Young cyclists will ride the city’s streets this weekend as part of a campaign calling for more safe routes for bikes.
The Nottingham branch of worldwide cycling movement Kidical Mass will set off from Victoria Embankment at 11am on Sunday (April 23).
The young riders will be kept safe on the four-mile loop through city centre by adult cyclists and marshals.
The group aims to reclaim the road space for people using peddle power.
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The event has been set up by Samuel Shoesmith, from Hyson Green, in association with North South Active Travelway, which is campaigning for the creation of a direct and safe cycling route between the north and the south of Nottingham, through the city centre.
Samuel, 30, said: “Kids shouldn’t have to rely on their parents to travel short journeys, but sometimes it can feel too dangerous to do so by bike.
“The aim would be to reimagine spaces in the city so that children can move around safely.
“We’re calling on the council to move quicker, so we can get safer pathways and routes.”
Kidical Mass was launched in Oregeon in the United States.
Events now take place worldwide, with over 200 groups based across Europe.
The first ride in the UK happened in London in 2015, and many others have since been organised around the country.
Samuel decided to open a Nottingham branch after riding in the Derby Kidical Mass last December.
He added: “It was really inspiring and heartwarming to see children and parents cycling altogether.
“I believed it needed to come to Nottingham.”
The ride is open to anyone and will be done slow enough to accommodate all participants.
Marshals will be in attendance, as well as a Raleigh mechanic, to help in case of an emergency.
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson defended their record on creating safe cycle paths.
He said: “Nottingham is ranked among the best local authorities in the country at providing infrastructure to promote and encourage active travel.
“This reflects our ambition in this area and recognises the hard work of staff in putting together national funding bids and managing subsequent projects.
“We have made, and will continue to make, substantial investments in cycling through projects like Transforming Cities and the Active Travel Fund.
“We’re currently reviewing the results of a regional consultation to create a new Local Cycling Walking Infrastructure Plan.
“This will help us prioritise which areas of the city will receive investment next.
“The council is aware of the north-south active travel way – the route is part of this plan and we are working on designs for what is a challenging and heavily-used route, as well as an important public transport corridor.”
More details of the event can be found here .
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