Alconbury Weald is aiming to become a truly sustainable community: that’s partly about putting in place the right infrastructure and services for people to lead low carbon lives as the development rolls out, and creating a culture where people choose low carbon travel options.
Working with sustainable travel partner Smart Journeys Urban&Civic’s Alconbury team, has rolled out a series of initiatives to encourage cycling in and around Alconbury Weald.
This includes:
- Bike servicing sessions to fix punctures and ensure residents’ bikes are in tip-top condition to explore local and wider cycleways safely.
- 30 day free bike hire to give residents the opportunity to try before you buy. This includes electric, Brompton, cargo and tandem bikes.
- 1-2-1 cycle training lesson to help residents make safe and enjoyable journeys and teach key skills such as good road positioning, signalling and visibility. Even the most experienced cyclist is guaranteed to learn something new.
- Bike maintenance course to give beginners basic knowledge so they can deal with a roadside puncture and keep their bike in good condition.
So far, 133 bikes have been serviced/repaired and 34 bikes hired for 30-day trial – 12 cargo bikes, 17 electric bikes and five tandems!
The success of this pilot has resulted in plans for a permanent bike hub in The Glade, the new local centre coming forward.
The bike hub pilot has been really positive, with 65% of residents saying that they cycle more since engaging with us. It’s great to see people getting back on their bikes and we’ve also had a number of residents purchase an electric bike after their 30-day free trial.”
POLLY WILLIAMS
Smart Journeys