Bridge Street cycle ban press release

Date: 15 April 2009

Subject: Bridge Street cycle ban 

CycleSay have asked Peterborough City Council whether they intend to install a cycle route along Bridge Street with the impending improvement works due to be carried out on the street in the near future.  While the proposed works are being carried out CycleSay believe it would be an opportune time to include a cycle facility to help link the north and the south of the city.

Peterborough City Council hopes to make Peterborough the Environment Capital however CycleSay believe that this would be hard to achieve without a direct cycle route connecting the city at this key location.  

Currently the cycle ban prohibits cycling on Bridge Street between the hours of 9am and 6pm Monday to Saturday.  CycleSay have checked with Cambridgeshire Constabulary whom have informed that there have been no accidents reported on Bridge Street involving cyclists or pedestrians for the period CycleSay enquired about.

Peterborough City Council is currently reviewing the cycle ban though, although this has been going on for a number of years now without any real progress.  Peterborough City Council became a Sustainable Travel Demonstration Town in 2004 and undertook to address this issue in its current Local Transport Plan.  

Market research was conducted on behalf of Peterborough City Council at the start of the Sustainable Travel Demonstration Town project to find out the potential for increasing walking, cycling and use of public transport.  The findings showed that cycling was the mode of transport that could increase sustainable travel and reduce car journeys the most.  The improved air quality and congestion reduction would have significant effects on people’s health and reduce operating costs for local businesses.  

CycleSay hopes that the improvement works that Peterborough City Council intend to do include cyclists’ needs and finally get a north to south link through the city centre.

CycleSay are a lobby group for Peterborough cyclists and works to improve cycle infrastructure in and around Peterborough.  If you have a view about Bridge Street you can post your comments on the CycleSay website, www.cyclesay.org.uk , and go to the Forum page.