14 January 2009
Jersey Tourism’s Cycle Network is one step closer to completion, providing 100 miles of safe and useful routes across the Island. Work on the final stretch connecting St Peters Village to Les Quennevais has finished and an official opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, January 13th at 9.30am.
Senator Alan Maclean, the Minister for Economic Development, has responsibility for the Tourism Development Fund (TDF) which helped fund the scheme.
Senator Maclean says: “Thanks to the hard work of many States departments and some private funding we now have an impressive network of footpaths and cycle track across the Island. We hope more schoolchildren, commuters and visitors to Jersey will recognise the health and environmental benefits of walking and cycling and choose to leave their cars at home.”
The final route in the west of the Island means that people can now travel off-road from St Peter to St Helier or Corbiere. The link also provides safe routes to three schools, Les Quennevais, La Moye Primary and St Peters Primary as well as connecting to the popular Railway Walk in St Brelade, the Red Houses arcade of shops and Les Quennevais Sports Centre.
Road Safety Officer Philip Blake says: “Where there’s a good facility people will use it and this will make a huge difference for young people living in St Peter and Les Quennevais. It will also give the growing number of commuters cycling to work better routes away from congested main roads.”
The Transport and Technical Services Department have built cycle routes along green lanes close to schools, shops and visitor attractions. To design the routes a number of laws had to be changed including; allowing under 15s to cycle along the Railway Walk; allowing cyclists to ride on footpaths and agreeing shared use for cyclists and walkers along The Promenade.
John Grimshaw CBE is the President of the UK cycling transport charity Sustrans and was involved at the start of the project.
Mr Grimshaw says: “I congratulate Jersey on this comprehensive network which will put most Islanders in easy reach of a route. I anticipate this will become a valuable tourist asset providing a low-energy alternative for visitors to explore Jersey - offsetting some of the carbon emissions involved in travelling to the Island.”
Encouraging more people to exercise and lead healthier lives is one of the key objectives of New Directions, a comprehensive strategy being developed by Health and Social Services, in conjunction with a number of States departments and voluntary agencies.
Mr Le Feuvre is the New Directions Programme Director. He says: “Encouraging more people to cycle, whilst also providing safer routes to school and work, is just one of a number of initiatives that we are keen to pursue in encouraging many more islanders to adjust their lifestyles so as to prevent ill health and reduce levels of chronic disease. Making it easier for people to build regular exercise into their daily routines will encourage all of us, and especially young people, to adopt healthy habits which will enable us to enjoy long and active lives.”
Active consideration is also being given to proposals to extend similar routes in the East of the Island providing a link from Gorey into St Helier.
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