Go Cycle - Cycling in Leighton-Linslade

In June 2008 Bedfordshire County Council and the Town Council were successful in a bid to secure over £1milliion funding for Leighton Linslade to become Bedfordshire’s first cycling town.

Three Cycling Officers have now been appointed Pauline Roby, Alvina Farrow and Allison Jeavons and the team will devote their time to improving the take up of cycling among residents and visitors in Leighton Linslade.

Over the project timeframe, Leighton-Linslade Cycling Team will focus on the challenging target of an overall doubling of cycling. Specifically, the targets for the end of 2010/11 are to:

• Increase the number of children regularly cycling to school from 1.2% to 3.5%, measured by school travel plan surveys.
•  Increase the numbr of commuters regularly cycling to the train station from 50 to 150, measured by surveying the use of cycling parking.
• Double the number of people who cycle to the town centre
• Double the number of cyclists using key routes, measured across eight key locations.

Improvements are being implemented in four main areas; Infrastructure, Education and Promotion, Communication and Partnerships, and Planning and Monitoring.

The strategy aims to increase the number of cyclists cycling regularly and also increase the number of residents who cycle to work and school through working with individual businesses and schools, and using them as examples for other organisations to learn from.

Work on infrastructure improvements will see the establishment of new and improved cycle routes, concentrating on enabling residents and visitors to get to and from the Town Centre, the rail stations, and new development and growth areas.

There are also plans for new signing, contra-flow cycle facilities, improved cycle crossings of busy roads, and railways, and improved parking facilities.

On education and promotion one of the most exciting initiatives is the introduction of Bikeability (the new national standard for cycle training) across a whole town for the first time in Leighton Linslade.  By working with Cycling England it is also hoped to introduce a Schools Cycling Champion, to promote and encourage cycling at schools and colleges. Further to these initiatives, there will be Workplace Travel Plans implemented, leisure rides and events for families, and bike recycling  scheme will provide bikes on loan to families, visitors and tourists.

The third part of the strategy deals with communication and partnerships finding new ways to engage people and provide opportunities to cycle. It will include working closely with partners such as CTC,  schools, colleges, Sustrans, Network Rail, cycle shops, health organisations and the other organisations.

The final part of the project will deal with planning and monitoring, by looking at ways of working towards the future, in the case of new developments in the rapidly expanding town, and working out exactly how successful the Cycling Town project has been.

To find out more visit www.gocycleleighton-linslade.org