More people make use of cycle network

Millions of extra bike journeys were made last year on the UK’s National Cycle Network, according to a new study.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Jun 2012, 07:00 BST

Almost 500 million journeys were made by bike or on foot, with a third of cyclists saying they had swapped four wheels for two.

Around 40 million more cycling trips were made during 2011 than the year before, an 18 per cent increase, taking the total to 256 million, said cycling charity Sustrans.

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An estimated 3.3 million people used the national network during 2011, an increase of 300,000 over the previous year.

Rising petrol prices, higher fares and frustration with traffic jams were among the reasons persuading people to get on their bikes, although fitness was a major motivation for women, said Sustrans.

The national network was launched 17 years ago and now extends to 13,600 miles of signed routes with a third on traffic-free paths.