Hundreds of rail stations across the country will accommodate 10,000 extra cycling parking spaces, the Department for Transport has announced.
The £14m scheme will see cycle hubs introduced at 10 stations, including three in London, Leeds, Grimsby, Hull, Liverpool, Scunthorpe, Sheffield and York. The Leeds hub will be completed by next May, and others will open within the next two years.
An extra 4,500 cycle spaces will be created at almost 350 stations, and four train operators will transform their cycling facilities on networks to become flagship ‘bike‘n’ride’ companies.
Transport minister, Andrew Adonis, said: ‘The aim of the programmes is to boost the significant number of people cycling to catch their train.
‘This will tackle congestion, promote rail travel, and help people develop healthier lifestyles and protect the environment.’
But Sustrans warned the investment would have a limited effect, unless cycle routes to and from stations were improved.
‘The Government must encourage and incentivise local authorities to build on the momentum created by this investment, and create safe routes to stations as a part of their upcoming local transport plans,’ said Jason Torrance, Sustrans’ policy manager.
The announcement follows the Government’s commitment in June for £5m to be spent over the next two years to improve cycle storage facilities at up to 10 stations nationwide (Surveyor, 25 June 2009). The funding has now been doubled to £10m, while Cycling England is providing £4m for the bike‘n’ride train operating companies – Merseyrail, Northern Rail, South West Trains and Virgin Trains.
Lord Adonis was inspired by the Dutch town of Leiden, which has 6,000 supervised cycle parking spots for a population of 118,000.
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