The company has invested £85million into 160 new and
upgraded cycleways since 2015, with more to come.
With home working, staycations and local trips all
being embraced following the easing of lockdown,
cyclists are being encouraged to get on their bikes for
any reason this year - not just a healthy commute.
The national day - which aims to boost cycling
participation in the UK - is a great reminder of
Highways England’s cycle routes which criss-cross the
country, helping to link villages, towns and cities.
Steven Wright, Highways England’s User and Community
lead, said:
We’re committed to significantly improving safety
across our network and serving all users beyond road
journeys, and these new and improved cycle and
footpaths are prime examples of this, making life
easier and safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
Since 2015, Highways England has pumped more than £85
million into 160 new and upgraded cycle ways across
the country and this wouldn’t have been possible
without the support of a range of partners including
Sustrans, Cycling UK and Transport Focus.
We’re now looking to build on the successes over the
past five years, seizing opportunities to better
connect our network to its surroundings and hope that
this Cycle to Work Day, people get on their bikes and
experience some of the routes we’ve invested in.
The cycle and walking charity Sustrans is one of
Highways England’s partners and the collaboration has
delivered a £3 million boost to cycle routes and cycle
crossings across England.
James Cleeton, England Director, South at Sustrans
said:
With things a little different this year, Cycle to
Work Day is a great opportunity to get out and
explore some new routes.
We’re really pleased to be working with Highways
England on a number of routes across the country. We
recently completed works on a traffic-free cycling
and walking route in Plymouth, to serve those
travelling between the city and Plympton. Works
included the installation of a new bridge, allowing
easier access for adapted cycles and mobility aids.
Improvements such as these are essential as we begin
to emerge from lockdown, and people are looking for
safe and physically distanced ways to travel.
Here are a few routes worth a pedal this summer:
- Heading to Scarborough and Yorkshire’s east coast -
the A64 route has benefited from 13 new or improved
pedestrian/cyclist crossings between Staxton and
Seamer. Work on the new widened footpaths and signs,
staggered crossing points and cleared vegetation was
completed in March.
- The A20 Lydden Spout, Dover to Folkestone scheme
connects the coastal towns of Folkestone and Dover with
an off-highway cliff top route. Highways England worked
in partnership with Sustrans and the National Trust on
the scheme which takes in sites of interest including
the Abbots Cliff Sound mirror – a World War II
listening station – and a Millennium Marker Post, one
of four art pieces installed to celebrate the National
Cycle Network at the turn of the century.
- People cycling or walking on the National Cycle
Network linking London Stansted Airport with
communities in Essex are benefiting from £800,000 of
improvements provided by this special fund in 2018.
Cyclists can enjoy a safe and scenic route across the
busy M11 motorway thanks to the Highways England
project to restore the one-mile route between
Birchanger village and the airport. Previously, people
commuting on bikes to the airport were having to
navigate the tricky junction 8 of the M11, and were
often put off using what was little more than a dirt
track. Resurfacing sections of the path, putting up new
signs, and clearing overhanging vegetation has provided
an attractive, traffic-free way to commute to the
airport.
- Cyclists heading to Bridport in Dorset can take
advantage of the newly opened North Bridport/Bradpole
and South Bridport/Bothenhampton cycle route. Highways
England helped fund the Dorset Council scheme to
improve cycleways and footpaths, and upgraded crossings
on both the A35 and Sea Road South in Bridport. A new,
unsegregated footway and cycleway has been installed
along Sea Road North, together with a new toucan
crossing, while the existing puffin crossing on Sea
Road South has been upgraded to a toucan crossing.
Cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders will see more
benefits over the next five years, with £169 million
set aside in Highways England’s new Users
and Communities Fund. The company is using
the fund to improve services for users and neighbours
of England’s motorways and major A-roads, including
increasing the options people have for sustainable
travel.
New schemes that cyclists can look forward to
benefitting from in the next few years, and that are
well-suited to cycling outside of work, include:
- The A66 Threlkeld to Keswick trail in the Lake
District National Park - Forming part of both the
National Cycle Network and the Sea to Sea path, the
predominately off-highway route is used by commuters
and tourists alike, connecting visitor hotspot Keswick
with the village of Threlkeld. Cyclists and walkers
could be using this popular route and former railway
line by Christmas – five years after it was badly
damaged in Storm Desmond. Highways England has put up
almost half the £7.9 million needed to restore the path
which includes replacing bridges swept away in the
storm, stabilising adjacent river embankments,
resurfacing the path and re-opening an old railway
tunnel.
- Designed to connect coastal and rural communities
with key services in Truro, the A30 Saint’s Trail will
serve tourists and residents - Moving to construction
earlier this year, Highways England will make the path
suitable for those new to cycling and younger users,
ensuring it is perfect for holiday makers cycling for
fun.
- Working in conjunction with Wiltshire Council, our
A303 Solstice Way scheme will provide a key link in the
route leading to the world-famous heritage site
Stonehenge. It will see cyclists able to avoid a dual
carriageway, making journey by bike a viable option for
history lovers planning their trip.
- A259 corridor – means cyclists in West Sussex will
soon benefit from a new seven-mile route linking
Chichester to Emsworth . The project is expected to
begin construction next year and will connect villages
along the corridor providing commuting and leisure
facilities.
, CEO
at Transport Focus, said:
Highways England and its partners have
worked relentlessly during the first Road Investment
Period to meet more user needs including cyclists,
through 160 new and upgraded cycleways that people
are using for commuting and leisure across the
country.
The message of this year’s Cycle to Work Day is
encouraging people to get on their bike for any
reason. We expect usage to rise as more people
recognise the benefits of cycling both on health, but
also as a safe and alternative way to travel. Our
road user research for the second Road Investment
Strategy highlighted that improved provision for
cyclists continues to be a key priority, and we look
forward to seeing Highways England continue to invest
in this area over the next five years.
For anyone embracing pedal power this summer British
Cycling is offering advice on how to prepare your bike
before hitting the road. Their short video takes
cyclists step-by-step through the things they’ll need
to check, including brakes, gears and any signs of tyre
wear or punctures. The video can be watched here.
Other tips for keeping safe while out and about from
British Cycling include: maintaining a good road
position, typically a third of a way into the lane from
the kerb; signalling clearly; obeying the rules of the
road; and looking ahead to anticipate hazards. Find out
more here.
Highways England manages four designated funds,
allocated by the Government, to deliver benefits above
and beyond building, maintaining and operating
England’s strategic roads. From protecting the
environment and enhancing the landscape around roads,
to improving safety, reducing congestion, and
supporting communities, the aim is to make a positive
difference to people’s lives.
