To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has issued guidance to those local authorities involved in the cycling demonstration towns initiative on measuring changes in the use of cycling as a means of transport. (245882)

The Department for Transport awarded a contract in February 2006 to Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit together with the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds and the University of Bolton to undertake monitoring of cycle levels in the Cycling Demonstration Towns (CDTs). A part of that contract is to work closely with each local authority in establishing an effective monitoring regime.

The Department also contracted a specialist cycling advice team to give free advice to local authorities, including the CDTs, on a range of infrastructure issues. The advice team has provided guidance on the monitoring and evaluation of cycling activities, which is available on Cycling England, our advisory body’s website at:

http://www.cyclingengland.co.uk/site/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/c05_monitoring.pdf

The CDT programme was expanded in June 2008 to 18 cities and towns. The department awarded a further contract in November 2008 to Sustrans to monitor cycle levels in the expanded programme and expect to shortly award a contract to evaluate the impact that increased cycle levels has on a range of issues such as health, congestion and road safety in these places.