Laura Laker
@lauralaker.bsky.social
Journalist, author of Potholes and Pavements, cohost of @podstreetsahead.bsky.social
https://lauralaker.substack.com
https://lauralaker.substack.com
I'm mildly obsessed with these blue winter skies. Behold the colour on what I term the Schumacher tree
December 20, 2025 at 10:36 AM
I'm mildly obsessed with these blue winter skies. Behold the colour on what I term the Schumacher tree
The bicycle as a literary and stage icon. Also, just a neat trick, keeping that wheel turning
December 17, 2025 at 8:31 AM
The bicycle as a literary and stage icon. Also, just a neat trick, keeping that wheel turning
Just a cheery little leaf blowing mini tractor on NCN1 beside the River Lea this week.
Even the way he corners it (I'm sure there's a method to it) reminds me of Postman Pat and his van
Even the way he corners it (I'm sure there's a method to it) reminds me of Postman Pat and his van
December 12, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Just a cheery little leaf blowing mini tractor on NCN1 beside the River Lea this week.
Even the way he corners it (I'm sure there's a method to it) reminds me of Postman Pat and his van
Even the way he corners it (I'm sure there's a method to it) reminds me of Postman Pat and his van
Great hearing Sarah Coombes talk about this on Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 show just now... and lots of folks whose plates have been cloned
I’m very proud to have been part of this report with @pactsuk.bsky.social and @sarahcoombesmp.bsky.social on the serious and growing problem of Ghost Plates. The past couple of months have been incredibly eye-opening, to say the least: transportsafetyappg.org.uk/inquiries/ve...
Ghosts on the Road – Tackling the rise in illegal registration plates - APPG
Ghosts on the Road – Tackling the rise in illegal registration plates The All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport (APPGTS)...
transportsafetyappg.org.uk
December 9, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Great hearing Sarah Coombes talk about this on Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 show just now... and lots of folks whose plates have been cloned
I’m very proud to have been part of this report with @pactsuk.bsky.social and @sarahcoombesmp.bsky.social on the serious and growing problem of Ghost Plates. The past couple of months have been incredibly eye-opening, to say the least: transportsafetyappg.org.uk/inquiries/ve...
Ghosts on the Road – Tackling the rise in illegal registration plates - APPG
Ghosts on the Road – Tackling the rise in illegal registration plates The All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport (APPGTS)...
transportsafetyappg.org.uk
December 9, 2025 at 9:49 AM
I’m very proud to have been part of this report with @pactsuk.bsky.social and @sarahcoombesmp.bsky.social on the serious and growing problem of Ghost Plates. The past couple of months have been incredibly eye-opening, to say the least: transportsafetyappg.org.uk/inquiries/ve...
OK, of course the online form didn't match the list of questions so I've amended my Substack post to help those who are filling in the form online. There is also an email address you can simply bung a reply to, if that gets too confusing (it may!) CWIS3consultation@dft.gov.uk
If you want to get involved in the #CWIS3 consultation but don't know how, I've put together some suggestions substack.com/home/post/p-...
...and a list of paths you could refer to ...
...and a list of paths you could refer to ...
December 8, 2025 at 8:51 PM
OK, of course the online form didn't match the list of questions so I've amended my Substack post to help those who are filling in the form online. There is also an email address you can simply bung a reply to, if that gets too confusing (it may!) CWIS3consultation@dft.gov.uk
If you want to get involved in the #CWIS3 consultation but don't know how, I've put together some suggestions substack.com/home/post/p-...
...and a list of paths you could refer to ...
...and a list of paths you could refer to ...
December 8, 2025 at 1:38 PM
If you want to get involved in the #CWIS3 consultation but don't know how, I've put together some suggestions substack.com/home/post/p-...
...and a list of paths you could refer to ...
...and a list of paths you could refer to ...
More and more organisations recognise the power of active travel to help their businesses, improve patient health, reduce inequalities and make the country a better place. I'm proud to have coordinated this effort to bring those voices together around #CWIS3 with @adamtranter.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 8:54 AM
More and more organisations recognise the power of active travel to help their businesses, improve patient health, reduce inequalities and make the country a better place. I'm proud to have coordinated this effort to bring those voices together around #CWIS3 with @adamtranter.bsky.social
Good to chat about the thing that will shape active travel in England for the next five years, and why we should care about it, with the delightful @christianwolmar.bsky.social
S4E4 is en route, with hosts @christianwolmar.bsky.social and @markwalker59.bsky.social discussing all the transport related items in the #Budget, as well as an interview with @lauralaker.bsky.social regarding the DfT’s walking, wheeling and cycling program
Catch it here: markwalkerg.podbean.com
Catch it here: markwalkerg.podbean.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Good to chat about the thing that will shape active travel in England for the next five years, and why we should care about it, with the delightful @christianwolmar.bsky.social
Some ice trees grew on the windows overnight 🧊
December 5, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Some ice trees grew on the windows overnight 🧊
Reposted by Laura Laker
Residents in Haddenham and Thame are calling on authorities to end a 25 year wait for a greenway (walking & cycling route) between the two communities. A petition with over 4000 signatures has been submitted to Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils.
www.change.org/p/support-fo...
www.change.org/p/support-fo...
December 1, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Residents in Haddenham and Thame are calling on authorities to end a 25 year wait for a greenway (walking & cycling route) between the two communities. A petition with over 4000 signatures has been submitted to Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils.
www.change.org/p/support-fo...
www.change.org/p/support-fo...
Shaping the next five years: why you should care about the rather lacklustre third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy consultation - and what you can do about it lauralaker.substack.com/p/a-cycling-...
A cycling and walking strategy goes into a bar...
And gets a bit of a pep talk
lauralaker.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Shaping the next five years: why you should care about the rather lacklustre third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy consultation - and what you can do about it lauralaker.substack.com/p/a-cycling-...
Reposted by Laura Laker
This piece is as good as people say it is. Read it to appreciate that writing isn't just about content, but style. AI can't do this.
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:10 AM
This piece is as good as people say it is. Read it to appreciate that writing isn't just about content, but style. AI can't do this.
Reposted by Laura Laker
NEW POD EPISODE! 🚨An unhappy fifth birthday. Five years and four prime ministers since the pavement parking consultation ended, and still no action.
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Pavement Parking: An Unhappy Fifth Birthday | Streets Ahead
We wish the government's pavement parking consultation its unwanted fifth birthday
shows.acast.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:07 PM
NEW POD EPISODE! 🚨An unhappy fifth birthday. Five years and four prime ministers since the pavement parking consultation ended, and still no action.
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Too cold this morning for handlebar deployment
November 26, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Too cold this morning for handlebar deployment
Long-term investment works: Ten years ago I stood on Vauxhall Bridge as the previous mayor opened the first of London's protected cycle superhighways (and one man emphatically flipped him the bird). Now there's 1.5m cycling trips PER DAY in London (up 12.7% on 2024) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 25, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Long-term investment works: Ten years ago I stood on Vauxhall Bridge as the previous mayor opened the first of London's protected cycle superhighways (and one man emphatically flipped him the bird). Now there's 1.5m cycling trips PER DAY in London (up 12.7% on 2024) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Love this www.instagram.com/reel/DQrzAkb... racing the new Superloop on foot.
Izzett describes pedestrian crossing wait times as 'enemies of progress'
Izzett describes pedestrian crossing wait times as 'enemies of progress'
Jordan Izzett on Instagram: "No chance this bus wasn’t going to get tested and approved by yours truly🙂↕️✅
Waterloo -> Lewisham😮💨📍
I’ll be shamelessly unleashing my bus series on IG😉
#fyp #runnin...
3,432 likes, 127 comments - izzettj on November 5, 2025: "No chance this bus wasn’t going to get tested and approved by yours truly🙂↕️✅
Waterloo -> Lewisham😮💨📍
I’ll be shamelessly unleashing my bu...
www.instagram.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Love this www.instagram.com/reel/DQrzAkb... racing the new Superloop on foot.
Izzett describes pedestrian crossing wait times as 'enemies of progress'
Izzett describes pedestrian crossing wait times as 'enemies of progress'
I FOI'd English councils whether they use legal land purchase powers to create traffic-free paths. Just 1% said they have successfully.
Why is something that's so common for roads almost never done for cycle routes? And what does it mean for cycling?
lauralaker.substack.com/p/cycleways-...
Why is something that's so common for roads almost never done for cycle routes? And what does it mean for cycling?
lauralaker.substack.com/p/cycleways-...
November 13, 2025 at 2:18 PM
I FOI'd English councils whether they use legal land purchase powers to create traffic-free paths. Just 1% said they have successfully.
Why is something that's so common for roads almost never done for cycle routes? And what does it mean for cycling?
lauralaker.substack.com/p/cycleways-...
Why is something that's so common for roads almost never done for cycle routes? And what does it mean for cycling?
lauralaker.substack.com/p/cycleways-...
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?
In which I visited Milton Keynes, and committed a faux pas. And had some thoughts about the city's 200 miles of cycle routes, known as the redways lauralaker.substack.com/p/milton-key...
Milton Keynes, land of cycling dreams?
And some illicit perching on concrete cows
lauralaker.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:41 PM
In which I visited Milton Keynes, and committed a faux pas. And had some thoughts about the city's 200 miles of cycle routes, known as the redways lauralaker.substack.com/p/milton-key...
What a lovely event. Trusting this leopard with a set of yellow and red cards was a dubious choice, though. Option to donate to the excellent XO bikes still open www.justgiving.com/campaign/don...
October 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
What a lovely event. Trusting this leopard with a set of yellow and red cards was a dubious choice, though. Option to donate to the excellent XO bikes still open www.justgiving.com/campaign/don...
It seems to me too many of us drastically underestimate the damage a vehicle can do when we're driving:
The 49-year-old driver said he had seen her, but did not know why he hit her, claiming he would ask himself the question for his "whole life".
The 49-year-old driver said he had seen her, but did not know why he hit her, claiming he would ask himself the question for his "whole life".
Cyclist Rebecca Comins' death investigated by Crash Detectives - BBC News
Rebecca Comins, described as a "fierce competitor", had reached speeds of up to 30mph.
share.google
October 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
It seems to me too many of us drastically underestimate the damage a vehicle can do when we're driving:
The 49-year-old driver said he had seen her, but did not know why he hit her, claiming he would ask himself the question for his "whole life".
The 49-year-old driver said he had seen her, but did not know why he hit her, claiming he would ask himself the question for his "whole life".
Reposted by Laura Laker
Something like this?
October 10, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Something like this?
A bit more of a personal essay this week, some musings on cycling for fun lauralaker.substack.com/p/off-the-road
Off the road
A week of illness and a chance to look back
lauralaker.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 11:30 AM
A bit more of a personal essay this week, some musings on cycling for fun lauralaker.substack.com/p/off-the-road
A basic artists' income trial in Ireland. For every €1 of public money invested in the pilot, society received €1.39 in return. www.gov.ie/en/departmen...
October 7, 2025 at 10:03 AM
A basic artists' income trial in Ireland. For every €1 of public money invested in the pilot, society received €1.39 in return. www.gov.ie/en/departmen...