Metro Mayor announces £3.6 million of funding for cycle facilities

The Bristol and Bath area is getting more cycling facilities thanks to £3.6 million pounds of funding from the regional mayor.

Dan Norris, who runs the West of England Combined authority, says it will be used to install 80 hangers for locking up your bike across the region.

The focus will be to encourage local people to travel by bike for those shorter everyday journeys.

The Mayor says he wants to make it easier and more secure to park your bike, with new facilities right across Bristol, Bath and NE Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.

There'll also be improvements to cycle lanes including on Deanery Road and the Malago Greenway as well as walking and cycling improvements linking Redcross Street to Braggs Lane.

Warmley and Longwell Green residents could see a host of improvements to provide a much-improved cycling route and access between the two areas.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “If we are going to cut the jams and reduce pollution, one tool in our arsenal has to be more cycling and walking. To be the natural choice, getting on a bike has to be a safe, pleasant and convenient experience. Cycling shouldn’t be the preserve of the lyrca-clad super fit, but for as many people as possible.

“That means segregated cycle lanes, so people feel safe, and somewhere secure to lock up your bike - plus much, much more. Winning this cash is testament to the confidence in the plan we have here in the West of England to make walking and cycling the natural choice for shorter everyday journeys. This is another step along that path as we take the action necessary to try to reach our really ambitious West of England net-zero target.”

This money builds on the £10 million-plus previously secured by Mayor Norris from ministers for walking, cycling and wheeling schemes in the West of England region.

Just yesterday, more frequent trains started running between Bristol and Gloucester, which you can read about here: Metro Mayor 'proud' more frequent trains can run from Monday

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