Citizendia
Your Ad Here


Sustrans
Formation 1977
Headquarters Flag of the United Kingdom Bristol, UK
Region served United Kingdom
Website Sustrans
Canal boat decked in Sustrans logo
Canal boat decked in Sustrans logo

Sustrans is a British charity which promotes sustainable transport. The date of establishment or date of founding of an Institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point Headquarters (HQ denotes the location where most if not all of the important functions of an organization are concentrated Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates Sustainable transport is a concept developed in reaction to things that have gone visibly wrong with transportation policy practice and performance through much the world over the last The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment". The bicycle, cycle, or bike is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind [1] Sustrans' flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created 16,000 km (10,000 miles) of signed cycle routes throughout the UK, although about 70% of the network is on previously existing, mostly minor roads where motor traffic will be encountered. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Segregated cycle facilities are Roads tracks paths or marked lanes designated for use by Cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded

As well as the National Cycle Network, Sustrans is working on Safe Routes to Schools, Safe Routes to Stations, Home Zones (liveable neighbourhoods) and other practical responses to transport and environmental challenges. Home Zone is a term used in the United Kingdom for a residential Street or group of streets that are designed using principles similar to those of Living streets [2] Sustrans administers over 1500 volunteer Rangers who monitor over 60% of the National Cycle Network and contribute to the maintenance and promotion of the routes. Sustrans also works to promote cycling both for recreational and utility purposes, for example, by working with local authorities to organise cycling events and holding information and merchandise stalls at fairs and festivals. [3]

Contents

History

Sustrans' first ever route follows a disused railway though a green corridor in Bristol.
Sustrans' first ever route follows a disused railway though a green corridor in Bristol.

Sustrans was formed in Bristol in July 1977 as Cyclebag by a group of cyclists and environmentalists, motivated by emerging doubts about the desirability of over-dependence on the private car, following the 1973 oil crisis, and the almost total lack of specific provision for cyclists in most British cities, in contrast to some other European countries. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. The 1973 oil crisis began on October 17 1973 when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC consisting of the Arab members of [4]

A decade earlier the Beeching Axe closed many British railways that the government considered underused and too costly. The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government 's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system One such railway was the former Midland Railway line between central Bristol and Bath, closed in favour of the more direct, former Great Western Railway between the cities. The Midland Railway (MR was a Railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1844 to 1922 when it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Sustrans leased part of this route with the help of Avon County Council (Bristol and Bath were then part of the County of Avon) and turned it into their first route, the Bristol & Bath Railway Path. The former County of Avon was a non-metropolitan county and ceremonial county in the west of England, named after the River Avon, which The Bristol & Bath Railway Path is a 13-mile off-road Cycleway that forms part of National Cycle Network National Cycle Route 4. [4]

In the early 1980s when unemployment rose, the organisation took advantage of government schemes to provide temporary employment to build similar 'green routes'. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. British Waterways collaborated with Sustrans to improve towpaths along some canals and this resulted in greatly increased use of the towpaths, especially by cyclists. British Waterways is the informal name of the British Waterways Board a Statutory corporation sponsored by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs A towpath is a Road or Trail on the bank of a River, Canal, or other inland waterway Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways

In 1983 the charity Sustrans was founded. It has 11 directors who are also the trustees, members, and board members of the charity and are chosen by the existing board. There is also an executive board composed of the chief executive and one of the two company secretaries. [5]

By the early 1990s Sustrans had growing number of supporters and the network of national routes was emerging. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 In 1995 they were granted UK£43. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency 5 million from the Millennium Lottery Fund[6] to extend the National Cycle Network to smaller towns and rural areas, as well as launch the Safe Routes to Schools project, based on earlier state projects in Denmark. The National Lottery is the largest Lottery in the United Kingdom.

The organisation is working to introduce Safe Routes to Stations and Home Zones among other projects.

Funding

The National Cycle Network was the first project to receive Millennium Commission funding in 1995. Sustrans currently has many sources of funding, and in the 2004/05 financial year Sustrans income was £23. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency 6 million. Of this, £2. 1 million came from the donations of supporters. £8. 5 million came from the Department for Transport, and a further £2. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department 5 million from the National Opportunities Fund, specifically for the Safe Routes projects. Additional funding comes from charitable grants and trusts, local government and income from the sales of maps and books. [7]

National Cycle Network

Main article: National Cycle Network

The National Cycle Network was officially opened in June 2000,[8] though 5000 miles had already been completed, and some routes had been open for over a decade. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States In 2005 the network reached 10,000 miles. [9] In urban areas almost 20% of the network is free from motor-traffic, though these sections can account for up to 80% of use. The more rural parts of the network see less motor traffic and are used primarily for leisure cycling. Sustrans has a number of opponents within the heritage railway movement and those promoting the expansion of the modern railway network to reduce motor travel. Some within these movements suggest that users of these rural routes actually increase motor travel in gaining access to these routes with cycles carried on vehicle roof racks etc. Sustrans have been accused of being uncompromising on route sharing; E. g. allowing a single track railway adjacent to a cycle path on a double track railway formation. An example of this is the planned section of the Bodmin and Wenford Railway between Boscarne Junction & Wadebridge. The Bodmin and Wenford Steam Railway (BWSR is a Heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Sustrans estimate that in 2005 the network carried 232,000,000 journeys by all classes of non-motorised users. [10] The data collected by Sustrans to compile their monitoring reports, from traffic counters and user surveys, shows that National Cycle Network usage is predominantly urban, and mainly on traffic-free sections. Furthermore, the surveys show that only 35% of usage on urban sections of the NCN is for leisure purposes.

Patrons

Patrons of Sustrans include: -

Glenys Kinnock MEP, The Rt Hon Neil Kinnock, Jan Morris CBE, Dr Alex Moulton CBE RDI FREng, Dervla Murphy, Steven Norris, Jeremy Paxman, Jonathon Porritt CBE, Claire Rayner OBE, Richard Rogers, Bettina Selby, Jon Snow, The Rt Hon the Lord Waldegrave of North Hill, The Rt Hon Sir George Young MP.

Connect2

Sustrans launched the 'Connect2' project in August 2006 in a successful bid to win £50 million from the Big Lottery's 'Living Landmarks; The People's Millions' Competition. The Big Lottery Fund (BIG is a grant-making Non-Departmental Public Body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding It was one of six projects competing for the grant; Connect2 was announced as the winning project on 12 December 2007[11].

Connect2 is a UK-wide project that aims to improve local travel in 79 communities by creating new walking and cycling routes for the local journeys that people make every day. By building bridges and new crossings over barriers such as busy roads, rivers and railway lines, Connect2 would connect people to the places they want to go. Each crossing would link to a network of walking and cycling routes and to schools, shops, work, green spaces, hospitals and other essential locations.

It is estimated that Connect2 will pass within half a mile of:

giving the benefits:

The official Sustrans Connect2 website contains information on all schemes: http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk

More information on the Big Lottery's 'Living Landmarks; The People's Millions' Programme is available on their website. http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_livinglandmarks

See also

References

  1. ^ Sustrans, 2005. Utility cycling encompasses any Cycling not done primarily for fitness, Recreation such as cycle touring, or Sport such as cycle Bicycle touring is a Leisure Travel activity which involves touring exploring or Sightseeing by Bicycle. Bike trials is a form of Mountain biking derived from Motorcycle trials. Challenge riding is a form of Cycling where the riders challenge themselves rather than each other Cycling is the use of Bicycles or - less commonly - Unicycles Tricycles Quadricycles and other similar wheeled Human powered vehicles List of cycleways is a link page for any Cycleway anywhere in the world Mountain biking entails the Sport of riding Bicycles off-road often over rough terrain whether riding specially equipped Mountain bikes or hybrid road bikes Mountain biking entails the Sport of riding Bicycles off-road often over rough terrain whether riding specially equipped Mountain bikes or hybrid road bikes Permeability or connectivity describes the extent to which urban forms permit (or restrict movement of people or vehicles in different directions Road bicycle racing is a popular Bicycle racing Sport held on roads (following the Geography of the area using Racing bicycles The Segregated cycle facilities are Roads tracks paths or marked lanes designated for use by Cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded Sustainable transport is a concept developed in reaction to things that have gone visibly wrong with transportation policy practice and performance through much the world over the last Track cycling is a Bicycle racing Sport usually held on specially-built banked tracks or Velodromes (but many events are held at older velodromes where the "About Our Work. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  2. ^ Sustrans, 2005. "Our Projects. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  3. ^ Sustrans, 2005. "Events. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  4. ^ a b Sustrans, 2002. The Official Guide to the National Cycle Network. 2nd ed. Italy: Canile & Turin. ISBN 1-901389-35-9. Relevant section reproduced here.
  5. ^ Sustrans Ltd. & PriceWaterHouseCoopers LLP, 2005. "Annual Report for the year ending March 2005. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  6. ^ Sustrans, 2005. "Celebratory Events in 2005. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  7. ^ Sustrans Ltd. & PriceWaterHouseCoopers LLP, 2005. "Annual Report for the year ending March 2005. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  8. ^ Cycle-n-sleep, 2005. "Sustrans. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  9. ^ Sustrans, 2005. "Celebratory Events in 2005. " Accessed 2005-12-20.
  10. ^ Sustrans, 2006. "National Cycle Network Route User Monitoring Report to end of 2005. " Accessed 2007-05-03.
  11. ^ The People's 50 Million

External links

Specific routes

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic