County Election 2017

The Oxfordshire County Council Elections on 4th May 2017 provided a unique chance to gain political support for cycling.  Thanks to our campaign, we more than doubled the number of Council Members who supporting Space for Cycling, from 10 to 22 (download the list here).

Cycling UK and other campaigning organisations unified around the ‘Space for Cycling’ message to ‘Plan, Invest and Build’ cycling infrastructure for all ages and all abilities.  They developed a ‘Vote Bike’ web page  so candidates could sign up to show their support, and voters who want better facilities for cycling could see which of their local candidates supported it, both on our own Oxfordshire Candidates Space for Cycling List, and on the Cycling UK national list.

In Oxfordshire, 26% of adults ride a cycle once a month or more – about 140,000 potential voters and more than enough to swing the results.

Space for Cycling Campaign Event – 22nd April 2017

To promote the pledge and demonstrate local interest in cycling, campaign rides and events were planned across the country for 22nd April.  We joined this in Oxfordshire, with cyclists and supporters converging outside County Hall in Oxford at 2pm.  There 11 candidates took the opportunity to speak of their support for cycling to nearly 200 cyclists and media.

Post-event Press Release Oxfordshire Space for Cycling Event 230417b

Event report

Media coverage

Election results

Of the 63 elected Councillors, 22 have supported Space for Cycling.  That more than doubles the 10 Councillors who had declared their support in the previous Council.

Here is the list of Oxfordshire County Councillors supporting Space for Cycling May 2017.  

    • 15 registered on Cycling UK’s Vote Bike website to Plan, Invest and Build Space for Cycling.  
    • 6 registered for the previous Space for Cycling campaign, to “support space for cycling, and seek the funding needed to make it happen”
  • 1 wrote us a very clear email expressing her support for cycling and our campaign.

The Oxfordshire Cycling Network looks forward to working with the next Council to improve facilities for cycling and hence the number and frequency of people cycling.  We aim to work with the Council to develop a shared vision for Strategic Cycle Network, based on our proposals, to understand the potential costs and benefits, and to use the plan to help gain the investment and support needed to build a county-wide all ages, all abilities network, piece-by-piece.