Copied from the Cambridge Cycling Campaign list:
"A cycling revolution could be unleashed in Norwich in a bid to
unblock the city's traffic-chocked streets.
The ruling Lib Dem group on the city council says it wants to oversee
a 50 per cent increase cycling throughout Norwich by building a
network of new cycle routes.
Members of the authority's executive came up with the radical plans at
a meeting last night, as it debated Norfolk County Council's Local
Transport Plan.
While the county wants to increase cycling by 5 per cent, the city
council agreed that figure must be stretched in urban areas to mirror
cities like Cambridge and York, where more than a fifth of people
cycle to work.
The potential cost of any scheme was not discussed at the meeting, but
city leaders must now persuade transport bosses at the county council
to allocate a slice of its budget to building new cycle routes
throughout the city.
Lib Dem city councillor Derek Wood said: "Cycling gives us the great
opportunity to get cars off the road, but I think five per cent is way
below what we can achieve.
"It is a more regular and quick way of getting about than going by
bus. And you can still get on a bike after 6pm when you don't seem to
be able to get a bus.
"By investing a relatively small amount of money, we have the key to
getting people in and around the city efficiently."
According to the Norwich Cycle Campaign group, around one in 10 people
already cycle to work in Norwich - three times the national average.
City Council bosses now hope to follow in the footsteps of Devon
County Council to stretch that figure by 55 per cent in built-up areas
by 2011.
Before that can happen, council chiefs say more cash must be found to
improve the cycle network around the city and encourage cyclists to be
more visible.
Judith Lubbock, the Liberal Dems' spokeswoman for transport, said:
"The number of people cycling in Norwich has gone up but there is room
for improvement.
"I agree the target should be stretched for the city because it is
much easier to make trips by bike around Norwich than in the country."
Adrian Ramsay, a councillor for the Green Party said a stronger cycle
network was necessary to encourage more people to get about using
pedal power.
He said: "We need a better network and very importantly better safety
schemes on the roads.
"We need to make sure there are enough funds to create a better cycle
network around the city that people feel safe using. I am afraid too
much money will go towards creating the new Northern Distributor Road.
Providing better public transport links should be the priority."
Mathew Williams of the Norwich Cycling Campaign, said: "We need to
encourage more people to use bikes as their regular mode of transport.
In Cambridge and York, around 22 per cent of people cycle to work
which is twice as much as here in Norwich. I would say the network of
roads is good but a lot can be done to improve it for cyclists. It
would not cost much making junctions more cycle friendly, installing
more dropped kerbs and making some one way streets accessible to
two-way cycle traffic.
"Cycling is the most efficient way of getting round the city and it
keeps you healthy too," he added.
Fellow cycling campaigner Richard Bearman, said: "I am very sceptical
that the county council will invest money in promoting cycling in
Norwich. We have had these promises made by the city council in the
past but the county council holds the purse strings and they are more
interested in promoting car travel with schemes like the NDR."
What do you think about the city council's cycling plans? Write to
Letters, Evening News, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE,
or email [email hidden]"
--
Tony
"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham