Help is on hand
for those looking to plan the perfect bike ride over the Easter
break, Local Transport Minister Norman Baker announced today.
Any cyclist, from enthusiasts planning a fun and healthy
countryside ride over the long weekend to families looking for a
safe, pretty route linking city parks can benefit from the
Department for Transport’s online cycling journey planner.
Part of the Transport Direct Portal, the planner now covers every
road in England. Cyclists tap in their planned start and end
points and the tool calculates a route that suits.
Users can easily tweak the settings to meet their needs,
filtering journeys to select the quickest, quietest or most
recreational routes – those which take them through parks and
green spaces. The planner can even plot routes avoiding steep hills.
Norman Baker said:
“Cycling is a fantastic leisure activity that’s becoming
increasingly popular, and rightly so.
“It’s good fun, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for
your health. Indeed, the Chief Medical Officer has suggested that
if cycling were discovered today it would be hailed as a miracle cure.
“Our route planner helps people wanting to get out and about and
enjoy cycling, as well as those who want to map the best bike
route to work.”
As well as being great for those cycling for leisure, the planner
is also designed to be used by those commuting by bike, who can
use the online tool to find a well-lit, direct route to and from work.
The Transport Direct Portal receives more than 2 million visits a
month and increasing numbers of people are using the website to
plan their journeys by bike.
Notes to Editors
1. The Cycle Route Planner can be found online at: It can be
found online at:
http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/JourneyPlanning/FindCycleInput.aspx
2. The Transport Direct Portal provides information, tips and
tools to help the travelling public. This includes information on
planning trips using other modes of transport, live travel news
providing updates on issues that may affect people’s journeys and
advice on cutting carbon emissions and buying the cheapest rail
tickets. 3. The planner allows users to plot journeys of up to
50km, choosing from a number of different parameters. Users may
select their type of journey using the following options: ·
"Quietest" prioritises the use of cycle paths,
cycle lanes, quiet streets and routes recommended for cycling, and
where possible avoids steep hills. · "Quickest"
plots a route with the shortest cycling time, taking into account
the gradient and appropriate speed for the paths and roads
involved. · "Most recreational" prioritises
cycling through parks and green spaces in addition to the other
parameters outlined above under “Quietest”. · Additional options
allow users to select routes avoiding unlit roads, steep hills or
routes where cyclists would need to get on and off their bikes.
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Contacts:
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Phone: DfT Press Office
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