One thing that was too complex to calculate was our impact on how others travel.

What do we mean?

If someone rides a bike, they don’t just produce less co2. They make their environment that much less hostile for others walking / cycling. https://twitter.com/pedalmeapp/status/1349762174399426563

There’s something called “safety in numbers” - more people walking or cycling makes walking or cycling safer. The main barrier to walking and cycling more? Safety.

But there’s more - there are also infrastructure and social dynamics putting people off.

So if one person rides more, other people walk/cycle more too.

This then means that in balance situations, decisions are more likely to come down on the side of changes which help still more walking and cycling - LTNs, cycle tracks, bus gates and the like.

These dramatically improve safety - reducing the main barrier to more walking and cycling.

Suddenly, what started as a trickle, ends up a torrent.

All because a few people decided to ride bikes more.

What we do has a similar effect, but on steroids. Why?

Because we’re tackling commercial activity. And because of the range of types of journey that we cover.

So people who thought before: “how would I carry my bag / instrument / child on a bike? Best drive!”

They see us doing a flat move in a oner, 15 miles across town, including a piano and think: “y’know what? Maybe I can find a way to carry this pot plant on a bike. Maybe I can carry my kid on a bike.”

But also, we’re tackling opposition to street changes from businesses. Businesses are powerful. They provide employment, entertainment, they bind communities.

If you have to fight a majority of businesses to get something done - like getting the streets changed - you will lose.

We’re changing that conversation, and showing what can be done.

And in all likelihood, that likely offsets far more carbon than we produce - likely we’re a rare example of a business that is genuinely strongly carbon negative.

Not based on buying offsets, but just by existing.