Bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure should be at the forefront of every town planner’s mind. Networks of bike lanes, traffic free paths, limited car parking and controls on automobiles should not be utopian dreams; they should be reality.

They promote healthier lifestyles and safer places for those already using alternative transport, but mostly they promote a better sense of community, where we care more for each other.

Some alternative transport is not a choice. Riding and walking are your staple mode of transport until 16, and if you then continue in full-time education, many cannot afford to even start thinking about driving until they reach their 20s.

I didn’t pass my driving test until 23, but I had passed my cycling proficiency test twice in the meantime. I did it twice because I liked the little badge you got when you passed!

Re-establishing small communities based around the bicycle for transportation has been done well in Europe and America. Copenhagen and Portland, Oregon, are excellent examples and people who live there rave about the increased sense of community that has developed from their “liveable” streets.

In both examples it took the people at the top to make a conscious decision to promote alternative forms of transport to the car.

We have to campaign hard as a community to establish changes. One such example of sustained community action is the West Oxford cycle path campaign.

The group wants an off road cycle/footpath along the B4044 from Eynsham to Oxford via Farmoor.

This is a vital link for thousands of people.

I have cycled this road many times. However, each time I set out on the B4044 I make a small prayer in case I don’t make it to the other end.

The road is narrow, full of potholes and unlit, and the speed of the vehicles is incredibly fast. There isn’t even a footpath so you can break the law cycling on it to save your own neck.

Local people want to make the short journey (it’s under 10 miles) to schools and shops by foot or bike, but cannot because it is just too risky.

Quite ironically, the county council’s Hill End environmental centre is along this road and boasts eco-centre status. How eco-friendly is a place you can only safely access by car?

I made a conscious decision in my 20s to live in close proximity to my work. I shop in my local shop and market, I know most of the people I pass on the way to work and I have met many good friends and acquaintances on a bike that enrich my life every day.

If I lived further away and drove 10 miles to work every day my mental state would not be what it is today.

I hope the West Oxford cycle path is successful as it will transform the lives of many and extend our community. If you want to help make the path a reality, sign the petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ westoxfordcycletrackcampaign/ to find out more about the campaign visit https://sites.google.com/ site/westoxfordcyclepath/