INVESTING IN THE CYCLING REVOLUTION. A REVIEW OF TRANSPORT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES WITH REGARD TO CYCLING

This paper reviews British transport policies and programmes for cycling. The UK Government's 'package approach' is encouraging local authorities to see cycling as part of the solution to transport problems. TPP bids for 1995/96 propose more than twice as much for cycling, compared with the previous year. Although the London Cycle Network package bid was awarded #3 million (the first major cycling scheme to be approved by the Department of Transport (DOT)), the amount spent on specifically promoting cycling and reducing cycle casualties remains very small. Local authorities are still promoting major road schemes and public transport schemes in preference to cycling. The paper presents six case studies and provides tables of TPP bids for all local authorities in England and Wales. They show that some local authorities can integrate cycling into sustainable transport strategies, and implement such measures as cycle route networks, cycle promotion campaigns, and cycle studies. The paper recommends that: (1) local authorities should allocate more resources to cycling by effectively integrating cycling with other transport budgets; and (2) the DOT should do more to encourage this by improved monitoring, assessment and information.