Adam Tranter
@adamtranter.bsky.social
Active travel advocate. Founder Fusion Media, co-host Streets Ahead Podcast. Was West Midlands Cycling & Walking Commissioner. Views all mine. Substack: https://www.bikeis.best/
Compare and contrast the Government language.
£3,750 EV grant on a £35k car: ‘helping families’.
Cycle to Work: ‘subsidising leisure’.
And yet cycling delivers TEN TIMES the impact of electric cars for reaching net zero. It’s almost like narrative, not data, is driving policy.
£3,750 EV grant on a £35k car: ‘helping families’.
Cycle to Work: ‘subsidising leisure’.
And yet cycling delivers TEN TIMES the impact of electric cars for reaching net zero. It’s almost like narrative, not data, is driving policy.
November 21, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Compare and contrast the Government language.
£3,750 EV grant on a £35k car: ‘helping families’.
Cycle to Work: ‘subsidising leisure’.
And yet cycling delivers TEN TIMES the impact of electric cars for reaching net zero. It’s almost like narrative, not data, is driving policy.
£3,750 EV grant on a £35k car: ‘helping families’.
Cycle to Work: ‘subsidising leisure’.
And yet cycling delivers TEN TIMES the impact of electric cars for reaching net zero. It’s almost like narrative, not data, is driving policy.
We are living in a real-life episode of Black Mirror: an app dispatches workers, monitors their every move, while riders - some using rented identities - risk abuse, exhaustion and invisibility.
“We are a very modern kind of slave.”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
“We are a very modern kind of slave.”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Life as a food delivery worker: ‘Sometimes men open the door naked’
To earn a living as a delivery rider, some work 10-12 hour days, contending with low pay, exhaustion, accidents, injuries and harassment. Is this a new form of modern slavery?
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:07 PM
We are living in a real-life episode of Black Mirror: an app dispatches workers, monitors their every move, while riders - some using rented identities - risk abuse, exhaustion and invisibility.
“We are a very modern kind of slave.”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
“We are a very modern kind of slave.”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Reposted by Adam Tranter
Bluesky hivemind: which topic(s) would you like to hear us at @podstreetsahead.bsky.social discuss next?
November 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Bluesky hivemind: which topic(s) would you like to hear us at @podstreetsahead.bsky.social discuss next?
Reposted by Adam Tranter
Unless there's an unbreakably valid safety reason why not, all button-operated pedestrian crossings should activate the lights in pedestrians' favour instantly when pressed.
November 8, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Unless there's an unbreakably valid safety reason why not, all button-operated pedestrian crossings should activate the lights in pedestrians' favour instantly when pressed.
Car brand BYD's new SUV ad pokes fun at people walking and cycling, comparing them to Horse & Carts.
It joins a long list of car ads that sell a false promise of convenience and aspiration while punching down at sustainable transport modes.
So I made it a bit more realistic...
It joins a long list of car ads that sell a false promise of convenience and aspiration while punching down at sustainable transport modes.
So I made it a bit more realistic...
November 7, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Car brand BYD's new SUV ad pokes fun at people walking and cycling, comparing them to Horse & Carts.
It joins a long list of car ads that sell a false promise of convenience and aspiration while punching down at sustainable transport modes.
So I made it a bit more realistic...
It joins a long list of car ads that sell a false promise of convenience and aspiration while punching down at sustainable transport modes.
So I made it a bit more realistic...
So much of the Left tries to replicate the Right when it comes to transport policies, carefully doing everything they can to avoid upsetting drivers.
Here's what happens when you focus on the majority of people who stand to benefit from improved transport options.
Here's what happens when you focus on the majority of people who stand to benefit from improved transport options.
The transit riders vs drivers election.
November 5, 2025 at 9:43 PM
So much of the Left tries to replicate the Right when it comes to transport policies, carefully doing everything they can to avoid upsetting drivers.
Here's what happens when you focus on the majority of people who stand to benefit from improved transport options.
Here's what happens when you focus on the majority of people who stand to benefit from improved transport options.
An article in the Financial Times argued that Britain should “fall in love with cars again” and invest in more motorways.
Here’s why the economic argument is flawed and why we should not.
open.substack.com/pub/pinecono...
Here’s why the economic argument is flawed and why we should not.
open.substack.com/pub/pinecono...
Should Britain Fall Back in Love with Cars?
A response to Tim Leunig's call for Britain to fall back in love with cars
open.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:22 PM
An article in the Financial Times argued that Britain should “fall in love with cars again” and invest in more motorways.
Here’s why the economic argument is flawed and why we should not.
open.substack.com/pub/pinecono...
Here’s why the economic argument is flawed and why we should not.
open.substack.com/pub/pinecono...
Reposted by Adam Tranter
It would be impossible to parody this commercial.
The makers mistakenly made a built in-parody of how horrible it is to be stuck in a car (and psychologically un-healthy) and how much more fun, human, enjoyable, interactive, spontaneous and less-expensive it is not use one is. @usa.streetsblog.org
The makers mistakenly made a built in-parody of how horrible it is to be stuck in a car (and psychologically un-healthy) and how much more fun, human, enjoyable, interactive, spontaneous and less-expensive it is not use one is. @usa.streetsblog.org
Trapped in traffic and stuck travelling long distances to work because of car-centric planning?
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
October 22, 2025 at 2:06 PM
It would be impossible to parody this commercial.
The makers mistakenly made a built in-parody of how horrible it is to be stuck in a car (and psychologically un-healthy) and how much more fun, human, enjoyable, interactive, spontaneous and less-expensive it is not use one is. @usa.streetsblog.org
The makers mistakenly made a built in-parody of how horrible it is to be stuck in a car (and psychologically un-healthy) and how much more fun, human, enjoyable, interactive, spontaneous and less-expensive it is not use one is. @usa.streetsblog.org
Reposted by Adam Tranter
Cars deliver the dependency that car ads promise.
Trapped in traffic and stuck travelling long distances to work because of car-centric planning?
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Cars deliver the dependency that car ads promise.
Trapped in traffic and stuck travelling long distances to work because of car-centric planning?
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
October 21, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Trapped in traffic and stuck travelling long distances to work because of car-centric planning?
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
Be grateful, says Mercedes-Benz’s latest advert which aims to persuade us that spending two years of our lives stuck inside a car is somehow actually a good thing.
A human on a bicycle is nature's most efficient traveller.
A version of this graph went on to inspire Steve Jobs of Apple, who used it in a 1980 presentation describing the personal computer as "the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
A version of this graph went on to inspire Steve Jobs of Apple, who used it in a 1980 presentation describing the personal computer as "the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
October 20, 2025 at 8:45 PM
A human on a bicycle is nature's most efficient traveller.
A version of this graph went on to inspire Steve Jobs of Apple, who used it in a 1980 presentation describing the personal computer as "the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
A version of this graph went on to inspire Steve Jobs of Apple, who used it in a 1980 presentation describing the personal computer as "the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
Your next pricey takeaway could well be cooked in an entirely different kitchen from the one you expected, delivered by someone who doesn't match the picture of the courier, using what the platforms say is a bicycle but is actually an unlicensed motorbike.
www.londoncentric.media/p/host-kitch...
www.londoncentric.media/p/host-kitch...
Your upmarket Deliveroo might be made by your local kebab shop
"On one hand, it’s a lifeline... But on the other hand, it’s a harbinger of doom.”
www.londoncentric.media
October 12, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Your next pricey takeaway could well be cooked in an entirely different kitchen from the one you expected, delivered by someone who doesn't match the picture of the courier, using what the platforms say is a bicycle but is actually an unlicensed motorbike.
www.londoncentric.media/p/host-kitch...
www.londoncentric.media/p/host-kitch...
Reposted by Adam Tranter
NEW EPISODE! 🚨 Lisbon’s Streets and the People Trying to Change Them
Lisbon is a beautiful city with a reputation for being a safe place. That's true from one lens, but look deeper and you'll discover a city with one of the worst road safety records in Europe.
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Lisbon is a beautiful city with a reputation for being a safe place. That's true from one lens, but look deeper and you'll discover a city with one of the worst road safety records in Europe.
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Lisbon’s Streets and the People Trying to Change Them | Streets Ahead
shows.acast.com
October 7, 2025 at 8:14 AM
NEW EPISODE! 🚨 Lisbon’s Streets and the People Trying to Change Them
Lisbon is a beautiful city with a reputation for being a safe place. That's true from one lens, but look deeper and you'll discover a city with one of the worst road safety records in Europe.
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Lisbon is a beautiful city with a reputation for being a safe place. That's true from one lens, but look deeper and you'll discover a city with one of the worst road safety records in Europe.
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Your regular reminder that cities aren’t loud. Cars are loud.
September 21, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Your regular reminder that cities aren’t loud. Cars are loud.
A man using a mobility scooter had to be rescued by the fire service as he became stuck between a wall and a parked car.
How much longer must he and other pedestrians have to wait for a pavement parking ban and adequate enforcement?
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
How much longer must he and other pedestrians have to wait for a pavement parking ban and adequate enforcement?
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
Car parked on pavement leaves man on mobility scooter wedged against wall
Campaigners say this shows why pavement parking needs to be banned
www.mirror.co.uk
September 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
A man using a mobility scooter had to be rescued by the fire service as he became stuck between a wall and a parked car.
How much longer must he and other pedestrians have to wait for a pavement parking ban and adequate enforcement?
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
How much longer must he and other pedestrians have to wait for a pavement parking ban and adequate enforcement?
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
The Embankment cycleway (CS3) in London was purposefully built to be wider than was usual in order to future proof it.
Some said it would hardly be used.
Now there’s a decent case for widening it further.
Induced demand is real.
Some said it would hardly be used.
Now there’s a decent case for widening it further.
Induced demand is real.
September 8, 2025 at 9:11 PM
The Embankment cycleway (CS3) in London was purposefully built to be wider than was usual in order to future proof it.
Some said it would hardly be used.
Now there’s a decent case for widening it further.
Induced demand is real.
Some said it would hardly be used.
Now there’s a decent case for widening it further.
Induced demand is real.
This photo shows 58 cyclists and just two cars.
MPs looking out of their window today will see a steady flow of people cycling, some for the first time in a while, given confidence to do so with quality infrastructure.
Just over 10 years ago there wasn’t even a cycle lane here.
MPs looking out of their window today will see a steady flow of people cycling, some for the first time in a while, given confidence to do so with quality infrastructure.
Just over 10 years ago there wasn’t even a cycle lane here.
September 8, 2025 at 6:17 PM
This photo shows 58 cyclists and just two cars.
MPs looking out of their window today will see a steady flow of people cycling, some for the first time in a while, given confidence to do so with quality infrastructure.
Just over 10 years ago there wasn’t even a cycle lane here.
MPs looking out of their window today will see a steady flow of people cycling, some for the first time in a while, given confidence to do so with quality infrastructure.
Just over 10 years ago there wasn’t even a cycle lane here.
Would you push someone off this 54-foot ladder?
Hitting them with your car at 40mph does the same damage.
Hitting them with your car at 40mph does the same damage.
September 6, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Would you push someone off this 54-foot ladder?
Hitting them with your car at 40mph does the same damage.
Hitting them with your car at 40mph does the same damage.
Not all local media treat road danger with the seriousness it deserves.
That’s why I’m grateful to @birminghamlive.bsky.social and @graeme-b.bsky.social for consistently giving victims and families a voice, holding politicians to account, and now campaigning to ban killer drivers for life.
That’s why I’m grateful to @birminghamlive.bsky.social and @graeme-b.bsky.social for consistently giving victims and families a voice, holding politicians to account, and now campaigning to ban killer drivers for life.
September 5, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Not all local media treat road danger with the seriousness it deserves.
That’s why I’m grateful to @birminghamlive.bsky.social and @graeme-b.bsky.social for consistently giving victims and families a voice, holding politicians to account, and now campaigning to ban killer drivers for life.
That’s why I’m grateful to @birminghamlive.bsky.social and @graeme-b.bsky.social for consistently giving victims and families a voice, holding politicians to account, and now campaigning to ban killer drivers for life.
Bad news for cities. 🚨
Cars are parked 95% of the time, eating up valuable street space.
Now, new research from Lisbon shows parked cars are also intensifying urban heat: by as much as +3.8°C. 🌡️
🧵
Cars are parked 95% of the time, eating up valuable street space.
Now, new research from Lisbon shows parked cars are also intensifying urban heat: by as much as +3.8°C. 🌡️
🧵
September 1, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Bad news for cities. 🚨
Cars are parked 95% of the time, eating up valuable street space.
Now, new research from Lisbon shows parked cars are also intensifying urban heat: by as much as +3.8°C. 🌡️
🧵
Cars are parked 95% of the time, eating up valuable street space.
Now, new research from Lisbon shows parked cars are also intensifying urban heat: by as much as +3.8°C. 🌡️
🧵
Cities need better mobility solutions.
And sometimes, the most effective ones have been in front of us (and indeed, behind us) for decades.
This one is affordable, usually has two wheels… but it’s not a bicycle. 🧵
And sometimes, the most effective ones have been in front of us (and indeed, behind us) for decades.
This one is affordable, usually has two wheels… but it’s not a bicycle. 🧵
August 31, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Cities need better mobility solutions.
And sometimes, the most effective ones have been in front of us (and indeed, behind us) for decades.
This one is affordable, usually has two wheels… but it’s not a bicycle. 🧵
And sometimes, the most effective ones have been in front of us (and indeed, behind us) for decades.
This one is affordable, usually has two wheels… but it’s not a bicycle. 🧵
In case you were wondering the French for “Cyclists Dismount”.
🤷♂️
🤷♂️
August 25, 2025 at 7:21 PM
In case you were wondering the French for “Cyclists Dismount”.
🤷♂️
🤷♂️
Try explaining to someone outside the UK that this road, shared with walkers, cyclists and horse riders, legally has a 60mph speed limit. Madness, really.
August 23, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Try explaining to someone outside the UK that this road, shared with walkers, cyclists and horse riders, legally has a 60mph speed limit. Madness, really.
Reposted by Adam Tranter
Last gov's attempt to stop LTNs, 20mph zones abandoned. 'Good' says @adamtranter.bsky.social ex-West Midlands active travel commissioner. Reducing road danger & giving people safe travel choices back on table with more evidence. Time for London to deliver then... www.standard.co.uk/comment/low-...
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods save lives, it’s time to stop pretending otherwise
The news that Labour have decided not to proceed with the previous Conservative Government’s “Plan For Drivers” should be welcomed, but should also hardly be a surprise.
www.standard.co.uk
August 20, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Last gov's attempt to stop LTNs, 20mph zones abandoned. 'Good' says @adamtranter.bsky.social ex-West Midlands active travel commissioner. Reducing road danger & giving people safe travel choices back on table with more evidence. Time for London to deliver then... www.standard.co.uk/comment/low-...
Reposted by Adam Tranter
“A real Plan For Drivers would support these measures to reduce road deaths and use more LTNs to deliver genuine transport choices, freeing up the roads for those who really need to drive.” - @adamtranter.bsky.social
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods save lives, it’s time to stop pretending otherwise
The news that Labour have decided not to proceed with the previous Conservative Government’s “Plan For Drivers” should be welcomed, but should also hardly be a surprise.
www.standard.co.uk
August 19, 2025 at 11:23 AM
“A real Plan For Drivers would support these measures to reduce road deaths and use more LTNs to deliver genuine transport choices, freeing up the roads for those who really need to drive.” - @adamtranter.bsky.social