Cycleways
Cycleways are a hot topic in Coventry and we need to dispel some common myths about them.
Starting with the finances, the cycleways are paid for by government grants, not Council Tax. That money is given to the Council specifically for the schemes and can’t be spent anywhere else such as fixing potholes, accommodation for the homeless or support for the vulnerable.
We introduced the cycleways for a number of reasons. Firstly, in 2018, the Government said we needed to have a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) due to concerns over our air quality. A Clean Air Zone would’ve seen people charged when they drove into the city centre, and this would’ve disproportionately hurt the most financially vulnerable and would’ve discouraged people from visiting the city centre. One of the ways we avoided the CAZ was by designing and installing these cycleways.
But that’s not the only reason – we also believe that residents should have options that enable them to make some journeys on foot or by bike. This is called active travel and its good for the environment and for health. Cycleways are also good for residents without access to a car.
Our aim is to create a superhighway of safe, segregated routes, and where cycleways are in place, we have seen usage go up – in fact, some local schools get kids on bikes as part of their PE lesson. An unexpected but brilliant bonus!