The government says it has launched the “most ambitious plans yet to boost cycling and walking”, committing to thousands of miles of new protected bike lanes, cycle training and bikes available on prescription.
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“Tackling the causes of ill health, not just the symptoms, is vital to help reduce demand on the NHS, and taking up cycling has been proven to offer huge benefits for people’s physical and mental health,” said the government in a statement.
“The new plan aims to build on the significant increase in the number of people cycling during the pandemic. It sets out a comprehensive, long term vision to increase active travel and embed the benefits of walking and cycling into how we live, work and get around.”
Prime minister Boris Johnson said now is the “time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel – so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling”.
And in order to make sure schemes are “better designed around cyclists’ needs” schemes which “consist mainly of mainly of paint, which make pedestrians and cyclists share the same space, or which do not make meaningful change to the status quo on the road, will not be funded”.
Plans will be funded by £2bn of “new money announced earlier this year for walking and cycling”.
Quoted by The Guardian and in other media, Matt Mallinder, director of influence and engagement at the campaign group Cycling UK, said the plan was “a truly comprehensive and far reaching set of measures”, but warned about the levels of funding, saying the already announced £2bn “will not be enough” to “make the prime minister’s vision of a golden age of cycling come true”.
• You can read the full government statement here.
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What are the economic impacts of making more space for walking and cycling, is cycling infrastructure expensive, and other questions answered – by Sustrans’ Director for England South, James Cleeton
In the news
'Fix your bike' vouchers launch, as doctors to prescribe bikes on NHS – BBC Business
Residents to get new decision-making powers in England cycling 'revolution' - Guardian
Previously
Campaigners back new cycle lanes
Bullar Road: Police seize large number of bikes believed to be stolen