Luton Cycling Active Travel Group

In the Luton Town Hall foyer on Wednesday 22 March, you can chat with our Active Travel team about how we improve cycling and walking in Luton:

🕠5:30pm-7:30pm
💬Stop by and have a chat!
📝You can also us know your thoughts at https://engage.luton.gov.uk/walkingandcycling

***BREAKING NEWS***
Luton Council has opened the consultation for their Local Walk & Cycling Investment Plan (LCWIP).

There will also be drop in sessions:
Luton Citizens Decision Day, Marsh Farm Futures: Saturday 4th Feb 2023 (09:30-12:30)
Luton Citizens Decision Day, Ramridge Primary School: Saturday 11th Feb 2023 (09:30-12:30)
Inspire Sports Village: Thursday 9th February 2023 (09:00-12:00)
The Mall: Wednesday 8th March 2023 (09:00-12:00)
Stockwood Park: Thursday 9th March 2023 (09:00-12:00)

engage.luton.gov.uk

Many European cities have invested in safe, high quality cycling infrastructure which is resulting in an emerging cycling tourism trend, contributing to the economy sustainably.

"Fifty percent of The Netherlands' cycling infrastructure has been built since 1996".

It goes to show that with time and investment, a car-centric nation can become fairer and sustainable with its urban mobility.

How to cycle in the Netherlands like the Dutch do Lucy Shrimpton discovers what a city bike tour in Utrecht, the Hague and Amsterdam can teach us about greener living

Cycle to school week October 2022.

Cycle to School Week - Bikeability Cycle to School Week will run from Monday 3 to Friday 7 October. Find our how to get involved, download resources and enter our competition.

Is this future proofing to be continued later or is this the final design?

On both sides of the A5 near M1 junction 11A, a set of cycle tracks can be found incomplete on both sides of the road. They are not connected and don't lead anywhere yet, but it is a sign of future-proofing as the surrounding area becomes developed with new residential estates. The cycle tracks have markings and cycling directional signs fitted.

The surrounding roads have extremely wide shared use paths that conform to newer LTN1/20 standards.🚲🚶🧑‍🦽

This is a very helpful project by Luton Council and Bedfordshire Police to support those during the cost of living crisis. It proves that the bicycle is not just for leisure, but it is a tool that enables fair and equitable mobility for all; regardless of social class, age and wealth. Now we just need the safe and direct cycling infrastructure to match.

Bedfordshire Police visited the Kingsway Depot last week to donate 35 bikes to the sustainable travel team, which will made available to those that need a bike 🚲

The bikes had been seized from criminals, and were unable to be returned to owners.

Once refurbished, they will be donated to members of the community who cannot afford a bike.

Full story 👇

https://m.luton.gov.uk/Page/Show/news/Pages/Beds-Police-donate-35-bikes-to-council-cycling-scheme.aspx

If you have an old bike you no longer need that can be refurbished, you can take it to Unit 42 in the Kingsway Depot, between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday, or Luton residents can take them to their local tidy tip.

Two-thirds of UK adults feel that it is too dangerous to cycle on the roads, according to research by the Department for Transport. 🚲 It doesn't have to be this way. We need to invest in safe, accessible cycling infrastructure so that more people can choose active travel for their everyday journeys.

Use the link to Central Bedfordshire Council website to give your views on active travel in Central Bedfordshire.

Give us your thoughts on current walking and cycling routes in central Bedfordshire.

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we're launching the latest stage of our project to improve local cycling and walking routes and we want to hear the thoughts and ideas of residents and businesses to help shape a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan for Ampthill and Flitwick. Plans for other towns in Central Bedfordshire to follow at a later date.

The views of residents are being sought to shape plans to make cycling and walking the first choice for local journeys across Central Bedfordshire, which will feed into a consultation later in the year.

People are being asked to add comments on the platform and provide other ideas for where improvements or additional routes are needed.

Two public events are also planned where people can get involved:

Flitwick Library - Saturday 30 July from 10am to 2pm
Ampthill Library - Saturday 20 August from 10am to 2pm

The engagement process will run until 5 September 2022 and will help us devise a package of improvement schemes that form a comprehensive cycling and walking network. Residents will have a further opportunity to comment on this Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

A dedicated online platform displays an aspirational cycling map for the two towns. The proposed routes form a network that avoids busy roads and meandering detours and connects the two town centres. The routes also link to surrounding villages and local amenities such as Ampthill Park, schools, shops, leisure facilities, employment areas, and Flitwick railway station.

A similar public engagement process will be rolled out for cycling and walking route improvements in Arlesey, Stotfold and Fairfield, Biggleswade, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, Leighton Linslade and Sandy. We will review each area at a time with public engagement expected to start in all towns by the end of 2022.

The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans are one element of our Sustainability Plan contributing toward making Central Bedfordshire a great place to live and work.

To help shape the cycling and walking improvements in your community go to: https://bit.ly/3zbbUh2

In The Netherlands, cycle routes are not just used for leisure, but as utilities to get people of all ages from point A to point B quickly, comfortably, directly and safely without having to rely on owning a car.

It's the freedom to not have to own a car that makes better places to live.

Bicycles aren't just space-efficient on the road, but they take up considerably less space than a car when parked. The space saved can be reallocated for better uses in our towns and cities.

The Hatters Way / Chaul End Lane Roundabout in Luton summarised in just one photo. Would you let your children ride to school on this? What are your thoughts on this roundabout? comment below.

What do you think would be a better alternative?

Barriers like these are used to prevent criminals from making a quick getaway from the police. Unfortunately, these barriers make it difficult for people using mobility aids and cycles to pass through. These 'prison railings' also give Luton a depressing aesthetic which may contribute to increased antisocial behaviour.

BEFORE and AFTER:

Quite literally removing barriers for in Luton. Now it is even easier for bicycles, pedestrians and wheelchairs to access the and Busway from Hatters Way/Chaul End Lane.

Thank you Luton Council - let's hope this is the start of something bigger.

It's good to know some handy cycling routes before venturing around Luton. A map detailing the different types of cycling routes across Luton can be found here:
https://www.luton.gov.uk/Transport_and_streets/Lists/LutonDocuments/PDF/Engineering%20and%20Transportation/Cycling/CycleMap.pdf

www.luton.gov.uk