Norman Baker, transport minister, has announced an extra £20 million for cycle infrastructure in a move to help people take to two wheels.
The DfT says the funding can be used for projects such as better cycle facilities at railway stations, improved cycle links, or projects to improve the layout of road junctions to make them more cycle-friendly.
Norman Baker announced the cash boost yesterday (28 Nov) at a conference in Leicester which looked at how health and transport officials can work together to deliver better options for cycling and walking in their local areas.
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.”
The £20 million announced yesterday is in addition to £30 million made available for similar projects earlier 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.
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Dave, Dave. We can’t go on critising the newly found saviours of the human race. Never mind walking, the new green is cycling.
This £20m plus is on top of the £800m which has been and is to be spent on cyclists from 2009 until 2014.
Got to say though that we as car drivers do injure many motorcyclists but when it comes to actual deaths, which account for one quarter of all road deaths annually, many of those deaths are created by and the sole responsibility of the motorcyclists themselves, that’s about 4 out of 5.
I doubt this will see publication.
bob craven Lancs
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We kill 5 times more motorcyclists than cyclists every year. Where’s the investment in safety there?
Dave, Leeds
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Daily Mail columnist Melanie Phillips asks: ‘Why do so many cyclists think they are above the Law?” Some of what she says is:
Far from being calm, gentle or civilised, many cyclists have proved to be the exact opposite. Large numbers of cyclists have brought a new level of aggression and indeed menace to our city streets.
A few weeks ago, I started to cross the road when the green man flashed up at the lights.
I saw something hurtling towards me and sprang backwards just in time. A cyclist had jumped the red light and almost knocked me down as he sped across the junction.
Furious, I shouted after him that he had jumped the lights. To my astonishment he stopped and, looking back over his shoulder, shouted abuse at me for having dared try to interrupt his progress by crossing the road.
Robert Bolt, Chiswell Green
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