Milton Keynes Council’s new Ride It, Lock It, Love It campaign aims to help more Milton Keynes employees cycle to work by providing safe and secure bike storage for local businesses.
Modeshift Partners PWLC Projects and Turvec have been commissioned to lead this project with an offer of free bicycle parking stands for companies, and support in developing a Modeshift STARS Business accredited Travel Plan. Businesses are also being encouraged to sign up to the free online community cycling platform Love to Ride: Milton Keynes, which allows members to log cycling journeys, set company goals, compete in national and local leaderboards, and take part in a year-round calendar of campaigns, events and prizes.
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.
“It’s really important that we engage meaningfully with businesses and not only help them in applying for the free bike stands, but also register them on the Modeshift STARS Business site so that they can start developing a plan to help encourage staff to adopt sustainable transport options such as cycling.”
Angus Rodney, Project Manager at Love to Ride says the initiative couldn’t have come at a better time: “As restrictions ease and more of us return to work, it is vital that we support Milton Keynes residents to make that return a bike shaped one.
“Milton Keynes Council are right behind this message with a number of cycling projects and we’re inviting everyone to sign up for the scheme and join us on Love to Ride. If the physical and mental health benefits of cycling aren’t enough in themselves, there are also loads of cycling and non-cycling related prizes to tempt people as well”
Businesses may also qualify for a grant from Milton Keynes Council of up to £1,000 for use on workplace measures that help encourage staff to use greener modes of transport. This allows companies to further enhance their facilities by providing covered parking, public bike pumps, repair stations, or charging points for e-bikes.
Providing cycle parking for businesses is just one of the council’s strategies to support sustainable transport and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Milton Keynes Council also loans eCargo bikes to businesses to support clean, green, healthier transportation; offers opportunities for residents to try out ebikes; as well as providing access to free bikes for low income or unemployed locals living within the borough of Milton Keynes. There are also Bikeability cycle training courses available, which are a great way to help staff become more confident when using their bikes.
More information about this initiative and all of the other MK Council led projects to support active and sustainable transport will be available at Get Cycling.
