Transition Black Isle’s Cycling in Rural Scotland Conference (March 2014) Transition Black Isle is an active group of volunteers that focuses on raising awareness of the challenges of peak oil and climate change and managing projects on energy, travel and food. On 22 nd March 2014, Transition Black Isle hosted the Cycling in Rural Scotland conference at the Leanaig Centre in Conon Bridge. The event was organised as part of the group’s Million Miles project: a sustainable transport project that aims to encourage households on the Black Isle to reduce their annual car mileage by improving access to public transport, promoting lift sharing and encouraging active travel. The conference was held to share best practice and consider strategies to boost cycling in rural communities around Scotland. The keynote speakers were Councillor Drew Hendry (who is spearheading the Highland Council’s Carbon Clever initiative), Kate Campbell (Deputy Director of Behaviour Change for Sustrans Scotland) and Pammy Johal (Director of the inspirational organisation Backbone). Workshops on a range of interesting subjects were led by experts from diverse backgrounds. Topics included organising cycle events, cycle tourism, electric bikes, cycle trail construction, community links, cycle-friendly communities, safety on rural roads, inspiring behaviour change and community mapping with OpenStreetMap. Feedback from attendees was very positive. The event was a great chance for cycling enthusiasts and professionals from a range of backgrounds to discuss ways to get more people cycling across Scotland. Transition Black Isle hope that other community organisations can organise similar events in the future and that this was the inaugural Cycling in Rural Scotland conference. Executive summary 2 1. Background to our conference 3 1.1. Transition Black Isle 3 1.2. The Million Miles project 4 1.3. Motivation behind the Cycling in Rural Scotland conference 5 2. Keynote speakers 5 2.1. Councillor Drew Hendry (Highland Council) 5 2.2. Kate Campbell OBE (Sustrans) 6 2 Transition Black Isle’s Cycling in Rural Scotland Conference (March 2014) 2.3. Pammy Johal (Backbone) 6 3. Workshops 7 3.1. Developing cycle events – Transition Black Isle and Square Wheels 7 3.2. Electric bikes in rural areas – Sustrans Scotland 9 3.3. Creating cycle trails - Cycletherapy 9 3.4. Cycling Safely on Rural Roads – Transition Black Isle 11 3.5. Inspiring behaviour change – Backbone 12 3.6. Promoting cycle tourism – Sustrans Scotland and the Highland Council 14 3.7. Creating community links - HITRANS 16 3.8. Community mapping – Transition Black Isle 19 3.9. Cycle friendly communities – Highland Perthshire Cycling and Cycling Scotland 24 4. Feedback 26 4.1. Feedback from our attendees 26 4.2. Feedback from Transition Black Isle 27 1.1. Transition Black Isle The Black Isle is a largely rural peninsula in the Highlands bounded by the Cromarty Firth to the north and the Moray Firth and Beauly Firths to the east and south and extending to the western edges of Conon Bridge and Muir of Ord. The population is concentrated in and around eight villages, which are all dependent on services in Inverness and Dingwall. Like many rural areas in the Highlands, bus services in parts of the Black Isle are limited and there are only two railway stations in the west of the peninsula. As a result, many residents rely heavily on private cars. Transition Black Isle (TBI) was formed in February 2009 and later set up as a company limited by guarantee and registered charity. Membership is open to anyone who either lives or operates on the Black Isle and agrees with TBI’s objectives: i. Raise awareness of the issues associated with the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change and the consequent need to develop a low carbon, sustainable future through ethical, social, cultural, economic, environmental and community action; 3 Transition Black Isle’s Cycling in Rural Scotland Conference (March 2014) ii. Promote, encourage and support the development of education and research concerning areas affected by resource depletion; iii. Support and encourage local action on peak oil and climate change. There are over one hundred members of TBI. The group is managed by a board of directors with a broad range of expertise. Sub-groups of TBI manage projects related to food, energy and communications, including community markets, events and continuation of various initiatives started with grant assistance from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund. More information is available on TBI’s website: www.transitionblackisle.org . 1.2. The Million Miles project With interest in sustainable transport growing, TBI organised community events in late 2011 to consult on ways to make local travel more sustainable. In view of the enthusiasm at these meetings, the group decided to put together an outline plan for a project to submit to the Climate Challenge Fund. The timing of the project would coincide with major works scheduled for the Kessock Bridge in 2013 and 2014, which would provide an incentive for commuters to consider greener travel arrangements. In March 2012, TBI was awarded a grant of £195,000 from the Climate Challenge Fund for our Million Miles project. There are approximately 6,300 households on the Black Isle (estimated from Highland Council ward statistics). According to a baseline survey conducted at the start of the Million Miles project, the average household drives 13,613 miles every year. Therefore, the total distance travelled by car by Black Isle residents is approximately 85.8 million miles. The key target of the project is to reduce car travel on the Black Isle by 1%, which would save around 858,000 miles (approximately one million miles). Our Million Miles project runs until March 2015 and aims to: i. Encourage greener car travel by offering fuel efficiency training and helping drivers find matches for their journeys via our website highland.liftshare.com qa13434; ii. Improve access to public transport through voucher campaigns and promotions; 4 Transition Black Isle’s Cycling in Rural Scotland Conference (March 2014) iii. Increase walking and cycling rates through cycling proficiency sessions run by our network of local Community Cycling Trainers and by creating an active travel map of the Black Isle. There’s a lot going on in the Million Miles project – visit the page on TBI’s website for more information: www.transitionblackisle.org/million-miles.asp . Transition Black Isle recently received funding from the Coastal Communities Fund to launch Black Isle Bicycles – a social enterprise that aims to promote our peninsula as a destination for cycle tourism. More details are available on the Black Isle Bicycles website (www.blackislebicycles.co.uk ) or by contacting the new team (07964 779663, [email protected] ). 1.3. Motivation behind the Cycling in Rural Scotland conference Transition Black Isle decided to put the effort into organising the Cycling in Rural Scotland conference because we want to share our experiences from the Million Miles project and be inspired by other rural communities with similar challenges. The conference was held at the end of the second year of the project and we were keen to communicate best practices as we enter our final year. Cycling policy is often focused on urban areas, so we thought we would organise a gathering to discuss all aspects of cycling in Scotland’s beautiful countryside. The Cycling in Rural Scotland conference began with an overview of the Million Miles project and presentations by our three keynote speakers. 2.1. Councillor Drew Hendry (Highland Council) The first keynote speaker at the conference was Councillor Drew Hendry, Leader of the Highland Council. Councillor Hendry launched the Highland Council’s Carbon Clever Initiative in 2013. The objective is a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands by 2025. More information is available on the Council’s website www.highland.gov.uk . A Black Isle resident and keen cyclist himself, Councillor Hendry was keen to stress the benefits of cycling. He presented his vision and plans for more and better rural cycling in the Highlands. Councillor Hendry also feels that we could be about to see a resurgence of cycling: 5 Transition Black Isle’s Cycling in Rural Scotland Conference (March 2014) “The bicycle was a transformative invention of the 19 th Century, enabling people to move around and connecting communities. Modern technology, such as the electric bike, open up possibilities for two-wheeled travel and there is the possibility to combine travel methods such as using bus and bike.” @drewhendrySNP / @Carbon_CLEVER / [email protected] 2.2. Kate Campbell OBE (Sustrans) Kate Campbell OBE is Deputy Director, Behaviour Change, for Sustrans Scotland (www.sustrans.org.uk ). Sustrans is the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity, encouraging people to travel in ways that benefit their health and environment. Its principal objectives are to help reduce carbon emissions and to tackle health issues by enabling people to travel actively every day. Sustrans does this by making local environments safer and more attractive for walking and cycling, supporting and encouraging individuals to make more sustainable travel choices and influencing policy and practice. Sustrans currently has around 50 staff delivering projects in partnership with communities, local authorities and agencies. Kate joined Sustrans Scotland in September 2012, and oversees the work with schools, universities and colleges, communities and workplaces plus engagement with volunteers. She is also responsible for all promotional work, which includes the mapping and signing of routes, publications, events, social media and website development. Kate provided an update on what Sustrans Scotland is currently doing to encourage active travel across Scotland. This included information on changes to the built environment, infrastructure projects, behaviour change interventions and related policy developments. Kate’s presentation is available to download from the Transition Black Isle website .