The Cycle Ashford Campaign breached a significant milestone last month as its bespoke route planner was used for the 500th time.
The campaign aims to encourage more cycling to work in the borough as well as promote cycling as a key mode of active travel and leisure activity in Ashford.
The route planner is embedded in the campaign website and enables users to plot the best available route between two (or more) specific locations. As well as providing details of the fastest route available, it also has options to show the quietest traffic route, the most balanced in terms of topography, the route most suitable for e-bikes and also a walking route.
The route planner is not confined to Ashford and can be used to plot routes across the county and further afield. Points of interest can also be included such as cafés, bike shops, restaurants, and cycle parking. Cyclists can also import their bespoke route into their existing map apps using a GPX file, and the planner also allows users to add multiple stops along their route, making it easy to plan more complex journeys or combine cycling with everyday errands.
Cllr Steve Campkin, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Sustainability at Ashford Borough Council, said: “It is fantastic that the Cycle Ashford route planner is getting so much use and being recognised as the useful tool it is.
“Having the ability to plot your own bespoke route has so many benefits and it is great to see that local cyclists are using the planner and benefitting from it.”
For those people who have made New Year resolutions, as well as plotting the best route, the planner also confirms how many calories will be burnt on the ride and how much CO2 is saved in comparison with making the same journey by car.
Local cyclist Caroline Mortlock said:
“I think the route planner is really great. I do have a pretty good knowledge of cycling around Ashford, but I use it if I need to get somewhere I don’t usually ride to and it's a really useful tool."
The Cycle Ashford campaign aims to promote cycling as a key mode of active travel and leisure activity in the borough and to increase participation from all sections of the community. More details of the campaign can be found at: www.cycleashford.org.uk
The campaign can be followed on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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