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Residents will get powers to banish through-traffic from local streets and councils will be prevented from building substandard cycle lanes under what Downing Street has billed as a revolution for cycling and walking in England.
The plans will see the creation of a watchdog to ensure new cycle and walking routes are up to standard, intended to act as a transport equivalent of the schools inspectorate, Ofsted.
Active Travel England, to be led by a yet-to-be-appointed commissioner for walking and cycling, will refuse to fund paint-only bike lanes – without physical barriers or protection from cars – or routes where cyclists and pedestrians have to share space.
It could also cut budgets in other areas for highways departments which fail to deliver on active transport. The plans, led by Boris Johnson, will be funded by a previously announced £2 billion in new funding over five years, with a pledge of longer-term money.
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They include cycle training for every child or adult who seeks it, a pilot scheme for GPs to prescribe cycling to improve patients’ health, and thousands of miles of protected bike lanes.
Local people will be given a chance to choose whether residential side streets should be closed to through motor traffic to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists, under plans to be put out for consultation.
Another proposal could see some main roads, for example in cities, kept as through-routes for pedestrians, cyclists and buses, with other motor traffic allowed access only.
Also on the table are grants to help people with the cost of electric-assist bikes, which can encourage cycling, particularly on longer or more hilly commutes.
However, these tend to be more expensive than traditional bikes, often costing well over £1,000. It has not yet been specified how much assistance might be offered.
New strategy
Following Monday’s announcement of a new strategy to combat obesity, the push for more active travel is a parallel strand of Downing Street efforts to improve public health, an issue highlighted by worse coronavirus outcomes faced by many people with chronic conditions connected to weight and inactive living, such as type 2 diabetes.
More active travel will also relieve pressure on the roads and on public transport, where capacity has been cut due to social distancing measures. Since May, people have been urged to walk or cycle to work or elsewhere when possible.
Mr Johnson, who will formally launch the plans on Tuesday, said it was “the time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel”.
He said: “From helping people get fit and healthy and lowering their risk of illness, to improving air quality and cutting congestion, cycling and walking have a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face.”
The proposals include the provision of more cycle racks in city and town centres to encourage people to arrive by bike.
Welcomed by campaigners
The plans were welcomed by campaigners, who nonetheless warned that their effectiveness would depend on proper implementation and necessary funding.
Chris Boardman, the former cycling champion who is now policy adviser to British Cycling, said the plans showed “the level of ambition required to transform the country”.
He added: “Many will focus on the health benefits of more people getting around by bike or on foot, but we know that these are changes which reap dividends in all walks of life, not least the quality of the air we breathe, the congestion on our roads and the economic benefit for shops, cafes and bars.”
Matt Mallinder, director of influence and engagement at the campaign group Cycling UK, said the plan was “a truly comprehensive and far reaching set of measures”, but warned about the levels of funding.
“To truly shift gears so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling the £2 billion of funding already announced will not be enough,” he said.
“However, with a forthcoming spending review, now’s the time for the chancellor to invest in the future and make the prime minister’s vision of a golden age of cycling come true.”
New standards
The new standards for cycling and walking routes will be fully spelled out in updated official guidance to be published on Tuesday.
The proposals include more cycle racks at stations and other transport hubs, as well as in town and city centres, and for protected bike hangars allowing safe storage for people who cannot keep a bike at home.
Others cover areas such as strengthening the Highway Code to protect pedestrians and cyclists, giving councils new powers to tackle traffic offences, and pilot schemes for local authorities to give contracts in areas such as waste disposal to cycle freight companies. – Guardian