Celebrating the latest traffic-free cycling path

Last Friday Greater Bristol's Cycling City project opened its latest cycle path - a 1km traffic-free route crossing Ridgeway Playing Fields - with a celebration event and cycle ride involving local parents and children.

Bristol City Council invited 150 children from three local primary schools - Whitehall Primary, St Josephs Primary and Summerhill Primary - to join city council officers and Cllr Dr Jon Rogers on a cycle tour from Ridgeway Playing Fields.

The route took in the new cycle path across Ridgeway Playing Fields, Bristol Bath Railway Path, a new Cycling City road crossing and contraflow on Johnsons Lane and Stretford Road and ended at St George's Park where local sports group Sole Events entertained parents and children until 7pm.

The cycle path across Ridgeway Playing Fields gives cyclists on the B4048, Whitefield Road easier access to Bristol to Bath Railway Path, as well as providing direct access for residents on Moorlands Road, Holly Lodge Road and Ridgeway Road.

The £275,000  path also gives students at Bristol Brunel Academy, employees at local businesses and people attending Whitehall Rugby club and Harry Crooks youth club the option of cycling to their destination on a safe traffic-free cycle path.

Officially completed on March 31st, these Cycling City improvements are part of a project to build or improve over 50 new cycling paths in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. The project is also introducing a number of other initiatives including Bike Back, a bicycle recycling project launching in September.

So far Cycling City has helped cycling levels increase by 17% across the city since June 2008 - bringing an estimated 5000 extra cyclists to our streets.

Councillor Jon Rogers, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, including healthy Cycling City, said: "Good quality cycle paths act as "motorways" for cyclists, including commuters. This new stretch of route in Fishponds gives local cyclists quick, safe and direct access to the M1 of Bristol's cycle network - the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path. Using these routes is a great way to get to work fitter, healthier and a lot quicker than by sitting behind the wheel of a car. I know from experience that cycling through the park and down a leafy traffic-free route is a beautiful way to spend an early summer morning."