Derby
Derby was the largest of the first wave of Cycling Towns appointed in 2005 and 6,100 new homes are planned for the town before 2011. Such growth makes sustainable transport improvements essential to prevent traffic congestion problems.
To date, Cycle Derby’s main focus has been on the town’s 100,000 under-25s, embedding cycling into the school day through Bikeability training, cycle training and the promotion of Derby’s well-developed network of on and off-road cycle routes.
In July, Derby opened the doors to its new National Standards BMX track designed to host national events, and a smaller track to help develop the skills of younger riders which encourages participation through regular club nights.
Young people have also been reached through promotional campaigns including a six-month ‘Festival of Cycling’ comprising family bike rides, cycle try-outs and ‘Dr Bike’ cycle repair and maintenance sessions, cheered on by the ‘Shift and Sprocket’ cartoon characters invented by the Town.
During 2008-11, Derby will consolidate and expand its programme, continuing to focus on the under-25s through education, training, promotions, marketing, events, rides and clubs.
In addition, new programme areas include improving cycling access to the city centre, integrating bike and rail travel with major station redevelopment, and promoting the link between cycling and health through a close partnership with the Primary Care Trust.
To ensure cycling complements the town’s rapid growth, the Cycle Derby team plans to work closely with both developers and estate agents to provide information about cycling and sustainable travel in all new home buyers’ packs.
For breaking news on these initiatives, please visit www.cyclederby.co.uk or contact:
Bella Stewart
Derby City Council, The Council House, Corporation Street, Derby, DE1 2FS
01332 715 070
