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Adam Tranter

@adamtranter.bsky.social
6.7K followers 270 following 356 posts

Active travel advocate. Founder Fusion Media, co-host Streets Ahead Podcast. Was West Midlands Cycling & Walking Commissioner. Views all mine. Substack: www.bikeis.best

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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 13h
Lionel Reid, 19, ploughed his BMW into a cyclist while under the influence of alcohol and then left the scene. Cannabis was also found in his system. The 50-year-old cyclist sustained serious head injuries. I am sure we all feel reassured that Reid’s punishment is an 18-week suspended sentence.
A teenager who ploughed into a cyclist while under the influence of alcohol and then left the scene of the crime has received an 18-week suspended jail sentence.A smashed windscreen after the collision
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
At some point a room full of people agreed there was no space on this carriageway for a cycle lane so they settled on this instead.
A cycle lane in Lisbon on the sidewalk that heads into two trees and a bus stop. Next to an empty carriageway.
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Reposted by Adam Tranter
Streets Ahead Podcast @podstreetsahead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
🚨New Streets Ahead Episode! A day in the life of the City of London cycling police, as Laura shadows the team, out on the streets catching illegal e-motorbikes: shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
shows.acast.com
Catching illegal e-motos with the City of London Police | Streets Ahead
Out on the street with the City's Cycling Team
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
York Street car park in Manchester should be a public garden.
York Street car park in Manchester
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
It is wild to think that most cities used to have extensive electric tram systems, capable of efficiently transporting people and producing zero emissions at street level. And they were persuaded it was a good idea to rip them out. Now cities are spending billions putting them back in.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Lisbon has finally decided to reallocate road space to favour pedestrians on the famous Rua Garrett. It’s much better. All it takes is a bit of paint and some bollards to start to get the life back into a street again.
Rua Garrett with extra pedestrian space marked by bollards and plantersRua Garrett with parked cars
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
A man who raced over 90mph in a 30mph zone got a £253 fine and a 56-day driving ban. "If these men had caused the same level of endangerment by any other means, it’s hard to believe they would have got off so lightly." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Driving that’s too fast, too dangerous and utterly lawless: why do we tolerate this petro-masculinity? | George Monbiot
In towns and in the countryside, I see 4x4s and pick up trucks driven without care or conscience. It’s a Magafication of transport, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is obviously just a bit of engineering fun for a viral video, but can you believe there is someone who genuinely believes low occupancy vehicles in tunnels can “solve traffic”? His name is Elon Musk.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Very reassuring to learn that a blind man who drunk drove 150 miles to Scotland, without a licence or insurance, has been banned from driving for 12 months. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Blind Huddersfield man sentenced for 150-mile drive while drunk
Anthony Hall, 50, took his partner's car and drove at night from Huddersfield to near Carlisle.
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
NEW! "Fine, We're Doing a Helmet Episode." After Mayor Mamdani posted a video showing him wearing a bike helmet, social media exploded. But what are helmets designed to do? Who sets the standards? And what is it about the mere mention of them that causes people to lose their minds? bit.ly/4gFMJub
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The American mind cannot comprehend a McDonald’s Drive Thru that explicitly welcomes bicycles and e-scooters. Meanwhile, in Spain: 🍔🚲🛴
A sign reads: Pick up your order at McAuto®, now also by bike or scooter.

The McAuto Lane
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
If the ~100 people in the Uber x Wayve launch photo wanted to take a robotaxi, based on average occupancy, there would be 179 vehicles. At their usual braking distance at 20mph, the line would be around 4.2km long. Cities are about to get more congested for the benefit of tech companies.
People at Uber and Wayve London launch event
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Cars are, regrettably, the enemy of efficient public transport.
A taxi driver blocks a bus in Lisbon Private cars and Ubers crowd the tram network, reducing efficiency in Lisbon.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I really don’t understand why the Government is so eager to let private companies bring these to UK pavements.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Day 1 and already blocking bike lanes.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Britain has a remarkable habit of preventing the very things that make communities sociable, just in case they attract anti-social behaviour. “I’ve made my street beautiful for years. Now the council says I must stop.” www.thetimes.com/article/3cc1...
thetimes.com
I’ve made my street beautiful for years. Now council says I must stop
Katharine Hoskyns has tended plants and installed a bench outside her home in London, but she’s been told it’s ‘unsafe’ and is attracting antisocial behaviour
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
There's a long-held assumption that celebrities only travel by private chauffeur. David Byrne's ride to Met Gala, Timothée Chalamet's Lime biking and now Cate Blanchett's Brompton getaway show this to be increasingly untrue. We shouldn't be so surprised when people use the best tool for the job.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Three different uses of kerbside space shown in one street: 10 bike share spaces, 6 private cycle parking spaces or parking for just one private car. Transport is about moving as many people as efficiently and sustainably as possible; parking should be prioritised accordingly.
E-Bike Share, Cycle Hangar and a private carBike sharing space Cycle hangarPrivate car parking space
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
“New attempts to undermine this ancient institution in order to facilitate the mechanised distribution of junk food should therefore concern any intelligent pedestrian.” Excellent piece by on the hideousness of pavement delivery robots. unherd.com/2026/08/the-...
unherd.com
The invasion of the delivery robots
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Will Norman @willnorman.co.uk · 12/08/2026
Since @sadiqkhanlondon.bsky.social was elected in 2016, we've delivered a fivefold expansion of London's network of Cycleways to over 450km - enabling millions & millions of greener, cleaner, safer & healthier journeys 🚲🚲🚲 And we're not sitting back in our saddles, there's much more to come...
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Cities are going to need many more trees to help people cope with extreme heat. Parked cars reflect heat and also increase street temperatures. So the obvious thing to do is to plant trees in the place of street parking, avoiding pavements (which will cause issues for pedestrians in the future).
Mature tree causing obstructions for pedestrians in LisbonNew tree spaces on the road
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The planning application and marketing photographs (left): “The site will be a low car development with controlled parking provision. The internal road layout has been designed such that informal on-street parking will not be available.” Versus the reality (right):
Marketing photograph of Perry Barr VillageIllegal car parking at Perry Barr Village
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Cities dismantled their tram networks to become “motor cities of the future”. The result? You could travel further within 30 mins via public transport in 1957 than you can in 2026. Cities are seeking billions to rebuild networks. Incredible piece of work this.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Illegal parking or pocket park? Which would you prefer? 📸 Largo das Palmeiras, Lisbon.
Cars parked in LisbonPocket park in place of the parked cars.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
This police officer understands that a bike modified to reach high speeds via a throttle is a motorcycle, not an e-bike. E-bikes or electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs in law) provide assistance while pedalling to 15.5mph before cutting out. A throttle can support walking mode up to 3.7mph.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Every city should have these cute little electric buses, serving smaller and historic neighbourhoods.
Yellow bus in LisbonPink bus in CannesYellow bus in LisbonInterior of a yellow bus in Lisbon
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Reposted by Adam Tranter
Meredith Glaser @cyclingprofessor.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
The narrative around autonomous vehicles often frames them as inevitable. But choosing them is a political choice, not a technological certainty. When we treat self-driving cars as the default future, we choose to double down on private, car-centric infrastructure and unsustainable futures.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
The UK Government could use the Highways Act to prevent pavement robots from operating at all. Instead, they tacitly allow local trials and are speeding up legislation so we can have many more pavement robots, as in the US. Can’t wait!
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Mature trees provide the shade and shelter required to make cities liveable during extreme heat. Given how long it takes for trees to grow enough canopy cover, cities should be urgently planting tens of thousands more of them. 📸 Thermal camera in Lisbon, showing 59.5°C ground.
Thermal camera in Lisbon, showing 59.5°C ground.Photograph of same location in Lisbon
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Tech companies: Our pavement robots are safe for pedestrians and don't get in their way! The robots:
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Why I’m Raging Against The Machines Every few years, a technology company promises to fix our cities, and every few years, we discover it has made them worse. open.substack.com/pub/bikeisbe...
open.substack.com
Why I’m Raging Against The Machines
Every few years, a technology company promises to fix our cities, and every few years, we discover it has made them worse.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Humans should not be forced off pavements by delivery robots, but that's exactly what's happening. The people who pay the price are those with the least room to give it up.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Britain's pavements are not for sale. Pavements are for people. It is not acceptable to prioritise private commercial interests over the needs of pedestrians, especially people using mobility aids. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Ministers likely to support law change to allow delivery robots on England’s paths
Exclusive: Safety campaigners concerned about plan for widespread deployment on already crowded pavements
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Living Streets @livingstreets.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Delivery robots are taking over UK pavements, causing chaos for pedestrians, despite having no laws allowing their use 🤖 Our Pavement Overload campaign is in the Guardian: bit.ly/4pdAuYx
theguardian.com
Ministers likely to support law change to allow delivery robots on England’s paths
Exclusive: Safety campaigners concerned about plan for widespread deployment on already crowded pavements
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
You might have already seen them in some places, but a mass of autonomous pavement delivery robots could be coming after ministers signalled they are likely to support a change in the law formally allowing their use, prompting worry from campaigners. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Ministers likely to support law change to allow delivery robots on England’s paths
Exclusive: Safety campaigners concerned about plan for widespread deployment on already crowded pavements
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
This urban chicken has learned to cross a busy road during the green pedestrian phase.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
It has always puzzled me that politicians on the right, who want a smaller state and less regulation, seem to want more bureaucracy and rules for cycling. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06...
telegraph.co.uk
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Your regular reminder that cities aren’t loud. Cars are loud.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Traffic update: There is no congestion in the bike lane.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Bicycles are hugely space efficient, which is why they make a lot of sense in congested cities. This video demonstrates why there aren’t traffic jams in bike lanes. Just imagine the traffic queues if every bicycle here was a car.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
How will the recent local election results affect active travel? @lauralaker.bsky.social and I have a go at explaining, with the help of guests @mrmjprice.bsky.social & @plaistovian.bsky.social.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
This is the former Birmingham Labour Transport Cabinet member, responsible for declaring a “road safety emergency” and reducing 40mph urban main roads to 30mph, now immediately calling for his *own* policy to be reviewed. Deeply unserious and, worse, actually dangerous.
Request for review of 30mph speed limits on key routes
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Better Streets for Birmingham @betterstreetsforbirmingham.org · 02/05/2026
Well said @adamtranter.bsky.social. Longstanding, evidence-based policy has seemingly been abandoned for no apparent reason. Birmingham’s road safety emergency will not be resolved through enforcement alone.
birminghammail.co.uk
Birmingham used to agree on road safety. What changed?
Adam Tranter is the former West Midlands Cycling and Walking Commissioner responds to a less than luke-warm response to 20mph roads
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Birmingham used to agree on road safety. What changed? By me, in @birminghamlive.bsky.social www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/news-op...
birminghammail.co.uk
Birmingham used to agree on road safety. What changed?
Adam Tranter is the former West Midlands Cycling and Walking Commissioner responds to a less than luke-warm response to 20mph roads
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Streets Ahead Podcast @podstreetsahead.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
NEW Streets Ahead EPISODE! 🚨 Children and streets with @aliceferguson.bsky.social and Tim Gill. The impact of cars on children amounts to a 100-year pandemic hiding in plain sight, they say, following the launch of their new report. Listen here: shows.acast.com/5e8ee3bc4fc2...
shows.acast.com
Children & Streets | Streets Ahead
Solving decades of inaction on children's access to streets
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David Gregory-Kumar @drdavidgk.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Why don’t cyclist use the cycle lane? #405.
A car has “parked” right across the cycle path A car has “parked” right across the cycle path
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Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Finding out I was considered "radical" for wanting kids to be able to get school safely and independently was shocking and what motivated me to try and help change that perspective. Culture Shift developed with @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social
culture shift

Normal
Accepting road violence
Accepting road fatalities
Accepting pedestrian fatalities
Accepting cyclist fatalities
Accepting excessive speeds
Accepting unsafe streets
Accepting pollution
Accepting gridlock
Accepting the loss of youth mobility
Accepting the loss of senior mobility

Radical
Wanting to prevent road violence
Wanting to prevent road fatalities
Wanting to prevent pedestrian fatalities
Wanting to prevent cyclist fatalities
Wanting slower speeds
Wanting safe streets
Wanting less pollution
Wanting less gridlock
Wanting youth mobility
Wanting senior mobility
It's time to rethink what's considered normal on our streets
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
So disappointing to see the lack of political will now in Birmingham for safer streets. After questions from Babiker Yahia, whose 4-year-old daughter Mayar was killed by a driver in April 2024, only one candidate (after quite a pause) backed 20mph limits on all residential streets.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Make streets fun again. 🎼
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
This is the UK premiere of a new genre of video. Robotaxi companies will rush out excuses. There will be many, many more examples of this kind.
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