Big Bike Revival Gets £Multi-million Boost

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26 March 2019 | Updated 28 March 2019

The Department for Transport has pledged £23 million of government funding to boost to cycling and walking nationwide.

Transport Minister (who is also known as the Cycling Minister) Jesse Norman has announced £21 million to improve significant on and off-road stretches of the 16,000-mile National Cycle Network (NCN) and a further £2 million to encouraging more people to cycle and walk - so that greener travel choices are the norm.

Communities across England will benefit from upgrades to existing cycle routes and improved cycleway connectivity. Norman said: "Cycling and walking are a key part of our plans to make transport cleaner, greener and more productive. This funding will help ensure that everyone can enjoy routes which connect communities across the UK, and benefit from the huge health and environmental benefits of cycling."

Paths for Everyone

The investment, the allocation of which will be managed by cycling and walking charity Sustrans, will fund dozens of activation projects for upgrading the network - which were identified in the recent Paths for Everyone report - including:

• Refurbishing and upgrading Cinder Track North in Whitby to improve access to a substantial new housing development.

• Converting a poor on-road section of the NCN between Dewsbury and Huddersfield to a combination of traffic free and full segregation.

• Connecting current paths through the centre of Lincoln.

• Re-routing busy on-road sections with poor junction facilities to an alternative traffic-free route in Longbridge, Birmingham.

• Creating a new quiet-way route to replace a busy on-road section between Luton and Dunstable.

• Improving a road crossing and re-routing to traffic-free alternatives around Ashton Court in Bristol.

• Improving and extending paths connecting Thatcham and Newbury.

£2 million

The £2 million set aside for encouraging cycling will be spent on projects such as the Living Streets Walk to School outreach programme and Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival will also receive investment to continue its work inspiring the 42% of people who own bikes but do not cycle, to start riding.

Transforming crucial links

Xavier Brice, Chief Executive of Sustrans said: "As the custodians of the National Cycle Network we are very excited by this investment in transforming crucial links for communities across England, making it easier for everyone to walk and cycle."

Picture: Cycle routes are to get a £21 million government funding boost.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 26 March 2019

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