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Cardiff city centre could be closed to traffic for free annual bike rideCardiff by night - image vie Pete Birkinshaw on Flickr.jpg

Cardiff city centre could be closed to traffic for free annual bike ride

Non-competitive ride aimed at encouraging people onto bikes
by Alex Bowden
Sat, Nov 11, 2017 12:46
6

Cardiff council is looking to enter into a five-year deal with British Cycling to encourage more cycling in the city. The £500,000 a year deal would see the city centre closed for a free non-competitive mass bike ride.

The BBC reports that the annual ride would be for around 8,000 people.

A report to the council’s environmental scrutiny committee states: “The event would be non-competitive and participants would be able to join it at different stages of the circuit to suit their individual abilities and needs.

“The ride would act as a tool to promote the wider HSBC/British Cycling Programme but would also provide a vital means of enabling non-cyclists to try cycling within a safe environment and be part of a major celebratory community event.”

Cardiff's 4-part plan to double its number of cyclists

A provisional date for the ride has been set for Sunday, May 13. The council's cabinet will consider the proposals on Thursday. If approved, it will have to pay £100,000 a year towards the scheme, which can be through a 50:50 split of money and payment in kind.

Caro Wild, the council's cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said the target was for more than 50 per cent of journeys to be made by bike, on foot, or by public transport by 2026.

"The potential to grow cycling in Cardiff is considerable with 28 per cent of Cardiff residents saying they do not currently cycle but would like to. Cycling can make an important contribution to encouraging a healthy lifestyle and also offers a practical solution to Cardiff's major transport and pollution issues."

The plans also include guided and supported community rides, and dedicated coaches for schools to try and get more kids out on bikes.

Cardiff
British Cycling
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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6 comments

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Grahamd | 6 years ago
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Wrong priorities. Cardiff has serious overcrowding issues with trains into the city, with some commuters in valley lines having to miss their trains because they cannot physically get on their preferred train. Therefore comes as no surprise that there is a lamentably poor service for taking bikes on trains.

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Rich_cb replied to Grahamd | 6 years ago
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Grahamd wrote:

Wrong priorities. Cardiff has serious overcrowding issues with trains into the city, with some commuters in valley lines having to miss their trains because they cannot physically get on their preferred train. Therefore comes as no surprise that there is a lamentably poor service for taking bikes on trains.

The planned South Wales Metro should help that overcrowding.

With a relatively small investment Cardiff could be a world class cycling city which would have the benefit of also reducing overcrowding on public transport.

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Rich_cb | 6 years ago
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I'd rather they spent the money on upgrading the current infrastructure.

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jimbo2112 replied to Rich_cb | 6 years ago
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Rich_cb wrote:

I'd rather they spent the money on upgrading the current infrastructure.

 

Do the event to justify the infrastructure spend? It's not a blank cheque, but we hardly spend anything on cycling compared to road infrastructure. South Wales has so much opportunity to provide safe cycle networks compared to many built-up cities. We could easily have a network from Chepstow right across south Wales and up way past Brecon.

 

We need to push for that £10/head throughout the UK.

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Rich_cb replied to jimbo2112 | 6 years ago
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jimbo2112 wrote:

Do the event to justify the infrastructure spend? It's not a blank cheque, but we hardly spend anything on cycling compared to road infrastructure. South Wales has so much opportunity to provide safe cycle networks compared to many built-up cities. We could easily have a network from Chepstow right across south Wales and up way past Brecon.

 

We need to push for that £10/head throughout the UK.

I agree re increased spending but I'm just not convinced that these gimmicky car free days do anything to increase cycling rates.

Better infrastructure would achieve far more for the same money IMHO.

Avatar
jimbo2112 replied to Rich_cb | 6 years ago
1 like

Rich_cb wrote:
jimbo2112 wrote:

Do the event to justify the infrastructure spend? It's not a blank cheque, but we hardly spend anything on cycling compared to road infrastructure. South Wales has so much opportunity to provide safe cycle networks compared to many built-up cities. We could easily have a network from Chepstow right across south Wales and up way past Brecon.

 

We need to push for that £10/head throughout the UK.

I agree re increased spending but I'm just not convinced that these gimmicky car free days do anything to increase cycling rates. Better infrastructure would achieve far more for the same money IMHO.

Agreed, but they do get the population used to the idea that bikes have a place in society...

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