This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New improvements to promote cycling
13/08/2003
Work to upgrade the National Cycle Network was today
completed by the transport charity Sustrans, using a £1.5
million grant from the Executive.
While visiting a Sustrans upgraded cycling track in
Lochwinnoch, Transport Minister Nicol Stephen also
announced £300,000 to help create Cycling Scotland, a new
cycling body with the full participation of the wider
cycling community. Cycling Scotland, which is expected to
be fully operational later this year, will promote bike use
and provide cyclists with advice and practical tips.
Mr Stephen said:
"Sustrans has accomplished an impressive amount of work
in a remarkable timescale. Projects like this demonstrate
the effectiveness of the partnership between the Executive,
Sustrans and local authorities in delivering tangible
benefits for cyclists.
"I am also happy to announce that the Executive has
agreed to core-fund Cycling Scotland, with a grant of
£300,000 in its first full year of operation. This is new
funding which shows that the Executive is "putting its
money where its mouth is" on the National Cycling
Strategy.
"Cycling Scotland will encourage cyclists to make use of
the National Cycle Network upgrades, run events, improve
facilities and offer information about cycling as part of a
range of measures to persuade people to get on their
bikes.
"Cycling is healthy and increasingly popular across
Scotland. The NCN is central to this growth. To attract
people, it must be seen to be safe and offer a high quality
environment. We are working in partnership with Sustrans
and local authorities to achieve this.
"The Executive also provides local authorities with
ring-fenced funding towards cycling and walking
initiatives. Local authorities decide how to spend this
money for various measures across Scotland including cycle
lockers, special lanes, separate cycle paths and even cycle
repair workshops."
The Executive provided funding for the Scottish Cycling
Forum to develop a business case for Cycling Scotland and
has provided £300,000 as initial core funding from the
Integrated Transport Fund. Cycling Scotland will be an
independent organisation to raise awareness of cycling in
Scotland and encourage it as an acceptable and attractive
lifestyle option. Working in partnership with all relevant
organisations, Cycling Scotland will promote the health,
environmental, sporting and practical transport benefits of
cycling. The new organisation is already established as a
limited company and will soon announce the appointment of
its inaugural Chief Executive. It will be guided by a board
of volunteer directors from the wider cycling community and
its stakeholders.
The UK National Cycling Strategy aims to quadruple 1996
cycling levels by 2012. The Scottish Executive's £1.5
million grant to Sustrans, announced last November, will
help achieve this target. In addition, nearly £21 million
of dedicated funding from the Executive has been allocated
to local authorities over the period 2000-2004 for cycling,
walking and safer streets projects, including Safer Routes
to School. In addition over £18m was been awarded to local
authorities through bidding to the Public Transport Fund
for cycling projects or projects with a large
cycling/walking element in them. Works valued at £7m have
been provided through the Trunk Roads Cycling Initiative
for trunk road sections of the National Cycle Network.
Sustrans is a sustainable transport charity which works
on practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle
and use public transport in order to reduce motor traffic
and its adverse effects. Sustrans' flagship project is the
National Cycle Network, creating 10,000 miles of routes
throughout the UK. Sustrans is a registered charity, and
thus dependent on voluntary and statutory funding. Further
information can be found at (
www.sustrans.org.uk).
The Minister was undertaking a visit to the West of
Scotland where he also visited Greenburn, near New Cumnock,
and made a Freight Facilities Grant announcement about a
light railway.