Cycle Demonstration Town

Woking Cycle Users’ Group

Cycle Woking–

LATEST NEWS:

The launch of Woking as a Cycle Town took place on Monday 22 September combined with the formal opening of the first section of the improved towpath along the Basingstoke Canal. A new website has been started at www.cyclewoking.org.uk where you will find an 18 page Project Outline which sets out the priorities in spending the money awarded by Cycling England.

The very good news in June 2008 was that Woking was awarded the status of Cycle Demonstration Town by Cycling England. Woking is one of 11 towns and one city across the UK that has received this award. The award will bring the town some £1.82m over the next three years to improve cycling facilities and projects to encourage cycling in the town. The money is what is called ‘match funding’. This means that money will only be put in provided this is matched by the local council, in our case Surrey County Council who are responsible for highways. In effect this should mean that £3.6m will be spent on cycling in the town in the next few years. This really should make a difference for cyclists in Woking.

The first plans setting out the priorities for spending this money and showing which projects will go ahead when and how the spending should be phased over the 3 year period. The main priorities include the following:

· Completing the work that has been started on the Basingstoke Canal towpath, so that the whole length from Pirbright to the Wey Navigation will be surfaced with the ‘tar and chip’ surface presently being laid from Kiln Bridge at St. John’s to Monument Bridge.

· Installing cycle routes across the town to link the radial routes from the town that have been added in recent years.

· Putting in place a North-South cross town cycle route.

· A huge expansion in cycle parking at Woking and West Byfleet stations.

· Encouraging people to adopt personal travel plans that move them from use of car to walking and cycling.

We are very excited about these developments and will try to keep the website updated as the process moves forward.

If you have views about the priorities for spending this money please contact Ian Wright at iankwright@hotmail.com, who is a member of the Steering Group which will manage the project and direct how the money will be spent. We will ensure that your ideas are included in the discussions.