A further £15m
funding to tackle dangerous junctions for cyclists across the
country was announced today by Transport Ministers Norman Baker
and Mike Penning.
The investment - for use by English local authorities outside
London - is in addition to the £15m awarded to Transport for
London in March to tackle accident hotspots where cyclists have
been killed or seriously injured. This has already delivered
improvements at a number of sites in the capital with other
junctions set to benefit over the next few months.
Local authorities will need to submit bids to the Department
for Transport for a share of the latest fund. We will also be
looking to the local authorities themselves to contribute further
money, in order to maximise the work that can be undertaken.
Transport Minister Norman Baker said:
“I am delighted to be able to provide today a further £15m to
improve cycle safety, by enabling local authorities to tackle
proven dangerous junctions. This investment - alongside a number
of other initiatives we have progressed - will make our roads a
safer place for everyone using them.
“Cycling is a fantastic way of getting fit, reducing
congestion and improving the environment, and cyclist safety
matters hugely.”
Details of the new fund were being outlined today to the
Department's Cycling Forum, which includes cycling,
motoring, and road safety groups, who have been working together
to find ways to improve cycle safety. The Department will now work
in partnership with local authorities and the forum to identify
the most important junctions to have safety improvements. This
process will use analysis of accident data to highlight potential
sites for improvement.
Decisions on how the money will be allocated are likely to be
announced in the Autumn.
The investment is the latest Government action to improve
cycling safety.
The Department is already giving £1.8 billion of funding to
local councils enabling them to design solutions appropriate to
their local transport challenges, including improving their road
infrastructure to encourage and support cycling.
Furthermore, the vast majority of projects being funded under
the Department's £560 million Local Sustainable Transport
Fund contain a cycling element.
Ministers recently announced a new allocation of £15 million
for better cycle routes and facilities across the country.
The Department has also made it simpler for councils to put
in place 20mph zones and limits, and install Trixi mirrors to
improve the visibility of cyclists at junctions, by reducing bureaucracy.
Notes to Editors
1. Members of the Cycling Forum’s Safety Group include:
Association of Chief Police Officers, Bike Right!, British
Cycling, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), CTC – the UK’s
national cyclists’ organisation, Cyclenation, Department for
Transport, Freight Transport Association, Institute of Advanced
Motorists, London Cycling Campaign, Mineral Products Association,
Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Road
Haulage Association, Transport for London and Sustrans.
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