Spectators encouraged to get on their bikes and feet as £10m scheme sees cycle and walking routes upgraded for Games and legacy

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Spectators will be encouraged to pedal and stroll to the Games as a major drive to increase activity was launched to coincide with the unveiling of a £10 million improvement package for London’s cycle and walking networks.

Download Images from today’s launch, attended by five-time Olympian Mark Foster.

An additional one million journeys a day are expected to be made by foot and bike in London next summer, as spectators switch from other forms of transport. It is forecast that 300,000 spectators will cycle and walk to Games venues in London next summer, with 7,000 bike parking spaces being provided for the Olympic Park alone.

A total of 75km of East London’s cycle routes have been enhanced by Transport for London (TfL) through the 2012 Games Walking and Cycling Routes, a scheme conceived by charity Sustrans and funded by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

The enhancements, which span 113 individual schemes serving eight routes around the Olympic Park and river venues, are linked to existing networks and are part of a wider London Greenways network. All eight routes are now structurally complete with the Hackney Parks route being the first to have new signage installed as part of a rolling programme.

Improvements, which include new cycle crossings, improved paving and lighting for safety and security, will not only help spectators travelling to the Olympic Park and other London venues, but will leave London much better connected for cyclists and pedestrians after the Games. A variety of on and off-road routes will ensure that as many people as possible - from families and friends to experienced cyclists and walkers – are able to enjoy a fantastic way of experiencing the capital.

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and TfL today launched the London 2012 Active Travel programme (ATP) to increase the numbers of people cycling and walking before, during and after the Games.

The London-wide programme is being delivered by LOCOG, the ODA and TfL, and has been developed through working with local authorities, the NHS, Sustrans, Ramblers, Walk England, Living Streets and a number of other organisations.

More than 50 innovative projects encouraging more walking and cycling have been awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark. Many of these projects will continue to provide community benefits long after London 2012.

Projects include a London Cycle Guide developed by TfL and part-funded by the ODA that highlights the 2012 Games Walking and Cycling routes. The map, which was published today, covers the area surrounding the Olympic Park, showing how the new routes integrate within London’s wider cycling network. It is available to order online from Free local cycle guides | Cycling | Transport for London.

The 2012 Games Walking and Cycling Routes and Active Travel programme were launched today at the site of one of the improved schemes in Palatine Road, Hackney.

ODA Director of Transport Hugh Sumner said: 'There has been a significant investment made by the ODA and its partners to ensure that London 2012 is truly a sustainable transport Games, with walking and cycling crucial to the overall strategy. We have worked together to deliver major improvements across London’s cycling and walking routes so that spectators can get to venues safely and on time. These enhancements will be left in place after the Games for the benefit of commuters and communities alike.'

LOCOG Head of Sustainability David Stubbs said: 'We are working together to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity and motivation to cycle or walk to the Games. We also want to use the power of the Games to inspire people across the UK to take up more active travel, starting from now and all the way through to the Games and well beyond.'

Transport for London's Director of Better Routes and Places, Ben Plowden, said: 'The improvements we’ve made to the to the 2012 Games Walking and Cycle routes will not only help spectators access the competition venues in the cleanest, greenest way possible, but they will also be a legacy for Londoners long after the 2012 Games have finished. They are a further boost to the cycle revolution that the Mayor is bringing to the capital and as a result of the Active Travel programme launched today we expect around 300,000 spectators to walk or cycle to Olympic venues in London. We have also produced a fantastic new special edition London Cycle Guide that clearly shows people how they are able to walk and cycle to the Olympic Park and other venues.'

Carl Pittam, Sustrans’ London Director, said: 'It’s great to see our plans for London 2012 coming to fruition and Sustrans is especially grateful to TfL and the ODA for their hard work and investment in this project. These new and improved routes through quiet streets, parks and green spaces are safer, more attractive and more welcoming for all. They will encourage a broader range of people to walk and cycle more often, and will act as a catalyst for the development of a wider London Greenways network.'

Five-time Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth Champion Mark Foster said: 'We are all hoping that London 2012 is providing the inspiration for people to get active before the Games begin. I live in London and always use my bike to get around, and so I’m really impressed that the cycling and walking routes leading to the Olympic Park are in place well ahead of next summer for people to make use of now. These cycle routes will not only be able to be used by spectators travelling to the Games on bike and foot, but will provide a long-term legacy in east London.'

Hackney Council's Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods Cllr Feryal Demirci said: 'The new walking and cycling route that Hackney has gained thanks to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will make travelling to the Games by foot or bike much easier. The route will remain in place after the Games, leaving a legacy for sustainable transport in the borough, and I hope that as many people as possible use the new route during, before and after the Games.'

Notes to Editors

• Download Images of today’s launch
• Cycle maps of the 2012 Games Walking and Cycling Routes can be ordered online from tfl.gov.uk/cycleguides
• For further information about the 2012 Games walking and cycling routes here here
• To find out more about the London 2012 Active Travel programme
• The Active Travel Programme aims to achieve this through a number of ways, including:
  
• Supporting over 50 UK-wide projects encouraging walking and cycling
• Publishing maps detailing pre-Games and Games-time routes for cyclists and walkers
• A Games-time spectator cycling journey planner
• Providing information about local routes into venues and local attractions on the London 2012 website to encourage spectators to walk and cycle
• Offering help to encourage employees to walk and cycle to work
• Ensuring secure cycle parking at every competition venue
• Offering cycle maintenance service at certain venues over the Games
• Developing a series of led rides and walks for spectators travelling to Games venues
  
• There are enough spaces for 7,000 bicycles to be parked across three sites around the Olympic Park. This can be broken down to the following: 4,000 spaces at Victoria Park, 2,000 at the Northern Spectator Transport Mall and a further 1,000 at the Southern Spectator Transport Mall. Additionally, there will be cycle parking across the capital and temporary cycle parking for spectators at all competition venues.
• London 2012’s Inspire programme will help bring the benefits of the 2012 Games to every part of the UK – giving millions the opportunity to participate as never before. For more information, see here
• London Greenways is a collection of projects that seek to create a network of attractive and functional routes for walkers and cyclists, and aims to improve access to and through green space across the capital.
• London Greenways has been developed and funded by Transport for London (TfL), Sustrans, the ODA, the London Boroughs and others over a number of years and incorporates schemes delivered through the TfL Greenways Programme, the Mayor’s Great Outdoors programme, the Olympic Walking and Cycling Route Enhancements Programme (OWCRE) and Sustrans’ Connect2, National Cycle Network, and Greenways for the Olympics and London (GOAL) projects.
• Sustrans are setting up some led rides and walks on the 2012 Walking and Cycling Routes on 19 November

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.

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London 2012 - Tickets, Sports, Schedule, Venues | London2012.com