Boris Johnson has backed proposals to build a cycle route along the entire 120-mile route of the HS2 line from Birmingham to London.
The Mayor of London threw his support behind the project, which is being considered by the Department for Transport.
A feasibility study into a cycle path broadly following the HS2 route is looking at how existing paths or cycle tracks could be linked or upgraded.
Mr Johnson called on the rest of the 海角视频 to follow London鈥檚 lead in planning safe cycle routes and said the controversial rail project was an ideal opportunity.
鈥淲e should turn Britain into a great, great cycling country and we should be investing,鈥 Mr Johnson told The Times.
鈥淚s there a cycle track up the side of HS2? If not, why not? If we鈥檙e going to have this thing, let鈥檚 at least have a beautiful new cycling superhighway all the way up from London to Birmingham.
鈥淲hy not do it? I think there should be a national network of major cycle routes.鈥
Mr Johnson said any such scheme would 鈥済enerate thousands of jobs鈥 and cut down on traffic congestion in the areas it passed through.
The Government last year launched a nationwide drive to promote cycling in cities and national parks across England.
A total of 拢77 million was pledged for Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and Norwich. And the New Forest, Peak District, South Downs and Dartmoor were to share a slice of 拢17 million funding for national parks.
Announcing the investment, PM David Cameron said: 鈥淔ollowing our success in the Olympics, Paralympics and the Tour de France, British cycling is riding high. Now we want to see cycling soar.
鈥淥ur athletes are among the best in the world and we want to build on that, taking our cycling success beyond the arena and onto the roads, starting a cycling revolution which will remove the barriers for a new generation of cyclists. This government wants to make it easier and safer for people who already cycle as well as encouraging far more people to take it up.鈥
