Sustrans' Connect2 in the Running for £50 million

30 October 2007

A major project to get millions of people walking and cycling in their local areas came a step closer today

The final shortlist was announced today and TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and former minister Charles Clarke will lead the sustainable transport charity’s bid to transform walking and cycling opportunities across the UK. Adam Hart Davies, Wayne Hemingway and Ken Livingstone are among other high-profile supporters.

Four organisations, including ‘Sustrans’ Connect2 project are competing for the £50 million grant to be decided by public vote on ITV1 in December. Each project will be the subject of a television programme on ITV1 in the week commencing 3 December. Sustrans’ Connect2 will be featured on Tuesday 4th December. Full programme details will be released in mid November. Voting will take place online and by phone vote following the TV shows. Online voting for The People’s £50 Million Lottery Giveaway will open at 9am on 26th November at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk. Telephone voting will be over the weekend 7-10 December 2007.

Connect2 will improve local travel in 79 communities by building walking and cycling bridges and tunnels, developing links, even re-instating a ferry. Connect2 will also bring people closer together, making journeys quicker, healthier and more convenient.

From cyclists and leisure walkers to commuters and schoolchildren everyone will have a better quality of life thanks to Connect2. Across the UK six million people live within a mile of the proposed schemes, including one million schoolchildren. It is estimated that 79,000 tonnes of carbon emissions could be saved annually once the schemes are completed.

Lorraine Kelly: “I meet so may people from all walks of life and I find one thing affects us all, travel. How many times have we stood on the edge of a busy road waiting for traffic to ease or had to travel miles out of our way to get to the bridge over the river? Connect2 deals with just these daily challenges and gives us the option to do the journey in a way that helps the environment. And, of course, it gets us fit – forget the gym, Connect2 is the answer to our obesity problems”.

Sustrans’ CEO John Grimshaw said, “Three years ago the National Cycle Network was voted Britain’s favourite large-scale, lottery-funded project. Connect2 will build on the NCN and provide local opportunities for people to combat two of the most pressing issues facing us – obesity and climate change. We ask anyone who would like to see local travel transformed across the UK to vote for Connect2 in December.

There are many schemes in Wales, with Merthyr Tydfil being one of them. The walking and cycling path between Merthyr Tydfil and Pentrebach is severed by the fast A4060 Mountain Hare road. Connect2 will build a bridge to create a traffic free route to connect the residential areas of Merthyr Tydfil to Pentrebach railway station and communities further south. It also provides links to local supermarkets and workplaces and provides an attractive largely level route into the centre of Merthyr and links to the Taff Trail.

To find our more about Connect2 visit www.sustransconnect2.org.uk

Link: http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk