Planning for recreational cycling—meeting local demand?

This article assesses the expressed, and latent, demand for recreational cycling in the Northeast of England and contrasts this with the policies of the local planning authorities. A review of the local recreational planning system revealed a reliance upon value judgements and nationally derived cycling data. There was little, if any, attempt to assess the needs of the local cycling population. A questionnaire survey was undertaken to provide an informed source of data upon which future policy and practice could be based. The survey highlighted some significant differences in those trends derived from similar studies at a national level. Recreational cyclists in the Northeast tend to be older and travel further. It was concluded that there is a large latent demand for recreational cycling in the Northeast and the provision of safe, well designed traffic-free routes would release most of this demand.