Issued on: Tuesday 21 February, 2012

Fashion designer Julien Macdonald left London Fashion Week early to officially open 'Puddlers Bridge' - the brand new walking and cycling route in his hometown Merthyr Tydfil.

Julien joined Sustrans Cymru, Cllr Jeff Edwards, Leader of Merthyr Tydfil CBC and twenty pupils from Afon Taf school to open the bridge and unveil the new bench.  Julien is one of three local icons whose portraits have been sculpted in steel as part of a bench to mark the opening of the new route.  He said; 'It's a really special feeling to have the people from the area I grew up in recognise me in this way, and I hope the portrait bench becomes a well-used and familiar part of the landscape. 

'Merthyr is a beautiful part of Wales and a route like this one will inspire more people to get out on foot or bike and discover just how beautiful it is.'

The bridge is a new traffic-free crossing on the Trevithick Trail, which links Pentrebach with Merthyr Tydfil town centre, and will allow walkers and cyclists a safer crossing over busy the A4060. It is also part of a series of new walking and cycling links right across the Welsh valleys, which has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

Lee Waters, Sustrans Cymru Director, said; 'Creating safer routes for walking and cycling on is key to encouraging more people to make their short, daily journeys on foot or bike. This bridge, over a very busy road, will be exactly that, and will give everyone more choice about how they travel locally.'

The bridge links up Triangle Business Park, giving people more options for travelling to and from work and giving shoppers better and safer walking and cycling access to the local supermarket.

In partnership with Merthyr Tydfil Country Borough Council, the bridge has been built as part of a national project from charity Sustrans' to build new walking and cycling routes in communities across the UK. The project is part-funded thanks to a £50million from the Big Lottery Fund in 2007.

/ends

For more information on Sustrans or to request interviews, please contact

Wendy Johnson, Sustrans Press Office

Tel 0117 915 0128 / Email: wendy.johnson@sustrans.org.uk

Press Office Out of office hours – 07802 986728

ISDN line available for radio interviews

NOTES

The name 'Puddlers Bridge' was suggested by Pentrebach resident Alan Lewis in a recent Sustrans competition. It highlights the history of the local area, as 'Puddlers' used to work in the iron industry vital to this part of south Wales.

Sustrans is the charity that's enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. Our work makes it possible for people to choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys, with better places and spaces to move through and live in. www.sustrans.org.uk

Issued on: Monday 20 February, 2012

More than half (56 per cent) of us fear urban roads are unsafe to cycle on and 70 per cent want residential speed limits to be dropped to 20 miles per hour to make them safer, according to a new survey released today by the charity Sustrans.

The survey is released ahead of a Parliamentary debate on cycling safety on Thursday 23 February. Politicians are facing mounting pressure to act on the increase in cyclists dying on the road following a campaign by the Times newspaper.

Sixty five per cent of those that don't cycle regularly would be more likely to cycle on the roads if they were made safer through changes like lower speed limits, more marked cycle lanes and more care taken by drivers and other cyclists, according to the new survey.

Malcolm Shepherd, Chief Executive for Sustrans, says:"People shouldn't have to feel they're taking a risk when they travel on two wheels in our towns and cities.

"This is yet another wake-up call for politicians who must act now to save lives and take the fear out of everyday journeys.

"People want to cycle more for every day journeys and they want a twenty miles per hour speed limit in their neighbourhood.

"Ministers must invest in making our streets safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers."

ENDS

Notes to editors

The full survey results are available on request from Sustrans press office - 0117 927 7555.  The survey was conducted by GfK NOP via a nationally representative telephone omnibus survey. Fieldwork was conducted 10th – 12th February 2012. Weighting was applied to the data to bring it in line with national profiles.

20mph briefing sheet available at http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/policy/0212_Summary_of_arguments%20_for_20mph.pdf

Scared to cycle case studies and Sustrans spokespeople are available for interview.

Sustrans is calling on UK governments to invest in doubling the number of journeys under five miles made by foot, bike and public transport to four out of five by 2020.

Sustrans believes every child deserves to be free range, with freedom from their front door to explore, play outdoors, and make their own way to school and beyond. Find out more, join in and speak out for Free Range Kids at www.sustrans.org.uk/freerangekids

Sustrans is the charity that's enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. It's time we all began making smarter travel choices. Make your move and support Sustrans today. www.sustrans.org.uk

Antigua & Barbuda Cycling Association (ABCA) 2012 season officially started on February 19 with executive members and cyclists alike attending 6:15 am mass at St Andrews Anglican Church.

Opposition Leader and head of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Lester Bird has emerged victorious in his defamation case against Prime Minister and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Baldwin Spencer and Crusader Publications.

The Collaborative Committee for the Promotion of Emotional Health in Children (CCOPE) is looking to expand its national teen parenting programme to Barbuda.

The Antigua & Barbuda delegation that participated in the 41st Annual Agri-Fest Exhibition held in St Croix held its own, with the main booth placing second behind winner Nevis, and young farmer Twin-I Payne placing third in his category.

The Antigua Labour Party´s promised legal challenge to changes of electoral law is yet to materialise, but another element of the protest was under way yesterday.

A member of the National Labour Board is alleging a "political cover" up as changes are being mulled to the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Code.

Local business entrepreneur Carlo Falcone and his daughter Shirley returned on Monday from representing Antigua & Barbuda at the Historic Sports car Racing (HSR) Palm Beach Grand Prix which was held from February 16 to 19 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Organisers of the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize know that before you can write your own stories, you have to be able to read. With this in mind, they´re joining forces with the Future for a Child (FFAC) programme to promote a book drive.