1. Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Equity and cycling:
a basis for creating cycling cities?
1st May 2014
Dr Caroline Mullen
Mullen, CA, Tight, M, Whiteing, A and Jopson, A (2014) Knowing their place
on the roads: what would equality mean for walking and cycling?
Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 61. 238 - 248.
http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/78039

2. Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Might feel like cyclists, and pedestrians, have a raw deal on
the roads -
• Some poor conditions;
• Cyclists, and pedestrians, can feel
unsafe. Casualty rates are high.
We might argue about best practice – but
aaaaaaaaaaaa have a better idea of poor practice, and lack
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaof priority.

3. Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
What would happen with cycling and walking if basic
aspects of equality shape transport policy?
Suggest that -
Mobility or ability to travel matters;
Ability to stay alive matters;
And this is equally important for each person.
But does this mean cycling should be promoted?
Cycling and walking: mobility that kills fewer people than other
modes:
Less pollution;
Less risk in collisions;
Could say people should walk or cycle if possible. But cannot expect
individuals to take on substantial risk and difficulty.

4. Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Planning priorities:
and
Remove barriers to movement by bicycle and
foot….walking and cycling need to be viable. So, for
example -
Shift from an ideas like ‘London police chief: Onus on
cyclists to be safe,’ The Scotsman 9th Nov 2013, and
Shift from walking and cycling provision made inadequate
because it must fit around needs of motor vehicles.
Next slide – figure from:
Mullen, CA, Tight, M, Whiteing, A and Jopson, A (2014) Knowing
their place on the roads: what would equality mean for walking
and cycling? Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice,
61. 238 - 248. [http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/78039]
Walking and cycling should be at least as safe as other modes;

5. Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Institute for Transport Studies
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
Factors guiding implementation
Application of equal concern to transport policy, planning and law
Two (non-hierarchical) high-level priorities
 Minimise deaths associated with transport (i.e. from collision, pollution, climate change,
lack of transport), with condition that minimise inequalities in risks
 Recognise individuals’ entitlement to access and means of using some mode of effective transport.
Factors guiding implementation
 Collective and individual responsibility to contribute to achieving transport priorities
 Transport behaviour and choice can be restricted by others’ entitlement to use some
mode of transport and to equal safety.
Framework for application of equal concern to walking and cycling
Factors guiding assessment of conditions and measures for change
Indication of safety inequality obtained by transport statistics on rates of death for distance travelled
Indication of accessibility inequality obtained by identifying obstacles in network
Transport planning to provide physical infrastructure meets standards of accessibility and safety for
walking and cycling
Restriction on mode choice and transport behaviour permissible to realise others’ entitlements to
equality of safety and access to transport
Liability and fault informed by individual responsibility and entitlement to equality of safety and some
access to transport
Economic impact of measures on walking and cycling relevant only if expected to result in greater
inequality than is removed by the measures
Principles for policy on walking and cycling
Relevant conditions
Increased walking and cycling is a
potential means of reducing all
deaths associated with transport
Individuals’ entitled to equal safety
and to access and means of using
some mode of effective transport
AND
Walking and cycling among modes people
entitled to use as (effective) transport
Pedestrians and cyclists entitled to safety
levels equal to safety associated with
other transport modes