By Matt Prescott, member of SAP and co-founder at Robertsbridge Group

The mindset of the nineties and noughties is no longer valid for the urban commuter cyclist. Planners and policymakers are increasingly on your side, so there are certain behaviours to watch out for to avoid the low carbon communities agenda pedalling backwards.

1. The pedestrian is your friend, the cyclist is your friend. Pedestrians and cyclists, those natural bedfellows of sustainable cities, used to behave more convivially with one another. This is in grave danger of being lost forever through belligerent and pushy behaviour on both sides, to the cost of … cyclists and pedestrians.

2. Don’t jump the queue. It’s so un-British. When waiting at traffic lights, cars don’t push in front of one another. When buying a sandwich, people don’t push in at the front. Why is it then that a significant minority of cyclists stop in front of the queue of cyclists waiting for the light to go green? Especially when they are no faster (in fact often slower) than everyone else.

3. No longer hide behind the moral high ground. Walking and cycling are urban–friendly modes of travel. They cause no emissions, scarcely any noise pollution, they create no pressure for ugly car parks or more highways, they injure many fewer people. They are cheap or free to the citizen, better for public health, more sociable, more human in scale. Perfect for cities, but not an excuse for elitist rule-breaking behaviour. In order not to give more voice to the besmirched and miserable cabbie, it is finally time to follow the highway code.

4. A blame culture doesn’t wash. The default assumption in the cyclist community that any accident involving a cyclist is the fault of a driver is unhelpful. Cyclists need to take on a large share of responsibility for safer streets. Cycling is not the niche, hard-done-by special case any more. Good cycling will promote good, respectful behaviour all-round.

5. Admit you’re not a pro. Competitive behaviour was fun in the past when there was adequate ‘cyclist road space’. There isn’t any more. You are highly likely to annoy people.

A future in which cycling is the norm for urban travel depends on it being safe, enjoyable, easy and inclusive. This will involve gently steering the cycling community towards a more relaxed and friendly travel mindset – more characteristic of Amsterdam than New York. The time is ripe for urban cyclists in the UK to nudge one another in that direction. The wider benefits to sustainable urban design, sustainable communities and sustainable development is clear.