Campaigning
CCNB’s current campaigning involves actively engaging with Bedford Borough Council on a regular basis to encourage them to:
Introduce a default 20 mph speed limit not just around schools and residential areas but also the town centre and other shopping areas to improve the quality of life of vulnerable residents of all ages - pedestrians and cyclists - not just children.
- 20 mph speed limits can reduce road casualties by 60% and accidents to cyclists by 29%.
Provide dedicated funding for ‘Bikeability’ cycle training of children in all primary and secondary schools (and middle and upper schools).
– only 4% currently cycle to school in Bedford whereas national surveys state that more than 47% of children would like to cycle.
Complete the urban cycle network with respect to:
Missing Gaps
Links to rural villages
Route improvements - including
Provision of additional cycle parking stands
Signage - both confirmational of cycle use and direction types
Bedford and Kempston already have a reasonable network of cycle routes based on off-road tracks and dual use pavements and on-road quiet roads and cycle lanes along some of the busy roads and this has improved considerably over the last few years but there is still a lot more to do.
CCNB has a list of more than 100 items which need to be done. This is regularly updated and given to Bedford Borough Council to put on their current and future work programmes.
Many of the items have been added to the Borough's Allocations and Designations Proposals Map and its accompanying background paper on the Cycle Network. The Allocations and Designations Plan was adopted by the Borough in July 2013.
A number of the items are likely to be completed by developers through planning agreements resulting from planning approvals for major developments (see Planning Applications).
We are extremely fortunate that Bedford Borough Council has numerous transport related policies of relevance to cycling.
Cycle Promotion
CCNB in addition promotes cycling through its:
- Website presence - www.ccnb.org.uk and www.cyclebedford.org.uk.
- Publication of cycle maps (see current publications).
- Advertising the benefits of cycling in local publications and holding exhibitions in libraries and other public places.
- Attending cycling events - Bike Week and European Mobility Week.
CCNB is also keen to see that Travel Plans, a package of measures produced by employers to encourage staff to use alternatives to single-occupancy car-use and a requirement of all developments above a certain size, are annually monitored and kept up to date.