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SEStran identifies priorities for urban cycling investment

Date: 14th October 2009

The board of SEStran will consider a report which lays out a strategy for investment in urban cycling infrastructure in South East Scotland.

 

The report includes a strategy for investment and a study report assessing the quality of cycling provision throughout the region, the results of a stakeholder consultation, and a best practice review.

 The strategy includes a range of recommendations intended to focus the efforts of SEStran’s partner authorities on the identification and prioritisation of route improvements. These will include measures such as:
  • Improved Signing
  • More and better cycle parking
  • Integration with public transport
  • A high standard of maintenance of cycle facilities
  • Promotion of a range of measures to encourage cycling and improve safety levels

An action plan, with indicative levels of investment broken down by local authority area, is provided within the strategy.

 

SEStran Chair, Cllr Russell Imrie said:

 

“If we want to encourage more people to consider cycling as a serious transportation option we need to ensure that it is safe, easy and convenient. This investment strategy offers clear guidance on how best to develop the region’s urban cycling network to maximise its effectiveness”.

 

 “The development of urban cycling networks has a high priority in SEStran’s Regional Transpors Strategy (RTS); our key template for building a sustainable transportation system in south east Scotland. The RTS envisages developing key urban cycle routes mainly to parallel the major transport flows identified within the region”.

 

“Cycling has the potential to make a major contribution towards cutting traffic congestion and reducing the size of our carbon footprint. It can also play a major role in improving public health and can often be the quickest form of transportation for shorter journeys”.

 ENDS

SEStran - South East of Scotland Transport Partnership - is one of seven new Statutory Regional Transport Partnerships (RTP) created by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 and is a partnership of eight local councils covering the Borders, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian,  Edinburgh, Falkirk and Fife.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Dougal,

SEStran Communications Officer

T: 0131-524-5161

M: 07889-010-291

E: Andrew.dougal@sestran.gov.uk