Strategy Aims and Objectives
Central to our vision of cycling in Cheshire is the aim of:
"promoting and
developing cycling in Cheshire as a safer, convenient, low cost and
environmentally friendly mode of transport, for commuter, shopping,
social, leisure and other short trips, increasing opportunity for
more people to choose to cycle thus helping to also increase the
overall proportion of journeys made by cycle"
The key objectives to flow from our aim are:
1. Increase safety for cyclists on the
county's highways and its off-road recreational
routes
This does not mean restricting access for cyclists
for reasons of safety. What it does mean is making cycling safer,
placing an emphasis on how cycle access can be made safer, rather
than why people ought not to cycle for reasons of personal safety.
This will help to overcome concerns about personal security and
injury, the main reasons why people don't cycle.
2. Meet the demand for cycling within the
County
Nationally, there is little support for meeting the demand for
car travel through the supply of more road space. Growth in motor
traffic and congestion has made more road development an
undesirable solution, being too expensive and having too high an
environmental cost. Conversely, there is spare capacity to cater
for cycling, opportunities exist for more cycle lanes and routes,
which are relatively cheap to develop, compared to road building.
There is therefore justification to try and meet the demand for
cycling, through the provision of more cycle routes within the
county, through slowing motor traffic, perhaps relocating more road
space through traffic management schemes to create better access
for cycles. Where new road schemes are planned, cycling needs to be
given equal status to motorised traffic, ensuring equal provision
is made for cycle access.
3. To help meet the Council's Sustainable
Transport objectives, increase the proportion of short journeys by
cycle, making cycling more pleasant for commuters and for leisure,
linking residential areas with retail, business and recreational
areas including the creation of "Green Corridors"
Cycling is an ideal alternative mode of transport to the car for
short journeys, and when combined with public transport increasing
the scope for intermodality, cycling also offers an alternative for
longer trips. Using the cycle instead of the private car has a
number of benefits, ranging from health to environmental
advantages. Reducing the use of the car, whilst maintaining good
access for Cheshire's residents and its non car users is an
important objective for this strategy, for which the cycle is an
ideal alternative.
Cycling for leisure away from urban road traffic is equally as
important an issue to address. Making leisure cycle routes
accessible and pleasant will help to increase cycling as a leisure
pursuit, whilst also helping to increase opportunities for more
people in Cheshire to gain access to leisure and recreation.
Increased tourism generated through cycling also has the advantage
of not increasing car traffic on Cheshire's roads.
4. Change attitudes to cycling as a
healthy and environmentally friendly form of transport and
recreational activity
Cycling has a poor image, it is considered by many to be a
second class mode of transport, dangerous in the urban environment,
unsuited to the British climate and too slow. Cheshire East
Council is just one of many organisations which need to accept
cycling as a serious alternative mode of transport to the car.
Educating people to the advantages of cycling, promoting a better
image for the cycle and making the public, employers, community
groups and individuals aware of the benefits that cycling can bring
to Cheshire must go hand in hand with other cycling measures like
the provision of better cycling facilities.
5. Influence development; making
locations accessible by cycles through the planning process, and
ensuring good engineering design where cycle provision is
made
There is already some encouraging guidance on how Local
Authorities might influence development through their development
plans (PPG13). Through the Structure Plan and District Local Plans,
cycle access can be an important consideration when locating new
development.
Widening the choice of access to facilities, services and goods
to accommodate the cyclist, increases equality of access and
reduces the number of people who become excluded by not owning a
car.
6. Create partnerships and resourcing
mechanisms
Although Cheshire East Council is one of the organisations
best able to co-ordinate cycling within East Cheshire, it cannot
act alone. Partnerships need to be developed with neighbouring
authorities and the private and voluntary sectors to help
co-ordinate and finance the development of cycling within the
county.
If these objectives are met, then a strong cycling culture will
have been allowed to further develop in Cheshire. Our long term
hope is that people will be able to identify East Cheshire as
having an ideal cycling landscape with excellent cycling
facilities.
Where We Are Now
The present Cheshire Cycle Network is shown below. Please click
the image for a larger version.
Where We Would Like to be
The proposed Cheshire Cycle Network. Please click the image for
a larger version.
