Two thirds of all journeys in Liverpool are made by car. Can the council’s new active travel plan change this?

New cycle lanes, walkways and trying to get people to trade four wheels for two

Dear readers — “I really thought my life was on the line.” This was what Elke Weissman told me about one journey by bike here in Liverpool, when she got embroiled in a sticky situation and came close to being “squished” by a lorry. Elke is a German from near Mannheim, a city with a decent cycling infrastructure — and as such, she’s not exactly an amateur on two wheels. But she was surprised by how challenging she’s found cycling at times in Liverpool, where she now lives. I would wager she’s not alone in this — two thirds of all journeys here are made by car, a trend that’s probably at least partly about how safe we feel choosing an alternative.

All this could be set to change, though. The council have announced a new active travel plan — but how substantial are the changes to the current system? I spoke to transport experts about why we should be emulating Leicester, the importance of lighting for female cyclists and why bravery is key (“People really have a tonne of visceral anger to…