Smarter Travel in Haringey
By Cllr. Nilgun Canver, Haringey Council Cabinet Member for the Environment.
Individuals who cycle benefit from healthier living, greater wellbeing and money saved, while communities who cycle benefit from reduced congestion, better air quality and safer streets.
Haringey is a Biking Borough, which means we get funding to help encourage those who live, work, and travel in the borough to swap their cars for bikes. Haringey’s Smarter Travel programme has cycling at its heart and is helping local people and places thrive, through some really eye-catching initiatives.
In a new scheme developed in partnership with the NHS, doctors can recommend cycling ‘on prescription’. Patients are referred to the borough’s Active for Life team, who can provide helpful advice about cycling (as well as walking and swimming).
Many residents tell me they would love to cycle for fun and for their health but lack confidence, so we want to help them get it, by offering training and improving cycling safety.
To help new cyclists get started, or give regulars a confidence boost, Haringey offers cycle training courses, which I am hoping to take up myself. Anyone who lives, works or studies in Haringey is eligible, and the cost for a one-to-one course is just £10 (£5 to the unemployed). Cycle training courses are provided free to local schools.
Cycling is all about inclusivity, so the Smarter Travel programme is working with The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to encourage those who are underrepresented in cycling – such as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, or women – to give it a go. Through local provider TRAX, the council will be teaching cycle coaching to residents with leadership potential, helping them develop new skills and gain employment.
For bicycles that need a helping hand, Dr Bike cycle maintenance sessions will be taking place regularly throughout the summer in the Borough’s parks. In addition, a Smarter Travel Roadshow will be visiting various locations, offering information and advice about sustainable modes of transport.
For those who want to explore Haringey by bike, a new leaflet, available from the Smarter Travel team, will contain a handy map of all the local cycling routes. Several guided recreational rides in the local area are taking place too.
For more information, and to sign up for one of the rides, visit www.goskyride.com. Smarter Travel is good for everyone. To find out more about all these cycling initiatives, contact the Smarter Travel team on 020 8489 5351 or email smarter.travel@haringey.gov.uk