages just as much as urban areas do and it's important that barriers to building these are minimised @walkridegm.org.uk

I've never heard of eminent domain, actually! Do you mean compulsory purchase?

Updated: I now estimate ~400 miles of path are being held up, most by resistant landowners, across dozens of projects. 117 of these are in local authorities' plans, the rest driven by communities - and while many cite funding as the blocker, it seems money often appears once land access is sorted

If you would like to hear me talking about my toolkit, I'll be doing so tomorrow lunch time, 12:15-13:30, at a webinar, which you can join here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-wal...

(my talk isn't just about walking - but it will have some practical tips, gleaned from those I've interviewed)

Ultimately I see this as a good news story underscoring the power of communities to make change. In an otherwise bleak news environment this project has been an absolute delight and privilege to work on

Unfinished Paths list - public

And my crowdsourced list of 'unfinished paths' is here - I'd love to add more to it, just reply with the name, location, current status (length completed and distance to go, ideally), and the group organising ideally docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Rural path campaigns: where magic meets tarmac ----------↞↟↠---------- Rural path campaigns: where magic meets tarmac So you want a traffic-free path? You’re in for an interesting ride. Paths are magical things. On the face of it they are incr...

Local communities shouldn't be delivering paths, but without them, many of the greenways we love - which have become national treasures - may never have happened. You can see the toolkit, and the inspiring case studies, here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

They talk of the power of connecting several paths to make one hard-to-ignore idea: “The Somerset Circle became so popular on Facebook that in the District Council elections councillors wanted it in their election literature. They had it in their leaflets. At that point we knew: ‘this is working’.”

Another group won by "relentlessly pushing to say ‘people want this, the community loves it’, reminding councillors, and neighbours. There’s some you will never win over, but if you win over the main ones you isolate the opponents, in a non-confrontational way.”

Another backed their councils to focus on 'quick wins' “Our cycle parking has been really successful... outside shops and in various strategic locations. As soon as you build them, people are using them. Some are fuller than others, but it clearly makes a difference.”

One spoke to the power of community. “The fact of the matter is … the success always comes from residents. If you've got to wait for councils to do it, it will never happen. This project has been talked about for about 40 years but nothing's ever happened. So we decided: let's just make a start"

Gavin Mayall, who has led the group, says: "It still makes me quite emotional when we talk about it. You can have children on Pukys, you can have elderly people or disabled people in wheelchairs and it truly, truly is absolutely transformational."

One of my favourite things from the toolkit is the quotes from campaigners. The Friends of Windsor Hill Tunnel were told a path could never happen, through a locked tunnel and over a listed viaduct on a former railway. Six years later, it finally opened.

“Dare to dream. And don't be told no.”

Aand, there's also my crowdsourced list of 'unfinished paths', which you can add to, by replying to this message with the relevant info (location, distance, group organising, current status) ... I'll pop it on my list if it's not already there! docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Rural path campaigns: where magic meets tarmac ----------↞↟↠---------- Rural path campaigns: where magic meets tarmac So you want a traffic-free path? You’re in for an interesting ride. Paths are magical things. On the face of it they are incr...

Thank you for covering...the link to the toolkit is here! docs.google.com/document/d/1...

200 Miles of Community Paths Held Up As New Toolkit Launches A year-long project finally launches

Communities shouldn't be delivering rural paths, but the reality is without them, many of these routes won't happen. Local people can be incredible assets, helping, and pushing, councils to assemble paths. This is, at least, an inspiring story in troubled times. substack.com/home/post/p-...

The toolkit is a 'what works' document - intended to be used in sections. If you're just thinking about alternatives to driving, you'd start at the beginning. If you're stuck at a specific point, you'd read that section. There's inspiring quotes and case studies along the way

Rural path campaigns: where magic meets tarmac ----------↞↟↠---------- Rural path campaigns: where magic meets tarmac So you want a traffic-free path? You’re in for an interesting ride. Paths are magical things. On the face of it they are incr...

Local authorities are struggling with the same issues - and many aren't even trying to build greenways, as a result. These campaigners' insights have never been more relevant, so I'm delighted to be able to share what they have learned, and their inspiring stories: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

My research has revealed 50-plus community groups, trying for 200 -plus miles of routes, are hampered by struggles over land access. Luckily other amazing people have managed to negotiate the tricky maze of negotiations, funding and more, to deliver paths which become assets in their communities.

New: Communities face spiralling fuel prices, exacerbating transport poverty and car dependence - and many need car-free alternatives for short trips. I've spoken to successful greenway campaigners, and produced a toolkit! so others can help assemble low-carbon transport routes in their areas

GCNs vids on this stuff are great - will have a watch

I should say, I'm still editing these interviews... it takes a long time! I have two more amazing ones almost ready to go