By Catherine Hickman<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCycling is freedom\u201d said one Bicester resident visiting our Friday Market stall in July. And so it should be, but how freely can people cycle around Bicester and what could be done to make it easier?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People who aren\u2019t finding it so easy stopped by to chat and asked for \u201ceasier and safer access to the town centre by bike\u201d, \u201cmore dedicated cycle parking at shops\u201d and \u201ceasier ways to cross where cycle paths meet road junctions\u201d. For them there is currently no cycle infrastructure to access the town centre via the London Road crossing, there is no cycle parking at many of the local centres like Bowment square, and people using the cycle route along Lord\u2019s Lane have to give way to four junctions within 700 metres. Even the relatively easy task of maintaining the existing bike paths and keeping them clear has been neglected, the route along the A41 to Ambrosden being an example of particularly poor maintenance of surrounding vegetation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bicester Bike Users\u2019 Group<\/a> has heard the call and is working to overcome these and many other barriers to cycling in the town and surrounding areas, representing people who want to use bikes as well as those who already do. By getting concerns heard and acted upon, fostering good relations between people cycling, walking and driving, and improving the safety, accessibility and convenience of the Bicester cycle network, we are working to encourage as many residents as possible to grab life by the handlebars and enjoy all the benefits that cycling locally can bring.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n