Funding for road maintenance welcome, do the same for cycling says CTC
Today (Tuesday 23 December 2014) CTC, the national cycling charity, welcomed the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmation of its earlier announcement to provide dedicated funding to improve the conditions of England’s roads, but also expressed disappointment at a missed opportunity to incentivise councils to cycle-proof their planned road maintenance works.
Under the DfT announcement over £4.7 billion will be shared between 115 councils and a further £575 million will be available through a new challenge fund to help repair and maintain local highway infrastructure such as junctions, bridges and street lighting. A further £578 million has also been set aside for an incentive fund scheme which will start in 2016 to reward councils who demonstrate they are delivering value for money in carrying out cost effective improvements.
As part of the criteria to this funding, CTC would like to see DfT encouraging councils to think about whether road layouts could be made more cycle-friendly when resurfacing is carried out. This could be a very cost-effective way of delivering improved cycling conditions.
Paul Tuohy, CTC Chief Executive said:
“It’s encouraging to see the Government employing a long term strategy on mending the surface of our roads, and I hope that they will now plan similarly for cycling.
“Potholes have long been the scourge of English roads – which is why we created our Fill that Hole app to report them. When fixing them it is important to prioritise local roads and streets, as these are most frequently used by pedestrians and cyclists.
Paul Tuohy, CTC CEO
“It is disappointing that the Government will not consider cycle-proofing planned maintenance as one of the criteria for their incentive fund. As we have seen with the success in Plymouth, planned road maintenance is a prime time also to put in good quality cycling infrastructure. By doing these two things together, both time and money savings can be made.”
Notes to editors
- To learn more about the Fill that Hole application visit: www.fillthathole.org.uk
- For further information on CTC, the UK’s largest cycling charity, inspires and helps people to cycle and keep cycling, whatever kind of cycling they do or would like to do. Over a century’s experience tells us that cycling is more than useful transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone.
- CTC, in coalition with the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Sustrans, Living Streets, British Cycling and the Richmond Group is currently calling for an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill which will ensure that there is a long term investment strategy for cycling and walking. For further information see: http://engagement.ctc.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1689&ea.campaign.id=34053
Press contact information
CTC Press Office
Email: publicity@ctc.org.uk
Telephone: 0844-736-8453
