by Stewart Stevenson at the opening of a cycle network path between Kincardine and Culross.
Our vision is that “By 2020, 10% of all journeys taken in Scotland will be by bike.”
http://www.cyclingactionplanforscotland.org
Document - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/316212/0100657.pdf
First reaction from Transform Scotland
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate use: Friday 25th June 2010
***Cycle Action Plan: government ambitions will only be met with major increase in funding
Transform Scotland [1] today (Friday 25th) welcomed the publication of the Scottish Government's 'Cycle Action Plan for Scotland' (CAPS) but said that the ambition it contained - 10% of all transport trips to be made by bike by 2020 - will only be met if government, local and national, provides realistic levels of funding for high quality cycle infrastructure. [2]
Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said:
"The ambition for a five-fold increase in levels of cycle use within a decade is very welcome. However, we've had government cycle strategies before - and none of these have in themselves been successful in bringing about the levels of cycle use seen in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands.
"The Parliament has recently called for a major increase in funding for walking and cycling, the most healthy and sustainable forms of transport. It said that the Government's ambitions for cycling will be "meaningless" if this investment is not made available. [3]
"The one-off funding package announced today is welcome, but it only represents a drop in the ocean compared to the level of investment required. We need to see a major boost in investment in walking and cycling when the Scottish Government publishes its spending review later this year. [4] If this doesn't happen then we can't see how the Government can meet its aspiration that 10% of all journeys be made by bike by 2020. Unlike spending on major infrastructure projects, investment in walking and cycling is generally inexpensive and excellent value for money.
"To reach the levels of cycle use seen on the continent, we will also need to see strong, visionary leadership at local government level. In Stockholm, cycling went from being seen as 'nerdy' to a 'trendy', convenient way to travel in 10 years through straightforward, effective, and consistent investment." [5]
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