Ditch your cars and join the Mayor of Salisbury for a bike ride

The Cycling Opportunities Group Salisbury (COGS) will be riding around the Golden Way with Councillor Sven Hocking on Sunday, September 22, and are inviting residents to join them. 

COGS member Margaret Willmot added: "World Car Free Day has been celebrated in towns and cities across the globe since the year 2000.  Such days give the opportunity to consider how, over the past 100 years or so, we have allowed motor vehicles to take over our lives and environment and to consider whether we could use our cars less.

"While motor vehicles have given us many benefits, they have also had negative impacts in terms of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, air pollution, road traffic accidents and unhealthy lifestyles.”

Golden Way (Image: COGS)

Margaret added: “I am the COGS representative on Salisbury’s Environmental Working Group, which reports to Salisbury Area Board. One of the actions from that group in June was to try and raise the profile of cycle routes in and around the city.

"These routes are often hidden from view and the group wants to encourage more people to take advantage of safer routes to amenities such as shops and schools, to help reduce reliance upon cars. COGS feel that making more people aware of the Golden Way route around Salisbury is a great way to help promote access around the city without a car”.

Hadrian Cook, the Chair of COGS, said: “We are delighted that the Mayor of Salisbury, Cllr Sven Hocking, has agreed to join us for the ride around the Golden Way on World Car Free Day.

"We will be leaving from the Guildhall Square at 2:30pm on Sunday, September 22 to follow a largely traffic free route around Salisbury incorporating stretches of the River Park & Avon Valley path, Hudson’s Field, St Mark’s path, the Bishopdown Laverstock link, Piggy Lane and the Cathedral Close. Anyone with a bike or e-bike in will be very welcome to join us on the day.”