£20 million boost for cycling

Greater Manchester given a £20 million boost as part of a national bid to get more people on bikes

Cycling in Greater Manchester has been given a £20 million boost from the Government’s Cycle City Ambition Grant as part of a national bid to get more people on bikes.

Nearly 8,000 people backed the bid to the Department for Transport’s Cycle City Ambition Grant in an online poll, demonstrating the community’s support for the proposals.

The immediate release of the £20 million grant means work can start on delivering specific projects over the next two years.

Projects now possible:

• A major new network of strategic, integrated and – where possible – segregated cycle routes to employment centres, schools and leisure facilities. 
• Locally funded work to ‘mainstream’ cycling – promoting it to young and old to create a cultural shift in attitudes. 
• Work with a number of schools and colleges to improve cycle facilities so as to encourage cycling as a travel option for younger people. 

Greater Manchester authorities are currently spending more than £50 million in a series of schemes to encourage people to make more sustainable transport choices for their commute, including cycling.

Measures have included one-to-one road skills tuition for cycling commuters and new, super-secure parking for bikes at key locations in Cycle Hubs.

Greater Manchester’s vision is for up to 10% of all journeys to be made by bike by 2025.