A new scheme to encourage the residents of Milton Keynes to cycle to work, as well as having securer bike storage for local businesses has been launched.

The Ride It, Lock It, Love It campaign aims to achieve this within the town, after Milton Keynes Council confirmed they are working in partnership with sustainable transport firm PWLC Projects, and bike park suppliers Turvec, to offer free bicycle parking stands to businesses in the borough.

This comes after MKC (Milton Keynes Council) has earmarked £45,000 from its Transport Policy budget for the project, and businesses are being urged to apply, to help them reduce emissions and boost their green credentials.

Steve Wong, Partner at PWLC Projects, said: “The ‘Ride it, Lock it, Love it’ campaign is a great way for businesses to take the worry out of bike ownership and set them on the path toward safe, secure bicycle parking.

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“It is really important to us that we engage meaningfully with businesses to register with us onto Modeshift Stars for Business and put together a Workplace Travel Plan that will help them encourage staff to adopt sustainable transport options such as cycling.”

Additionally, as part of Milton Keynes Council’s £500,000 Green Recovery Fund for Sustainable Transport Initiative, businesses could also qualify for a grant of up to £1,000 for use on measures introduced to the workplace that help encourage staff to use more sustainable modes of transport.

This could allow companies or parishes to enhance their facilities by providing covered parking, public bike pumps, repair stations, or charging points for e-bikes.

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Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at the cycling charity, Cycling UK, has welcomed the initiative: “We’ve seen a huge resurgence in the number of people cycling during the pandemic as people, in part because they’re looking to avoid public transport as they commute to work.

“That’s why it’s really important we support people to feel able to cycle, whether that’s by providing more cycle parking or installing more cycle lanes so they feel safer travelling by bike.

“Not only is cycling great for our health and mental well-being, enabling more people to cycle is a crucial step towards improving air quality and reducing road traffic congestion in our towns and cities.”

More information about this initiative and all of the other MK Council-led projects to support active and sustainable transport will be available at www.getcyclingmk.org.