Dear editor,
Cycling Campaign for North Bedfordshire (CCNB) applauds Erica Roffe’s article on Sunday, 3 March 2024 titled “Opinion: 15-minute cities?Yes, please”.
Read: Opinion: 15-minute cities? Yes, please
This need not be a dream.
Bedford has always been a ‘Town of Cyclists’ in the top quartile of UK towns and is already a 15-minute town with cyclists able to reach the town centre from nearly all residential areas within this timeframe.
The Bedford and Kempston urban area is fairly compact and, with the exception of the Manton Heights area, is reasonably flat and ideal for cycling.
The urban area has an extensive reasonably safe 150km cycle network started in the 1950s made up of off-road dual-use paths, quiet (mainly 20mph) residential roads and cycle lanes along busier roads with a number of routes reaching surrounding villages to make a great cycling experience.
Cycle (and pedestrian) safety is ensured by an exceptionally high number of controlled road crossing points:
- 75 signal-controlled toucan crossings for cyclists and pedestrians
- 2 signal-controlled pegasus crossings for horses, cyclists and pedestrians
- 11 parallel crossings for cyclists and pedestrians
- 40 puffin/pelican and numerous zebra crossings which cyclists can use to safely walk across
Yes – there still some major gaps – Bromham Road railway bridge, High Street cycle contraflow and A6/A421 junction – and some sections which require bringing up to the latest cycle infrastructure guidelines.
‘Climate Change’ and ‘Air Pollution’ are two of the world’s crises of our time with the former approaching a tipping point – note Bedford and the UK’s recent extreme rain and floods and last year’s record temperatures.
With 36% (2021 figure) of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Bedford Borough coming from transport, it is therefore extremely important that to help reduce emissions more residents should urgently consider sustainable transport as an alternative to a motor vehicle, in particular, cycling and walking for short distances and public transport for longer journeys.
Cycling is fun – good for your health – great for your fitness – the fastest mode of transport for door-to-door short journeys – environmentally friendly – saves money on parking and fuel.
It offers mobility for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities and creates safer and more pleasant streets. The nights are getting lighter and Spring and Summer are just around the corner.
Let’s see many more residents using a cycle to continue to make Bedford a truly 15-minute town.
Peter Blakeman
Cycling Campaign for North Bedfordshire (CCNB)
Dove Road, Bedford
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