Lower rural road speed limits ‘are needed to improve quality of cycle routes’

Speed limits must be lowered to improve the quality and safety of cycle routes across Scotland, according to a leading charity.

In its first UK-wide audit of the National Cycle Network, Sustrans Scotland, which promotes walking and cycling, found that more than 57 per cent of the network’s route north of the border was rated as ‘very poor’ – 1,523 miles of the 2,657 there.

All of the highlighted routes are on-road, and the audit shows that more than half of the network issues concerned traffic safety.

One of the recommendations made to improve the overall rating of the network is to lower the speed limit on the roads – bringing it down to 20mph in urban areas and 40mph in rural ones.

All 16,575 miles of the network within the UK were included as part of the audit, which found that 53 per cent of the routes were rated as ‘good’ – contrasting with the scores returned for Scotland’s own pathways.

John Lauder, Sustrans Scotland national director, said: “Scotland’s unique geography means that a large proportion of National Cycle Network routes here are based on rural roads.

“And whilst it is heartening to see that the majority of our off-road routes are ‘good’ or ‘very good’, which reflects the investment by the Scottish government, in particular over the past five years, and the commitment by our partners, we still face a big challenge where National Cycle Network routes are on public roads.
 
“Reducing the speed limit to 40mph on on-road sections of the National Cycle Network as part of a range of complementary measures will help make these popular walking and cycling routes safer, better and more reliable for all users.”