Liberal Democrat deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced a massive £3.8 million boost for cycling in Bath, which will see important routes being improved over the next three years.
It is part of £115 million in funding for cycling projects across the UK to improve the safety and accessibility of cycle routes. The money will be awarded over a 3 year period.
Steve Bradley, the candidate to succeed Don Foster as Lib Dem MP for Bath, welcomed the news. He said: “As a committed cyclist myself, I’m proud of the LibDems for championing cycling in Bath and in doing so making our city even better.
“Encouraging cycling and making it safer and more accessible is a winner for everyone. Research shows that more cycling means we can save a fortune on the NHS and reduce congestion and pollution.
“The Lib Dem Council has been doing a great job for cyclists and this money will allow them to do much more.’
Access to the Bath Riverside Enterprise Area and the city centre will be improved with ambitious schemes building on the existing network.
The Bath proposal will also improve the important NCN4 cycle route running east-west through the city and linking it with Bristol and Wiltshire.
The popular Railway Path and Two Tunnels routes converge close to either side of the Windsor Bridge in the Bath Enterprise Area.
This proposal will provide a new crossing of the River Avon for pedestrians and cyclists, linking both of these important cycle routes plus a new east-west off-road route to be constructed through the Bath Riverside development by reopening the Locksbrook (River Avon) Railway Bridge.
The scheme also includes plans to widen and strengthen an existing pedestrian bridge to enable access for cyclists across the River Avon from the south into Bath Spa Station.
This will link new cycling infrastructure, currently being constructed in the Widcombe area of Bath with Bath Spa Station and the city centre.
The NCN4 along the Kennet & Avon Canal Tow Path will be upgraded to improve cycling access from the east of Bath and a new cycle link across the River Avon will be introduced, linking into the Canal Tow Path to maximise its use.
This will lead to an improvement in road safety, a reduction in congestion and improve air quality in Bath’s Air Quality Improvement Area.
In government, the Liberal Democrats have worked tirelessly to boost the UK’s cycling infrastructure.
Following Nick Clegg’s announcement last year of £100m for improving cyclist and pedestrian access along key roads in Britain, the government’s total investment in cycling was brought up to £588m.
Nick Clegg commented: “We are in the midst of a cycling revolution in the UK but we need to make sure we’re in the right gear to see it through.
“That’s why I’m so pleased to announce this investment for these major cities to make it easier for people to get around on two wheels.
“With the legacy of the 2012 Olympics and the Tour de France in Yorkshire last year still fresh in our minds, this money can help Britain become a cycling nation to rival the likes of Denmark and the Netherlands.”
1 Comment
Charlot Ann Coleman
Wednesday 4th March, 2015 at 12:52Not only to improve routes for cyclists, there’s also a need for regulations for cyclists who inappropriately flout the regulations of the Highway Code.
Only the other day, I saw a cyclist nearly run over a father and daughter because he went through a red traffic light. What gives the cyclists the right to be a danger to the public ?