Charity Calls for Cycle-Safe Measures in New Roads

New roads set to be built under plans announced by the government need to be equipped with features designed to make them safer for cyclists, riders' charity CTC has said.

The call was made by the body after the announcement of £2 billion of funding for new roads and enlarged junctions by the Department for Transport, compared with only £15 million for 'cycling rail' improvements.

This will include providing more safe storage for bikes at stations, so people can ride to them rather than having to use the car park, with an example of this being the creation of a 'cycle hub' for 415 bikes at Sheffield Station.

Money allocated for the projects will be spent by local enterprise partnerships as part of the 39 local growth deals in England and Wales, aimed at encouraging economic growth outside London and the south-east.

The charity's spokesman Chris Peck stated: "It is crucial that in these cases the roads must be properly 'cycle proofed' to ensure that they do not provide a barrier to cycling, and instead ensure that cycling benefits from any changes to existing road layouts, or is incorporated fully into new infrastructure."

However, he added, it appears many of the new developments will involve roads to new sites away from centres of population and other services, meaning most of the people working there will need to drive as it will be too far to walk or ride.

Among the "crumbs of comfort" listed by CTC in addition to the cycle hubs at stations are 'sustainable transport packages' aimed at providing extra help, such as more cycle access to stations and encouragement for more cycling in areas including Manchester, West Sussex and the West Midlands.

Launching the new rail hub in Sheffield, rail minister Baroness Kramer said "we are transforming cycling facilities at stations up and down the country" to encourage cycling.

However, CTC said the funding still falls well short of the £10-20 per head that the parliamentary Get Britain Cycling report identified as being required to raise the number of journeys made by bike from two per cent now to ten per cent by 2025.

Expert Opinion

The number of cyclists in our cities is increasing at a rapid rate and it would seem that we are playing catch up in terms of making our roads safer for them. <br/> <br/>“While any measure to improve the facilities for cyclists are to be welcomed, many cycling charities would like to see more investment made in making the roads a safer place for all users. <br/> <br/>“People on two wheels are vulnerable to injuries when they come up against cars and lorries on the roads and it only takes a small collision to have a severe impact on the lives of those affected. We’ve seen first-hand the devastating consequences of some cycling accidents on the road and it is vital that more is done to protect them and improve the way we get around in urban areas.”