Cycling is a superb way to boost fitness and well-being. It's low-impact, making it easy on the joints, while strengthening muscles and improving cardiovascular health. Cycling also aids in weight management and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. It's an eco-friendly activity that promotes a sense of freedom and can be enjoyed alone or with others. Overall, cycling offers a fun and effective way to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
Pinder has been hearing from residents about unsafe cycling across our area including riding on public pavements where pedestrians are walking. While there is a good network of cycle paths across our towns the varying types of cycle lane causes confusion over what is a cycle path and what isn’t.
Kimbolton Road, Goldington Road, and Bedford Road are some of the main roads through Bedford and Kempston.
Kimbolton Road has a very short segment of cycle path on the footpath near Polhill Avenue.
Goldington Road has some cycle path on both sides of the main road, while some is on the path on one side of the road only.
Bedford Road is part of the National Cycle Network route 51, however the cycle path is only 1 side of the road, not wide enough for two bikes to safely pass each other without impacting pedestrians walking or waiting for the bus.
Between 2016 and 2025, the government is set to spend £6.6 billion on active travel, including on cycle infrastructure. As part of this, in 2024, the government committed £101 million of funding to improve walking and cycling routes, including improving or introducing a total of 70 miles of walking and cycling routes.
This petition asks Bedford Borough council to
- Hold a review into all cycle routes, starting with Goldington Road, Kimbolton Road and Bedford Road to ensure that:
- Signage is appropriate and clear ensuring that cyclist and other road or footpath users can quickly and easily identify cycle lanes.
- Improvements are identified to existing cycle paths to ensure that the routes are joined up and the cycle path is constant throughout route and is useable to cyclists traveling in both directions at the same time.
- Promote and support relevant safety courses available to residents and visitors of our area so that they can cycle around our area safely such as Bikeability the Department of Transport’s cycle safety and training programme for schools and adults.
- Converse with the relevant UK Government departments to unlock potential funds for Bedford Borough Council to carry out improvements mentioned above.
Please back Pinder’s petition below