On your bike!

The good news is that The National Assembly for Wales have gone really mad about walking and biking! In fact, they have produced a Walking and Cycling Action Plan for 2009 – 2013.

So, what’s behind it all? Why do they want to get everybody using pedal and leg power?

The Assembly has set out some goals for everyone to achieve. These are:

• To help us get healthier through exercise

• To get more people interested in improving our environment

• To encourage sustainable travel methods that will reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions and combat climate change

That’s all great, but what are they doing about it?

To help achieve these goals the Welsh Assembly Government supports:

• Safe routes to communities where local authorities develop safe walking and cycling routes in local areas

This means providing walking paths and cycle routes in villages and towns. Are there any of these paths and routes where you live?

• Building new walking and cycling tracks when and road improvement takes place. They help pay for it too.

This means that when roads need improving, the Assembly will also build walking paths and cycle routes at the same time. Do you know of any new cycle lanes in your area?

• Organisations that encourage biking and walking

• Sustrans Cymru

• National Standards in Cycling Training

• Lets Walk Cymru

• Bike It - This is a Sustrans Cymru pilot scheme that aims to encourage school children to cycle to school by raising awareness of its benefits, teaching cycle skills and running 'bike to school' events and rides

What is Sustrans?

Sustrans is a sustainable transport charity. Since its beginnings in 1977 it has encouraged the development of local and national cycle routes. In December 2007 there were over 12,000 miles of routes and links, and more are being added all the time.

Sustrans began by converting old railway tracks into cycle routes, but now cycling tracks are being built alongside roads. Sustrans estimated that over 386 million walking and cycling trips were made on the Network in 2008 alone!

In February 2009, Sustrans produced a new map and information sheet with cycle routes in both Welsh and English. You can get a copy here: Sustrans NCN Wales PDF

Key questions:

• What national cycle routes are nearest to your home?

• Which areas of Wales would you be able to visit by following your nearest cycle route?

Project:

Imagine you and three of your friends decided to plan a ten day holiday cycling and camping along parts of the National Cycle Routes. It’s up to you where you start and where you end up.

How far do you think you could cycle in a day? Most people would say between 50 and 100Km (31- 62 miles) depending on their fitness level and the hills!

Where in Wales would you go? Start planning your route. Remember, it has to be along the National Cycle Network routes.

Use this route plan.