Workers feel benefit of cycling push

A MULTI-MILLION pound campaign involving some of York's biggest employers to get staff to commute to work by bike has had an overwhelming response.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Jan 2010, 10:48 BST
Updated 8th Jan 2010, 10:48 BST

Cycling City York launched the Cycle 50% Challenge in the autumn to try to encourage more workers to opt for the alternative mode of transport to travel to their jobs.

A total of 101 staff – 33 employees from Nestl, 30 workers from York NHS Trust and 38 people from York University – took up the challenge.

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At the end of the four-week project, 77 per cent of participants said they would be "likely" or "very likely" to continue biking in the future, despite the fact that 48 per cent were not regular cyclists beforehand.

Cycling City York's cycling to work group lead, Andrew Bradley, said: "It's really encouraging to hear that by introducing people to cycling in this way they have made real and lasting changes to their lifestyle, which will benefit their health and well-being, not to mention their pockets."

The Cycling City York project will see 3.68m in Government funding used to improve and develop facilities for cyclists.

Work already under way includes efforts to introduce more dedicated cycle tracks.

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