07 Nov Active Travel Routes Open for London 2012
Plans to improve levels of physical activity and reduce traffic emissions in conjunction with London 2012 are coming to fruition as a £10 million improvement package for London’s cycling and walking networks has been unveiled as part of a scheme conceived by Sustrans.
Six-time Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth Champion Mark Foster joined Sustrans, Transport for London, the Olympic Delivery Authority, the London 2012 Organising Committee and others to launch the improvements.
An additional one million journeys a day are expected to be made by foot and bike in London next summer with an estimated 300,000 spectators cycling and walking to Games venues in London. Enhancements have been made to around 46 miles of East London’s walking and cycling routes to make cycling and walking better for people during the Games and beyond.
Sustrans’ London Director, Carl Pittam, says: ‘These improvements will act as a catalyst for the development of a wider London Greenways network, which are routes through quiet streets, parks and green spaces. They are safer, more attractive and more welcoming for all and will encourage a broader range of people to walk and cycle more often.
‘We’re especially grateful to Transport for London and the Olympic Delivery Authority for their hard work and investment in this project.
‘There now needs to be a concerted effort to raise awareness of these superb routes, so that options to walk and cycle during the Olympic and Paralympic Games are highlighted to visitors and Londoners alike’
The improvements include new cycle crossings, better paving and lighting, and will help spectators travelling to the Olympic Park and other London Games venues, as well as leaving the capital much better connected for cyclists and pedestrians after the Games
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has said; ‘I am a keen supporter of London Greenways as these open up our parks and other green spaces to a wide range of users, of all ages and abilities, while also encouraging healthy and sustainable travel habits’.
London Greenways has been developed and funded by Transport for London (TfL), Sustrans, the Olympic Delivery Authority, the London Boroughs and others over a number of years and incorporates schemes delivered through the TfL Greenways Programme, the Mayor’s Great Outdoors programme, the Olympic Walking and Cycling Route Enhancements Programme (OWCRE) and Sustrans’ Connect2, National Cycle Network, and Greenways for the Olympics and London (GOAL) projects.
For more information on the London 2012 Active Travel Programme, please visit: www.london2012.com
