BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Birmingham’s Conservative leader Robert Alden has criticised plans to install cycle lanes in the city, according to a story in the Birmingham Post.
Alden warned putting cycle lanes on routes like Hagley Road could increase congestion and said cash should be spent on building cycling into minor roads and canal towpaths instead.
He said: "We should remove road space after we have got the public transport, like the Metro, in place. Most people currently driving around are not going to switch to bikes."
It’s not the first time local councillors have taken issue with cycling in Birmingham. The city was awarded £17m by the government in 2013 to boost travelling by bicycle. Following that award, another Conservative Birmingham councillor took issue with cycling, claiming it is a "discriminatory form of transport".
2014’s Sky Ride Birmingham was cancelled due to difficulties in securing a date and route – 18,000 had taken part in 2013’s event. It appears that 2015 has seen those difficulties continue, with the city again missing out on a big Sky Ride event.
The CTC are among those who have criticised Councillor Alden’s stance, wondering why he doesn’t get cycling when Boris Johnson and David Cameron do. Read more on the story at the Birmingham Post.
