Government boosts latest UK cycling scheme with £6.5m investment

Cycle Ambition Cities are routing to make cycling the ‘natural choice of transport’ after bidding for a share of £6.5m government funding to get more people cycling safely.

In February, the Department for Transport gave Cycle Ambition Cities the chance to bid for this share of funding to trial new schemes aimed at improving road safety and creating more bike-friendly areas.

Since the announcement, the government has identified seven winning Cycle Ambition City bids and is contributing over £7m to these cities this year as part of the Department for Transport’s Cycle safety review.

Successful bids will be spent on a range of improvements to encourage more people to cycle as part of their everyday journeys - from a new six km cycle route in West Yorkshire to improving crossings for cyclists and pedestrians in Bristol and Cambridge.

Cycling minister, Jesse Norman said: “I want us to become a nation of cyclists, and to make cycling a natural choice for people of all ages and backgrounds.

“While Britain has some of the safest roads in the world, we want to encourage still more people to take up cycling.

“We are determined to make cycling safer and easier across the country. This funding, as part of our overall cycling and walking strategy, will help local councils to make their roads safer for everyone.”

The Department for Transport launched the first ever cycling and walking investment strategy in April 2017, to encourage more people to cycle and walk.

This aims to set out how the government will deliver its ambition for cycling, and outlines how the £1.2bn of funding available over the period to 2021 will be spent.

On June 1, 2018, the department’s call for evidence on cycling and walking in this country closed, providing an opportunity for people to share their views and opinions on everything from improved infrastructure to education for all road users.

The six Cycle Ambition Cities with successful bids are as follows: Birmingham; Bristol; Cambridge; Leeds; Manchester and Norwich.