![l-r Ginny Leonard(go:cycling coordinator); Steven Hanley (Kirklees Encouraging Cycling Programme Manager); Cllr David Dagger (Wakefield Portfolio holder for Culture, Sport & Libraries); Mike Saddler (Leeds City Council Road Safety Officer); Cllr Val Slater (Bradford Portfolio holder for Transport); Cllr Eric Firth (Metro Deputy Chair); Carl Tinson (go:cycling coordinator); Cllr Martin Bolt (Kirklees); Cllr Harawun Hussain (Bradford); Fiona Limb Bradfor Council Transport Planner)]()
County-wide bike rides were held over the
weekend to mark the launch of the go:cycling initiative for West
Yorkshire. After a launch in Leeds on Saturday morning, attended by
Metro Deputy Chair Cllr Eric Firth, there were cycle rides in the
five West Yorkshire districts
Devised and managed by Metro in partnership with the five West
Yorkshire districts, and CTC the National Cyclists' Organisation,
and funded through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, go:cycling
is a project to encourage adults to take up cycling. The ultimate
aim of the three-year, £450k project will be to enable more
people to commute to work by bike through investment in cycling
routes and the development of cycle training.
Confidence
"Encouraging cycling is an important element of the West
Yorkshire Local Transport Plan but research has shown that a lack
of confidence in their own riding ability and the routes available
to them has discouraged many adults from using bikes they already
own or from buying a bike," said Cllr Firth at the launch. "By
promoting existing safe cycle routes and developing new ones, and
organising training that will give people that riding confidence,
go:cycling will help get back in the saddle.
"And by supporting initiatives such as the Streetbikes recycling
scheme in Kirklees, which restores old unwanted bike and provides
them to individuals who may not otherwise own a bike, go:cycling
can open up the world of cycling to people who may not otherwise
have considered it."
Employers and communities
go:cycling will be working with employers and communities as
well as organising group-led rides, mass participation rides, Dr
Bike safety and maintenance sessions and other events.
"Yorkshire Water, British Gas and Unilever, Leeds are among the
companies already involved in go:cycling," said Project
Coordinator, Carl Tinson. "We will also be working with a number of
JobCentre Plus offices to make bikes available to job starters
facing problems getting to their new place of work."
DEtails of future events will be posted on the go:cycling website.