Plans to get more people cycling in eight cities across England have been boosted after Government allocated £144M of investment this week.

Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge, Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester, Newcastle and Oxford all applied for funding and are now due to receive a share of the pot. The biggest winners are Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, which will each be given £22M.

The money will be used to help each city deliver improved and expanded cycle routes connecting city centres, local communities and key employment and retail spots over the next three years.

“This funding will be welcomed by people in the cities concerned,” said cycle charity Sustrans’ director of policy Jason Torrance. “But it needs to be followed up with committed funding and action to allow all areas to extend travel choice, help ease congestion and improve our health and our environment.”

He added that only longer term, dedicated funding of at least £10 per head can “transform the UK into a cycling and walking nation”.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has welcomed the funding allocated to Leeds, which it says will be spent on CityConnect2 – a programme of improvements across the city region.

Combined Authority chair Peter Box said: “CityConnect2 will enable us to deliver transformational cycle infrastructure schemes in Bradford, Calderdale, Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and York, connecting to key employment and regeneration sites.”

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said its successful bid will see it develop 45km of new or improved cycle routes as part of an expansion of its Cycle City programme.

TfGM Committee chair Andrew Fender said: “This is great news that will allow us to build upon the fantastic work already under way to make cycling a mainstream option for everyone, regardless of age or ability.”

(Photo copyright Tejvan Pettinger and licenced for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)