UK government invests £7m to boost cycle safety

The UK government will invest £7m ($5m) in cycling projects to improve road safety and create more bike-friendly areas that encourage more people to cycle as part of everyday journeys. It is part of the Department of Transport’s (DoT’s) cycle safety review, which aims to ensure that the country’s roads are as safe as possible for everyone using them. Eight cities, which have already received help from the government to promote cycling, will be able to bid for an additional £6.5m ($4.6m) of funding to
February 27, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

The UK government will invest £7m ($5m) in cycling projects to improve road safety and create more bike-friendly areas that encourage more people to cycle as part of everyday journeys. It is part of the Department of Transport’s (DoT’s) cycle safety review, which aims to ensure that the country’s roads are as safe as possible for everyone using them. 

Eight cities, which have already received help from the government to promote cycling, will be able to bid for an additional £6.5m ($4.6m) of funding to trial new schemes. These include Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge, Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester, Newcastle and Oxford.

In addition, £0.5m ($0.3m) will be reserved to support Cycling UK’s Big Bike revival, an initiative that intends to get more people cycling safely and confidently across the country.

The DoT has invited bids from eight councils and will be looking to support schemes which improve safety for cyclists as well as deliver benefits for pedestrians.
 
Jesse Norman cycling minister said: “Everyone should be able to take advantage of the huge health and environmental benefits of cycling.

“While Britain has some of the safest roads in the world, we want to encourage more people to take up cycling. This funding, as part of our overall cycling and walking strategy, will help local councils to make their roads safer for everyone.”

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Cycling UK, said: “Last year the big bike revival reached more than 50,000 people in England, and produced more than 6,000 regular cyclists, so the project represents incredible value for money.

“I’m delighted that the Department for Transport has recognised its significance by funding it for another year so we can get even more people cycling every day.”

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • Transport Systems Catapult boss: ‘We can’t build our way out of congestion’
    March 4, 2019
    The UK Transport Systems Catapult’s CEO Paul Campion talks to Colin Sowman about helping companies develop tomorrow’s solutions – and explains why you can never build your way to empty roads The future of mobility is going to be driven by services.” That’s the opening position of Paul Campion, CEO of the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) – the UK government organisation set up to help boost transport-related employment and the economy. Campion was previously with IBM and describes himself as a ‘techno o
    Read More
  • Government triples road funding
    February 12, 2014
    The UK government is tripling funding on the road network over the next eight years with more than US$40 billion to be spent on upgrading and improving the network until 2021. By the end of the next parliament, the government will be spending US$5 billion each year on improvements and maintenance for the strategic network alone. This locked-in funding commitment will support nearly 30,000 new jobs across the construction sector and at the same time deliver a safer, more sustainable road network that is fit
    Read More
  • London needs just one road user charge, says report
    July 8, 2019
    London’s patchwork of road charging schemes should be replaced by a single, distance-based user charge, according to new research. Apart from anything else, it would be much fairer… The UK capital’s multiple road charging schemes require a radical overhaul, according to a new report by the Centre for London thinktank. The suggested solution is to replace existing levies on drivers with a single, distance-based user charge which would more fairly reflect how much, and at what time, people are using London
    Read More
  • Grants available to encourage more Londoners to take up cycling
    July 31, 2017
    Transport for London (TfL) is inviting community and not-for-profit groups across London to apply for grants to get their communities cycling. This year TfL is making available up to US$393,000 (£300,000) to help 30 groups offer a range of cycling initiatives aimed at people who may not otherwise ride a bike. Initiatives include cycle training, loan bikes, guided rides and courses to teach basic cycle maintenance. New projects will receive up to US$13,000 (£10,000) over three years. To encourage an even wid
    Read More

Highlighted Content