When there are elections on, one of the things I reflect upon are the different candidate’s views (and voting records) about walking, cycling, and sustainable transport.
There are plenty of seasoned politicians who pay lip service to it, as they want to come across as reasonable people. But then they say things like “I support cycling infrastructure, but…”, and then go on to tell you why they oppose this particular effort to promote cycling or protect cyclists. And when they reject one cycling scheme, it generally means that they oppose them all!
So I find it good to occasionally remind candidates that cyclists vote too – and will often go out of their way to NOT vote for anyone that opposes cycling.
There are local elections here in Ireland in June this year, and that will give me a chance to take a good look at the local council candidates that are looking for my vote.
And in the interim there’s a chance for Irish citizens to vote today – not for people, but for words. There’s two referendum votes today for changes to the Irish constitution. And the occasion gives me the chance to cycle over to the polling station and take a photo of my bike next to the sign.