Nancy calls for cycling investment

In January, the Labour Government announced record investment of £140 million for cycling over the next three years, to help children learn to cycle safely and adults rediscover their bikes.

This should allow children to be cycle trained to the Bikeability standard. The Bikeability scheme, which is delivered in Brighton and Hove, sets a standard to provide children with the on-road skills they need to handle modern traffic conditions. You can find out more by visiting www.bikeability.org.uk.

Labour's Nancy Platts wants the Tory Council to take advantage of the Government's commitment to environmentally-friendly transport policies that are accessible to everyone. Writing about her commitment to cycling and wish to cycle more herself, Nancy says cycling has come up a lot when talking to local people. Many parents want their children to be able to cycle to school, but they feel it's not safe enough.

"I want to encourage a culture of cycling that starts in childhood and stays for life. Children love bikes. Meet any child who has just been bought a bike and they're so proud of it, proud of the achievement when they learn to ride it, and proud when the stabilisers come off.

"The conflict between cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians is frequently raised with me. I went to Copenhagen to see how they managed the different needs of road users. The space for each user is much more clearly defined and everyone seemed to respect the boundaries. Generally, the atmosphere was calmer and, in summer, they have free bikes for visitors, which is a great idea. The cycle lanes and bus lanes run alongside each other separated by a ridge the same height as the pavement. Everyone knew (and it was quickly obvious to visitors) that you had to cross a cycle lane to get on the bus. It was shared space, but it worked and nobody felt a need to cycle on the pavement!"

Nancy also would like to see the safety of cyclists be as of much concern as the safety of pedestrians: too often the two are seen as being in conlict. She also, along with many local campaigners, wants to see more cycle spaces at stations and for bikes to be allowed on trains again in the rush hour - by bringing the guard's van back.

"Here in Brighton, we were one of the first six Cycling Demonstration Towns, and secured £1.5m of Government funding to promote cycling, so we are leading the way. A personal travel planning programme has led to an increase of 172,000 cycle trips per year in an area of 10,000 households and I believe we have a lot of support in the community so we're making good progress towards achieving my vision of a cycling culture in Brighton."