UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced the UK Government’s biggest single investment in cycling, which includes US$179 million to secure funding to support the Cycling Ambition Cities Programme for the next three years in Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich and Oxford accelerate their development of local cycling networks, increase protection for cyclists at junctions and traffic hot spots and help prevent accidents.
US$157 million will also be invested over the next years to improve the conditions for cyclists and walkers travelling alongside and crossing Britain’s most important and busiest roads, or the Strategic Road Network.
This brings the total invested in cycling by the government to US$924 million.
Recent research commissioned by British Cycling found that if the UK became a cycling nation like the Netherlands or Denmark it could: save the NHS £17 billion within 20 years; reduce road deaths by three per cent; increase mobility of the nation’s poorest families by 25 per cent; and increase retail sales by a quarter.
The Deputy Prime Minister will also launch two new initiatives to help inspire a new generation of cyclists: a new scheme from Halfords, which will recondition and donate bikes and helmets to primary school children in disadvantaged areas of the 8 current cycling cities; and a new pilot scheme to enhance the Bikeability cycle training programme to provide extra training to schools and parents, each designed to address a specific barrier to cycling.
US$157 million will also be invested over the next years to improve the conditions for cyclists and walkers travelling alongside and crossing Britain’s most important and busiest roads, or the Strategic Road Network.
This brings the total invested in cycling by the government to US$924 million.
Recent research commissioned by British Cycling found that if the UK became a cycling nation like the Netherlands or Denmark it could: save the NHS £17 billion within 20 years; reduce road deaths by three per cent; increase mobility of the nation’s poorest families by 25 per cent; and increase retail sales by a quarter.
The Deputy Prime Minister will also launch two new initiatives to help inspire a new generation of cyclists: a new scheme from Halfords, which will recondition and donate bikes and helmets to primary school children in disadvantaged areas of the 8 current cycling cities; and a new pilot scheme to enhance the Bikeability cycle training programme to provide extra training to schools and parents, each designed to address a specific barrier to cycling.
