Cycling commuters get £50m windfall

The UK public has this week awarded £50m to an environmental project designed to revitalise walking and cycling across the country.

Connect2, a project proposed by sustainable transport charity Sustrans, beat three other finalists for the lottery funded People's £50 Million Giveaway, and will now distribute the cash around 79 projects to renovate new walkways and bridges in different communities, many of which will make it easier for commuters to complete journeys to work under their own steam.

"It's all about increasing transport options, including tunnels, bridges, and viaducts," explained Sustrans spokesperson Gill Harrison.

One of the most ambitious projects is a £13m foot and cycle bridge connecting the east and west sides of Derry-Londonderry across the River Foyle. All of the projects involve part-funding from local governments, explained Harrison, adding that the total value of the Connect2 projects is £147m.

"It's unlocking money from local transport budgets to help fund these schemes," she said, adding that some funds will also come from organisations such as British Waterways.

Other projects include a new network of routes around London's East End for walkers and cyclists, and a link designed to connect two villages within the East Midlands that are just a mile apart, but which are separated by a busy road. Six million people live within a mile of a Connect2 scheme, Harrison said.

The three competitors that lost the bid for the lottery cash were a project to preserve the ecology of Sherwood Forest, a further development to the existing Eden Project, and a series of open developments in the Black Country.