An online cycling initiative developed by a staff member in the Department of Geography is among the finalists competing for a national award.
An online cycling initiative developed by a staff member in the Department of Geography is among the finalists competing for a national award.
The project, “CycleStreets”, has reached the final stages of the Future Friendly Awards and, depending on the outcome of a public vote, could now win a bursary of £10,000 to support its further development.
The website, http://www.cyclestreets.net/, was developed by Martin Lucas-Smith, a computer officer in the Department of Geography, along with colleague Simon Nuttall.
It enables cyclists across the UK to plan their route before they set out, then estimates traffic levels and even calculates the CO2 levels that will be saved by making the journey by bicycle.
Users are also automatically given a choice of three routes – a quiet route, fastest route and a “balanced” option, which offers a happy medium between the two. A new CycleStreets iPhone app is now being developed for download free of charge.
The project is one of five battling it out to win the national Future Friendly Award. The awards are now in their fourth year and seek to support initiatives that have exhibited a real commitment to sustainability. Hundreds of projects are entered every year.
Simon Nuttall said: "Funding of £10,000 would make an enormous difference to our work. It would help us expand the project, add much-requested new features, make the system faster, and promote it more widely.
The Cambridge section of CycleStreets can be found at www.cambridge.cyclestreets.net. More details about the Future Friendly awards are available at www.futurefriendly.co.uk
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