Glenrothes will be a town on the move when an ambitious multi-million-pound cycling project is rolled out.
Councillors have backed plans to develop a new network of cycle paths in a bid to have 10% of all journeys in the town made on two wheels by 2020.
The ambitious project, backed by Fife Council and Sustrans, would also see bike riding tuition and maintenance classes established, with those behind the initiative keen to see residents embrace the bike to the same extent as those in other European countries.
But with just 1.7% of all journeys in Fife being completed by bike at the moment, Jane Finlay, Fife Council’s lead professional on the environment, admits a long road lies ahead in changing public attitudes.
She said: “It’s not just about cycling, it’s an active travelling project. We want to get people thinking about how they travel in Glenrothes instead of just jumping in the car.”
A total of £2.26 million has been put together to fund the two-year project, while bike retailers and cycling clubs are understood to have responded positively to the proposals.
Access to bikes will also be promoted, with initiatives put in place to give the public access to affordable bikes, or even just to loan them.
However, while councillors were supportive of the plans, SNP councillor Peter Grant said he wanted assurances that the investment would not be wasted.
“We’re getting money, which is a good thing, but I wish we had the chance to discuss this earlier in the process,” he said.
“Fife Council does not maintain cycle routes to an acceptable standard.
“We are spending a lot of taxpayers’ money on something important. We have to make sure we spend it on the right things and ensure that it makes a difference.
“If the car infrastructure was allowed to get into the same state as the cycle infrastructure then we would be pilloried.”