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We shared a giant ‘Paths for Everyone’ cake with delegates at the Sustainable Travel Expo in Bradford this week to celebrate the National Cycle Network and showcase its review of 16,575 miles of routes around the UK.
Rosslyn Colderley, our Director in the North of England, cut the cake alongside Gillian Ivey, Chair of the Trans Pennine Trail, Kim Groves, Chair of Transport for West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Councillor Martyn Bolt.
We presented the findings of the ‘Paths for Everyone’ review report of the National Cycle Network at the event in Kala Sangam to groups encouraging more people to travel by bicycle, walking and public transport throughout West Yorkshire.
Yorkshire has 1,156 miles of cycle and walking routes as part of the Network, including traffic-free routes such as the Spen Valley Greenway, which runs between Dewsbury and Bradford, the Airedale Greenway between Keighley and Shipley, and popular long-distance routes the Trans Pennine Trail and Way of the Roses.
In its review, the charity reveals the current state of the 23-year-old Network and a long-term plan to make it traffic-free and tackle physical problems.
Over half (57%) of the UK population lives within a mile of the National Cycle Network, but major improvements for access and safety are needed to open it up to everyone, including children, wheelchair users, those riding non-standard cycles and the less physically active.
Only 54% of the Network is currently suitable for a 12-year-old to use safely, a road safety benchmark set by the UK Government.
Sustrans, working with local authorities, aim to deliver 55 priority schemes, including projects in the Calder Valley, Methley, Harrogate and Wetherby, across the UK, ranging from improving signage to re-designing junctions and creating traffic-free paths. These are to be finalised by 2023.
Rosslyn Colderley, Sustrans Regional Director for the North of England said:
“The National Cycle Network is a well-loved, well-used asset that’s enjoyed by millions of people across the UK every day. We are proud that Yorkshire has over 1,000 miles of Network, which is also a fantastic asset for tourism thanks to popular long-distance routes such as the Way of the Roses and the Trans Pennine Trail. We are working with local authorities across the region to ensure the Network is part of wider plans for walking and cycling and helping to create links to routes across the UK.
“We want to build on its success and make the Network safer and more accessible for everyone, not just for people who currently use it. Our 'Paths for Everyone’ report lays out an ambitious vision to make the Network traffic free and safe for a 12-year-old to use on their own.”
Find out more about the 'Paths for Everyone’ review and download a local action plan
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Responding to the Government’s two-year action plan to improve safety for vulnerable road users, published today, Xavier Brice, Chief Executive at Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity said:
“We welcome this wide-ranging and encouraging 50-point action plan that will help to make walking and cycling safer for everyone, and feel safer for everyone.
“Sustrans particularly welcomes the commitment to review the Highway Code in order to better protect and prioritise some of our most vulnerable road users.
“It is disappointing that speed reduction is not addressed more boldly. Our recent review of the National Cycle Network highlights the need to create safer spaces for people to walk and cycle, by reducing speed limits and creating more paths away from cars. Reducing the speed limit to 40mph on minor rural roads and 20mph in built-up areas can play a huge role in making active travel a more welcoming prospect for everyone.
“Overall, the action plan covers a wide range of issues which aim to make a real difference for walking and cycling. This is a big step forward and we look forward to working with the Minister and the Department for Transport, and other organisations, on progressing it.”
Sustrans is part of the walking and cycling alliance, a coalition of the UK’s leading walking and cycling organisations of the Bicycle Association, Cycling UK, the Ramblers, British Cycling, Living Streets and Sustrans.
The alliance is calling for Government to bring about five changes to make our roads safer for pedestrians and people on bikes:
Safety: revise the Highway Code to improve safety for people walking and cycling, particularly at junctions. Speed: reduce default speed limits to 20 mph for most roads in built-up areas and 40 mph for most minor rural roads. Space: adopt and ensure consistent application of existing ‘best-in-class’ infrastructure design standards. Priority: prohibit pavement parking to create safer and more accessible streets. Culture: provide cycle training for all primary and secondary school children, and embed a culture of walking and cycling throughout the school curriculum.For more information, images and interviews please contact:
Anna Galandzij, Senior Press Officer at Sustrans, anna.galandzij@sustrans.org.uk, 07557 915648
Liv Denne, Press and Media Officer at Sustrans, liv.denne@sustrans.org.uk, 07768 035318
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