WIREDGOV

Help is on hand for those looking to plan the perfect bike ride over the Easter break, Local Transport Minister Norman Baker announced today.

Any cyclist, from enthusiasts planning a fun and healthy countryside ride over the long weekend to families looking for a safe, pretty route linking city parks can benefit from the Department for Transport’s online cycling journey planner.

Part of the Transport Direct Portal, the planner now covers every road in England. Cyclists tap in their planned start and end points and the tool calculates a route that suits.

Users can easily tweak the settings to meet their needs, filtering journeys to select the quickest, quietest or most recreational routes – those which take them through parks and green spaces. The planner can even plot routes avoiding steep hills.

Norman Baker said:

“Cycling is a fantastic leisure activity that’s becoming increasingly popular, and rightly so.

“It’s good fun, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for your health. Indeed, the Chief Medical Officer has suggested that if cycling were discovered today it would be hailed as a miracle cure.

“Our route planner helps people wanting to get out and about and enjoy cycling, as well as those who want to map the best bike route to work.”

As well as being great for those cycling for leisure, the planner is also designed to be used by those commuting by bike, who can use the online tool to find a well-lit, direct route to and from work.

The Transport Direct Portal receives more than 2 million visits a month and increasing numbers of people are using the website to plan their journeys by bike.

Notes to Editors

1. The Cycle Route Planner can be found online at: It can be found online at: http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/JourneyPlanning/FindCycleInput.aspx 2. The Transport Direct Portal provides information, tips and tools to help the travelling public. This includes information on planning trips using other modes of transport, live travel news providing updates on issues that may affect people’s journeys and advice on cutting carbon emissions and buying the cheapest rail tickets. 3. The planner allows users to plot journeys of up to 50km, choosing from a number of different parameters. Users may select their type of journey using the following options: · "Quietest" prioritises the use of cycle paths, cycle lanes, quiet streets and routes recommended for cycling, and where possible avoids steep hills. · "Quickest" plots a route with the shortest cycling time, taking into account the gradient and appropriate speed for the paths and roads involved. · "Most recreational" prioritises cycling through parks and green spaces in addition to the other parameters outlined above under “Quietest”. · Additional options allow users to select routes avoiding unlit roads, steep hills or routes where cyclists would need to get on and off their bikes. Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3066Out of Hours: 020 7944 4292Public Enquiries: 0300 330 3000Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.ukwww.twitter.com/transportgovuk | www.youtube.com/transportgovuk | www.flickr.com/transportgovuk

Contacts:

DfT Press Office - Local Transport
Phone: DfT Press Office 020 7944 3066
nds.dft@coi.gsi.gov.uk