UK Government pledges funding for new cycling routes
Posted on in Cycles News , Outdoor News
The UK Government has pledged to invest £20 million towards the
creation of 22 new cycling routes, as well as the improvement of current
cycling routes and improved links to other transport modes.
The funding was pledged with the intention to reduce congestion, ensure the safety of road junctions for cyclists, create more accessible paths and improve road signage. The National Cycle Network scheme already helps 4.5 million people to make journeys each year without using a car.
Cycling Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: "This funding will put the
right infrastructure in place, so people can enjoy new routes on foot or
by bike, supporting the government's ambition for cycling and walking
to become the natural choice for shorter journeys by 2040."
The cycling and walking investment strategy was originally published in 2017 and sets out the government's plan for active and more environmentally friendly travel. Almost £2 billion is projected to be invested over this Spending Review period in cycling and walking in the 4-5 years between 2016/17 and 2020/21, and investment per head has increased three-fold since 2010.
Schemes such as the National Cycle Network are part of a country-wide effort on both the government's behalf and cycling charities to encourage Britain's population to ditch their cars and use a method of travelling that is more beneficial to the environment, their health and their pockets. As a nation, Britain continues to strive for successful cycling - in 2017, cyclists travelled 3.3 billion miles on British roads, 3% further than in the previous year, and 29% further than 20 years ago. As these figures continue to increase with schemes such as this one propelling them forward, IBDs are presented with opportunities to promote their shops to the increasing amount of potential customers.
An easy way to ensure your store is visible to consumers is through adding your shop to The Cycling Experts directory, which customers can use to find IBDs near them and also view whether they are Cytech qualified.