50 million

I'm in The Hague right now but this isn't a photo of one of the myriad cycle paths that link up every city in the Netherlands. It's an artists impression of how the Sustrans Connect 2 scheme will look when it links the towns of Ingleby Barwick, Yarm, Eaglescliffe and Thornaby in Teeside, UK.

The towns are currently separated by deep valleys and designers hope the paths will make walking and cycling the most efficient mode for most journeys, including the "1000 or more students who shuttle back and forth each day on buses." How fun would it have been to cycle to school!


The great news is that this cycle path project and loads more have got the greenlight after Sustrans (a UK charity trying to get us all into sustainable transport) won £50 million from the National Lottery.

For more details see http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/

And even my old home town is going to benefit, with a direct traffic-free route from the suburbs of Durham City into the centre of town, including a sky-high new path way across the currently disused Belmont Viaduct. Which sounds like a very nice way to get to work. Fingers crossed London gets some cash too...