Where all the money went on cycling - part 2

I know I've ranted about this before, but if you want to know where priorities lie you only have to follow the money.

I've just been shown the latest version of the "Interim Strategy for Cycling in Manchester 2012/2013". It is a council report all dressed up in cycle racing colours, so a strong clue to priorities there. It isn't yet on line yet so I'll have to link to the draft version which is available on the council web site.
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Update: I've just found the new colour version had made it onto the council web site here.

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Page 5 of the new report (4 & 5 on the old version) clearly states

Manchester City Council, British Cycling and other funding partners, have invested significantly in cycling over the last five years. Headline figures include:

· Over £3.2 million on infrastructure through the LTP Highways Capital Programme
· £549,000 on child cycle training and over £45k on adult cycle training.
· £56,000 promoting Bike Week
· £24 million on expanding the National Cycling Centre to include the Indoor BMX Arena and British Cycling’s headquarters.
· Over £12,000 in small grants to community groups through the Working Neighbourhood Fund
· £2.5 million on promoting and supporting sport and club cycling and hosting major cycling events.

So whilst the vast majority of cycling in Manchester takes place on the city streets only £3.2m has been spent on infrastructure in the past 5 years. In that same time period cycle sport in Manchester has received £26.5m of funding.



Just imagine how much better a place Manchester could be now, if those figures were the other way around....

The fight to make Manchester a World-Class Cycling City with world class streets for cycling starts here.