Historic City of Chester develops cycling masterplan

Leading transport consultant Steer Davies Gleave has been commissioned by Cycle Chester to develop a cycle masterplan for the historic city of Chester.

Chester currently has a total of five National Cycle Network routes and the current cycle infrastructure presents a strong starting point for masterplanning. The masterplan will provide a programme of suggested improvements that are intended to remove any physical barriers to cycling in the city centre and stimulate a mode shift towards cycling.

Cheshire West & Chester Council set up Cycle Chester in 2008 to develop its Cycle Demonstration Town Programme. Chester is one of 17 Cycle Demonstration Towns, collectively receiving £100m funding from the Department for Transport through Cycling England. Cycle Chester will receive around £2m over three years to enable and sustain behaviour change towards cycling. Its strategy has three distinctive workstreams: training adults and children; marketing and promotion; and, infrastructure improvements.

Steer Davies Gleave’s project team will develop the infrastructure improvements programme through an audit of existing infrastructure and local barriers to cycling. This will include developing proposed schemes in consultation with the Cycle Chester Steering Group and the Chester Cycle Campaign.

The study will report by Christmas 2009.

Notes to the Editor

1. The Cycling Demonstration Towns is funded by the DfT through Cycling England. It aims to embed cycling into the local cultures of the Towns through investment in engineering and behaviour change programmes.
2. Since 2005, the original six Cycling Demonstration Towns have received £17m from the Government. This has enabled a rise in per capita expenditure from a national average spend of £1 per head to £16 per head, this compares favourably with many European cities.
3. A map naming all 17 Cycle Demonstration Towns (including Chester) and the designated Cycle City (Bristol) can be viewed on the Cycling England website.
4. Following investment along Chester’s canal and riverside, levels of cycling have increased by as much as 25% since 2001.