Get on your bikes

Local cyclists show support for new cycleway

Around 30 cyclists will show their pedal power this Thursday (27 September) when they take part in a event promoting a proposed new cycleway in Carlisle.

The route aims to link Kingmoor Park in the North with Currock in the South of the city and local cyclists will show their support for the new plans. The new cycleway is being planned by the City Council in partnership with Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity.

The vision is to create a virtually traffic-free north-south route across the city to complement the existing east-west Hadrian's Cycleway. The route will run from Parkhouse Road in the north down through the Kingmoor Park nature reserves, across the River Eden, and follow the River Caldew to the existing Caldew cycleway, and turn east into Currock via a new approach ramp to the existing crossing of the Carlisle-Barrow railway.

To publicise the proposed new cycleway an event will be staged this Thursday (27 September). A bike ride, including members of Carlisle Cycle Campaign and Carlisle City Council, will highlight the route and will start at 12noon from the Civic Centre, travelling to The Sands Centre and then on to The Sheepmount (at the proposed river crossing). A photo opportunity will be available at around 12.30pm, meeting in the Sheepmount car park. A display illustrating the route will also be erected in the Civic Centre building.

The route will offer a number of environmental, transport and recreational benefits including:

• access from residential areas to employment areas on either side of the River Eden;
• safer routes from residential areas to educational, social and retail facilities in the city centre;
• an opportunity to improve air quality on Scotland Road due to more people travelling by bike; and
• improved health and recreation through access to the rivers in the urban area and links to other green spaces.

The new Connect2 cycleway is one of 79 schemes put forward as part of a £50million Big Lottery Fund Bid. It is one of six projects competing for the single grant from the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmarks: The People's Millions. The winning project will finally be decided by a public vote on television in December 2007. To register support for Connect2 visit http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk (external link).