Witney has welcomed several new cycle racks across the town, installed by Oxfordshire County Council as part of its commitment to upgrading cycling infrastructure across the County, and funded from the Government’s Emergency Active Travel Grant. Working with the Town Council, the locations of the racks were identified to help cyclists access more areas for retail, leisure and work purposes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The investment takes account increased cycling and walking during the pandemic, particularly during lockdown, when motorised vehicle traffic was greatly reduced, and builds on the desire to encourage healthier travel choices.
Cllr Ruth Smith, Chair of the Town Council’s Climate, Biodiversity & Planning Committee said,
“I am delighted to see that the new cycle racks we applied for are beginning to appear across Witney in various spots. Some are near popular shopping areas and others in outlying residential areas near shops and bus stops. The toast rack style installations all hold between 2 and 6 cycles and will make shopping in town and connected journeys by bus, for longer commutes, so much easier. Please use them and enjoy!
Town council staff put hours into scoping out positions for these next racks, and working with OCC to get them finalised. Well done everyone. Thank you.”
Almost 300,000 bicycles are stolen every year in England and Wales alone and relatively few are reunited with their owners, so Witney Town Council recommends that all cycles parked in cycle racks are securely locked to deter thieves.
