Ted Prangnell (Letters, 25 February) bemoans the lack of spending on everyday cycling, as opposed to the £94m new velodrome for the Olympics. He’s right that much more could be done to enable people to make more journeys by bicycle. Sustrans is working with local authorities to improve the environment for cycling, developing new links, redesigning the urban environment, providing people with information and advice and working with local schoolchildren. We are lobbying councils to do more still, including using the government’s local sustainable transport fund. We have now delivered 13,000 miles of national cycle network, which is quite an achievement in just over 15 years. And Ted will be pleased to learn that the Bexhill-to-Hastings link is on the way. It is part of our national Connect2 project and, working with East Sussex county council, a safe route avoiding the A259 will be built later this year.
Simon Pratt
Sustrans, South East England
• The Olympic and World Championship successes of Britain’s track cyclists in recent years has inspired thousands of youngsters to take up cycling. Attendances at London’s decrepit Herne Hill velodrome have been hugely increased since the last Olympics and as a coach in a children’s cycling club I can vouch for the massive enthusiasm generated. Fortunately it appears that Herne Hill is to be reinstated to the position of a decent, usable venue. I agree with Ted’s demands for safe cycle routes. The provision of safer cycle ways, as in most of Europe, would see even more people using bikes to travel to work and school and for exercise.
Peter Fordham
Sutton, Surrey
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