Hull Experiences Cycling Renaissance As More Residents Opt For A Greener Form Of Travel

Residents in Hull are choosing to cycle more as traffic levels remain low across the city.

Many residents are opting to use a greener form of travel as part of their daily exercise routine or to get to and from work as the lockdown eases.

In February 2020 Hull City Council developed a 10-year Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) to upgrade key routes and improve cycle paths for residents across the city.

Work to improve these routes will begin in June, with the council allocating £950k over the next year to re-sign, relabel, repair and extend key cycling routes.

The work will include creating more space for cyclists and clearly marking all cycling routes in green.

Councillor Daren Hale, the portfolio holder for economic investment, regeneration and planning, said: “The city is experiencing a cycling renaissance and we want to make sure we can maintain that momentum.

“Hull currently sits at number eight in the top ten league table for cycling to work, with eight per cent of our residents cycling to work, compared to just three per cent nationally. This is a league table we want to get to the top of and as an authority, we will do all we can to sustain and encourage this trend going forward.

“To supplement our already existing plans, we will also be bidding for a share of the Government’s funding pot of £2bn laid out for cycling improvements across the country.”

Work to improve existing cycle routes began last year as part of the multi-million pound Stoneferry Corridor upgrade.

The LCWIP also identifies possible extensions to existing cycle routes, upgrading traffic calming measures, on-street routes and some segregated routes depending on the traffic flow and available space.

Claire Farrow, behaviour change lead at Hull City Council, said: “This is really good news from a public health perspective. Cycling or walking the journeys we make as part of daily life, whether it’s the commute, or a trip to the shops, can make a significant improvement to overall health, reducing risk of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes, as well as being a natural way to improve mood. Any increase in the amount of physical activity people do is beneficial to health.

“While daily life is very different for most people at the moment, this is a long-term project which will support people to be able to safely cycle in the city and support the ambition set out in the Towards An Active Hull Strategy, to support 10,000 people in the city to move from inactive to active over the next decade.”