Elections

What experiences do you or your family members have of cycling for either transport or leisure? Bearing in mind that e-bikes can now make County Durham's hills easy, what would you consider to be the main barriers which prevent more people from cycling in your area, and how would you tackle these?

Schools in County Durham have bike shelters but they are often empty. Children who might like to cycle are often driven to school because parents don't consider our streets safe enough for children to walk or cycle. What are your views about cycling as a travel option for children? What practical changes would you like to see in your area to enable children to cycle?

The surge in cycling during the Covid 19 lockdowns showed how quieter and safer conditions encourage people to cycle. Cycling can help address many issues:

* the climate emergency, if people cycle instead of making shorter journeys by car
* social inclusion, because cycling is affordable and enables those on low incomes to access employment and other opportunities
* the health crisis, as exercise incorporated into journeys is very effective

How big a role do you think cycling can play in tackling these urgent issues? How can Durham County Council increase investment in cycling and quickly deliver safe, complete cycle routes to key destinations?

Air and noise pollution from traffic is a problem in urban areas throughout the County. What actions would you propose to help reduce this pollution, which is a known risk to health and wellbeing? Would you, for example, support a Car Free Day once a month promoted by Durham County Council and major employers who would encourage employees to walk, cycle, or use the bus to travel to work?

While there is a narrow shared-use cycle/pedestrian path along the A177 from Bowburn to the south end of High Shincliffe, from there into Durham there are many long gaps in provision, particularly on Shincliffe Bank. There was a fatal collision near High Shincliffe in November 2017 when a cyclist on the road was killed by a car driver. How much priority would you give to creating a safe cycle route for people to use?

Colleges like Stephenson, Josephine Butler and Collingwood now have an excellent off-road cycle route recently opened by the University which links as far as the Bill Bryson Library and the Whitechurch junction. But anyone wanting to continue along Church Street to reach New Elvet and the city centre is faced with cycling on Church Street, which often has heavy traffic. What measures would you promote to complete the cycle link into the city?