Shrewsbury awarded cycling town status

Shrewsbury has today (Thursday 19 June) been named one of 11 new cycling towns and cities across England.

As a cycling town, Shrewsbury will receive £1.5 million of investment from the Department for Transport via Cycling England over the next three years. This money - which will be matched by Shropshire County Council and other partners - will be used to improve cycling routes around the town, making it easier to cycle for everyday journeys and for leisure.

Shrewsbury was chosen from 74 towns and cities across England. Success was due to the town’s strong track record in encouraging cycling, the high level of support for the project from Shropshire County Council and a wide range of partners and the high quality of Shropshire’s bid.

By improving facilities for cycling, Shrewsbury residents and visitors will be able to benefit from a low cost, healthy and surprisingly quick way of getting around, whether it’s journeys to school or work, popping to the shops or just for fun.

John Everall, Shropshire County Council’s Cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been awarded cycling town status. There is a huge potential for more local trips to be made by cycle. For example, nearly two thirds of all journeys to work are less than three miles, a distance that can be cycled in less than 20 minutes.

“As a cycling town we will be able to put in place the safe routes that adults and children need to feel safe when cycling around town. This will help more people to enjoy this healthy, sustainable and cheap way of travelling.”

Shropshire County Council will be working in close partnership with the Primary Care Trust and a number of other key partners in delivering the strategy over the next three years.

Actions will include improved cycle routes to schools and workplaces, and better facilities for cycling to and through the town centre. Safer cycle routes will be complemented with a package of training and promotional activities, many focused around schools and workplaces. This will include improved information on cycling opportunities, more cycle training, free cycle maintenance to get old bikes back on the road, bike loan and hire schemes and cycle events.

Over the three-year project the aim will be to increase the town’s cycle network by one third with an additional 15km of safe routes. It is hoped that more people will be able to enjoy cycling for everyday journeys and leisure, with one in 10 journeys to work and one in eight school trips being made by bike.

19 June 2008