{"id":133200,"date":"2016-01-26T11:18:15","date_gmt":"2016-01-26T09:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/?p=133200"},"modified":"2016-01-26T11:28:07","modified_gmt":"2016-01-26T09:28:07","slug":"forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/26\/forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Futuristic Cities: Forgotten Cycling Infrastructure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>English writer H. G. Wells wrote \u201ccycle tracks will abound in Utopia\u201d and this is certainly true of Bracknell in the Royal County of Berkshire.\u00a0 Here we remember how the forgotten city planners of the past envisaged the cities of the future.<\/strong><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Bracknell was ahead of its time<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you could pick the best places to live as a cyclist, you might say Copenhagen or Seville.\u00a0 Most cities in the Netherlands might top that list too \u2013 but they were all late to the cycle party because when Bracknell was designated a New Town in 1949, town planners put cycle infrastructure top of the agenda.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Roundabouts and dual carriageways<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_6296.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-133207\" src=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_6296-600x399.jpg\" alt=\"If you don\u2019t know Bracknell and visit by car, you\u2019d be forgiven for thinking it\u2019s a tangled network of dual carriageways and roundabouts.\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t know Bracknell and visit by car, you\u2019d be forgiven for thinking it\u2019s a tangled network of dual carriageways and roundabouts.\u00a0 But you may notice that there aren\u2019t many, if any, cyclists on the roads \u2013 and for good reason.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Completely segregated cycle path network<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Bracknell was built with a completely independent and segregated cycle path network.\u00a0 The locals take it for granted, but it really was a bold and revolutionary design \u2013 and the local council continue to expand the network.\u00a0 You can see an online map <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk\/map-and-guide-to-cycling-in-the-bracknell-area.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Low maintenance luxury cycling<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_63341-e1453799751116.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-133208\" src=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_63341-e1453799751116-600x902.jpg\" alt=\"Caning a road bike around Bracknell\u2019s cycle paths is something of a luxury.\" width=\"600\" height=\"902\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Caning a road bike around Bracknell\u2019s cycle paths is something of a luxury.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to worry about potholes as the roads aren\u2019t used by heavy motor vehicles.\u00a0 Most of the cycle network has never been repaved since it was built in the 1950s and still looks pristine &#8211; one reason why Sir Winston Churchill decided to abolish Road Tax for cyclists.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A safe family paradise<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Other than a few forestry vehicles caring for the local trees and path-side bushes, no motor vehicles are allowed on Bracknell\u2019s cycle paths.\u00a0 The only hazard to look out for are your fellow cyclists.\u00a0 During the school term many local children commute to school by bike, and local schools like Garth Hill have excellent parking facilities for young cyclists.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Extra-curricular cycling<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_6378.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-133209\" src=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_6378-600x399.jpg\" alt=\"Other than a few forestry vehicles caring for the local trees and path-side bushes, no motor vehicles are allowed on Bracknell\u2019s cycle paths.\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bracknell also has something to offer the serious off-roader.\u00a0 South Hill Park has a hidden BMX circuit, and The Lookout is great for mountain-bikers wanting something a little more aggressive to pursue.\u00a0 For a small fee you get access to miles of Bracknell Forest trails.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s good for cyclists is good for motorists<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We should always Share the Road, but Bracknell cyclists of all ages to have their own space.\u00a0 Every cycle journey means one less car journey and keeps traffic moving for those of us who might not have any alternative to using our car.<\/p>\n<h2>A <strong>sunken paradise rediscovered<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_6318.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-133205\" src=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/DSC_6318-600x399.jpg\" alt=\"Where possible, Bracknell\u2019s bike lanes are sunk lower than the roads.\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Where possible, Bracknell\u2019s bike lanes are sunk lower than the roads.\u00a0 You can cycle undisturbed with banks of grass on either side, and an arch of trees over your head.\u00a0 Bracknell\u2019s cycle paths are an undeniable asset &#8211; and a contributing factor to the inflation of property prices.\u00a0 It\u2019s no wonder that neighbouring towns are beginning to seriously invest in their own cycle infrastructure.\u00a0 Cycling is a serious part of the future if we want to keep the traffic moving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>English writer H. G. Wells wrote \u201ccycle tracks will abound in Utopia\u201d and this is certainly true of Bracknell in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":133204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[328,329,334,330],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-133200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoor-mountain","category-road-cycling","category-socialising-and-culture","category-urban-cycling"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Futuristic Cities: Forgotten Cycling Infrastructure - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"English writer H. G. Wells wrote \u201ccycle tracks will abound in Utopia\u201d and this is certainly true of Bracknell in the Royal County of Berkshire.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/26\/forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Futuristic Cities: Forgotten Cycling Infrastructure\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"English writer H. G. Wells wrote \u201ccycle tracks will abound in Utopia\u201d and this is certainly true of Bracknell in the Royal County of Berkshire.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/26\/forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-01-26T09:18:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-01-26T09:28:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/121344.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"525\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Christopher Ashley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/26\/forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/26\/forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future\/\",\"name\":\"Futuristic Cities: Forgotten Cycling Infrastructure - \u0160koda We Love Cycling\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/26\/forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/26\/forgotten-cycling-infrastructure-cities-of-the-future\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/121344.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-01-26T09:18:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-01-26T09:28:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"description\":\"English writer H. 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