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The big divide in the debate about the Strand Road cycle route seems to hinge on whether you believe that the route will result in fewer cars on our city's roads or that it will result in the same number of cars being forced onto fewer roads
Fears about increased through traffic in residential areas are valid, but this is an issue that can be resolved through modal filters, one-way systems etc without limiting access for residents.
We have known about the law of induced demand for over 60 years and the related phenomenon of traffic evaporation has been confirmed more recently. Simply put, if you make sustainable modes of transport more attractive than driving, people will drive less.
In the context of increasing air pollution, urban congestion that is costing us millions every year and, of course, the Climate Emergency, reducing car dependency has to be a priority.
It is also a social issue - forced car ownership is an unnecessary and avoidable financial burden on those who can least afford it and the socially responsible thing to do is to provide more transport options.
Car use also limits the kind of informal and accidental social interactions that help to build cohesive communities. You drive to your destination, do your business and drive home - there is no opportunity to bump into friends and neighbours en route.
And high levels of car use have enormous impacts on the use and enjoyment of public space. So much of our public space is given over to the movement and storage of cars and the noise generated by moving cars makes public spaces uninviting and unappealing.
I think these broader issues are often lost in the debate about specific projects where people, understandably, focus on the local and immediate impacts and reflect less on the ongoing impact that our love affair with the car has on our health, our environment and our society.
