£20m boost to encourage cycling
The Government is to provide an extra £20 million to encourage more cycling.
Projects – for English cities, towns and villages – could include better cycle facilities at railway stations and improved cycle links.
There could also be improvements to the layout of road junctions to make them more cycle-friendly.
Transport Minister Norman Baker said: “Cycling is great for your health, the economy, and for the environment, so we are determined to make it easier for people to cycle, whether for leisure, getting to the shops or as part of their commute to work.
“Following the success of the Olympics, there is a huge appetite for more cycling provision from the travelling public and we need to capitalise on this enthusiasm at local and national level. That is why we are investing £20 million in cycling infrastructure.”
Public Health Minister Anna Soubry said: “Being active helps us stay healthy and protects against life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, type-2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.
“Cycling is a great way for adults to get their recommended 150 minutes of physical activity each week and this funding will help encourage more people to get involved.”
The £20 million is in addition to £30 million already announced for similar projects this year which drew in an additional £15 million in matched funding from local sources. The projects to be funded will be announced later in the year.
In a joint statement, British Cycling and the cycling charity CTC said: “We welcome the announcement of much-needed investment in cycling. It is encouraging to see funding being allocated to improve conditions on the road.
“We now need to see real leadership right across the Government to get Britain cycling. If cycling is put at the heart of transport policy – so that all decisions are made with cycling in mind – we can create a cycling nation to rival countries like Denmark.”
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