Sunlight breaking through the trees in the New Forest
You’ve heard of park and ride, but how about park and cycle?
With the restoration of Hockley Viaduct and completion of National Cycle Network Route 23, Winchester City Council is set to offer people the chance to leave their cars at South Winchester Park and Ride and cycle into the city along Viaduct Way.
The novel scheme will be offered on a two-year trial basis with 50 annual season tickets available at £110 each, a fifth of the cost of the normal park and ride using the bus. The special tickets cover the cost of parking but do not include the bus and people use their bikes for the remainder of the journey.
Cllr Jan Warwick, Winchester City Council Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health and Wellbeing, said: “With the increasing popularity of cycling, this imaginative scheme is a logical development of park and ride. Park and cycle will be a green alternative and good for people’s health.”
Cllr Mike Southgate, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Transport, added: “Park and ride is already a success story for Winchester, bringing people into our historic city while keeping cars away. Viaduct Way is an attractive route into the city so we are keen to test the viability of park and cycle. I have been supporting this as Winchester’s cycling champion for a while now.”
Park and cycle is due to start in the autumn. People can register interest by emailing parkandride@winchester.gov.uk
Cycle lockers are available at the South Park and Ride – people bring their own padlock – and there is a locked, shared cycle shelter which people can use by contacting the parkandride@winchester.gov.uk email address.
