A new cycling network has been launched in a Nottinghamshire town, which hopes to make cycling easier for residents. The Stapleford-based network, which also includes a cycle hub and a proficiency track at Ilkeston Road Recreation Ground, was launched on Monday, July 3, with guests including Olympic gold medal winner Chris Boardman MBE.
This comes as the latest project as part of the £21.1m Stapleford Towns Fund, funded by the Government and delivered by Broxtowe Borough Council. The cycling scheme, cycle hub, and training track will create 3km of new cycle paths to improve the safety of cycling and sustainable travel around the town.
The hub also includes a centre operated by the charity Nottingham RideWise, which has already helped hundreds get on their bikes. Olympian Chris joined Broxtowe MP Darren Henry and the Town Board to officially launch the network.
Local school children and young people also attended the event at the mini track, which has been open to the public since April. Children from St John's Church of England school got the chance to try out the new cycle training track and shared their "excitement" to get out on the roads in the future.
Speaking on the project, Chris said: "Whenever I come to an event like this, I always ask the kids, hands up who rode to school this morning, and it's always one or two hands up. Then you ask them would you like to ride to school, and all the hands go up.
"And that's really powerful, because, what we're building now, it's for them. They're the ones that are going to inherit the roads and choose how they want to travel. I find it really exciting and inspiring actually to get involved in things like this.
"It's really important that it starts as fun, and they can do something that they enjoy. and then they send that territory out into the local streets and into the local roads and start to use it to get to local shops and schools and friends' houses - so this is the place where a different way of transport starts."
Robyn Taylor, 10, said: "It's been an exciting day. I really enjoyed having my photo taken with Chris, and now I'm excited to ride on the track." Jacob Yates, 11, said: "We are really having fun at the moment. I really like riding my bike, I think I will come and use it when I can."
Chief Executive of RideWise, Helen Hemstock, said: "Things like this are really important because it means that children get access to really good quality outdoor space.
"Things like this help kids build skills and confidence to get out on the roads. Some people might just stick to riding in parks but some will go out on the road and this will help them to build on all the skills they are learning."
Darren Henry, MP for Broxtowe, also attended and hosted the event. He said: "It's really important that what we're trying to achieve is a cycle network people want to use for everything. Something Chris Broadman said to me is that think of it as 12-year-olds going out, and would their parents let them.
"If the answer is yes, then we have a cycle network that is working. We want to get people walking, wheeling and cycling for those shorter journeys."
