Data reveals millions spent to make commutes cycle-friendly as less than 6% of Leeds residents use bike to travel to work

Data has revealed councils are committing millions to make commutes more cycle-friendly as people go back to work - as it was revealed less than 6% of Leeds residents use a bike to travel to work.
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As lockdown eases, people who can’t work from home are being encouraged to begin commuting again - but ideally not by public transport.

That leaves cycling or walking as a preferred option for those who can’t travel by car.

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However, data has revealed that 61% of people feel that cycling on the road is too dangerous.

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Leeds

The Government has released a £250m ‘emergency active travel fund’ aimed at helping towns prevent their buses, roads and public spaces becoming crowded as lockdown is lifted and issued guidance to councils.

New cycle lanes, wider pavements and low traffic zones in residential areas are among the emergency measures already underway.

According to figures, 5.9% of Leeds residents use a bike to commute to work more than once a month.

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Jut over half (55.2%) of Leeds residents travel by foot at least once a month, while 61.8% walk for leisure purposes.

A spokesperson for Cycling UK said now was a “golden opportunity” to encourage people into cycling, and infrastructure changes would be key in changing perceptions of how safe it was to cycle.

The group has encouraged residents to write to their local council asking for improvements to cycle infrastructure, and some 6,000 people have already done so.

Transport for London (TfL) is fast-tracking new cycleways between Kensington Olympia and Brentford as well as Tower Hill and Greenwich.

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Pavements in north London town centres such as Stoke Newington are set to be widened.

However, the plans faced opposition from the Conservative group in the London Assembly.

“It’s simply not possible for many Londoners who live in the outer boroughs to cycle or walk into work,” said the Conservative transport lead, Keith Prince.

“If the mayor wants to avoid them using cars, he needs to make a plan to get London’s transport moving safely now.”

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Additional cycle lanes are also planned in Birmingham and Leicester, while Sheffield City Council and Bristol City Council are fast-tracking plans to reduce car use.

In Sheffield, the green man could be left on longer at pedestrian crossings, alongside ‘temporary active travel lanes’, while Bristol is considering water-filled bollards to prevent cars using its busiest roads.

Councillors in Bradford are looking to introduce a bike loan scheme for key workers.

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