Open letter with Dom Whiting requesting a faster rollout of a safe cycle network in Birmingham
We have written to Birmingham Council and Mayor Parker to underline how the success of the Drum'n'Bass ride on Sunday shows the demand for a safe cycle network is there.
The demand is there: let’s build the bike lanes
Dear all,
Over the weekend, thousands turned out to enjoy a bike ride around Birmingham City Centre as part of Dom Whiting’s ‘Dnb on the bike’ event.
This ride was only made possible because of safety in numbers. With only 20km of separated cycle lanes, many of Birmingham’s streets are not yet safe for cycling.
Research shows time and again that people want safe routes before they consider it a genuine choice. It also shows that where a route is built, cycling increases.
Better Streets for Birmingham and its partner organisations have been left disappointed by the pace of delivery and, frankly, a lack of future-facing ambition shown in funding allocations.
This weekend’s ride demonstrates the clear demand for a city-wide network of safe cycle routes: if you build it, they will come.
Our challenge of you collectively is two-fold:
- Build the bike lanes already funded at pace - for example, the much-needed Coventry Road scheme currently going through governance
- Secure funding to build the network the city needs as part of a fast rolling programme
We look forward to hearing how you plan to respond to these challenges.
