Sustrans in London has been shortlisted for two Chartered Institute of Highways and Transport (CIHT) awards. The shortlisted projects are the Chrisp Street Community Cycle Hub in the Healthy Transport category and Ripple Greenway in the Creating Better Places category.
Children enjoying the free bikes at the Chrisp Street Community Cycle Hub, Tower Hamlets. Credit: Alison Litherland
We are hugely proud to have been shortlisted for two Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) awards in the categories, Healthy Transport and Creating Better Places.
Our shortlisted projects are Chrisp Street Community Cycle Hub in Tower Hamlets and the Ripple Greenway linear park in Barking.
We were thrilled to see that Transport for London’s School Streets roll out has been shortlisted too.
Through the Healthy Streets Officers programme, we’ve supported the delivery of over half of the School Streets implemented in London, setting up 225 of them with 91 others in the pipeline.
School Streets are making the streets safer and cleaner for thousands of children every day.
Chrisp Street Community Cycle Hub, Healthy Transport category
We set up the hub in partnership with housing association Poplar HARCA and environmental campaign group Hubbub.
It operates out of Chrisp Street Market, Poplar in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets.
The development of the hub was a response to the barriers that many women in the area spoke to us about.
These included:
- safety concerns
- insufficient numbers of female cycling trainers
- lack of secure cycle parking
- cycling not being a cultural norm for some women
- cost of access to cycles
- lack of experience cycling.
We worked with local people on what the hub offered to make sure it met their needs.
For example, employing women from the area to show how cycling is possible for them, using their networks to gather more participants.
Hub user Nazum Khan said:
“I feel my self-confidence is increasing every time I come to a session.
“I felt like I was flying when we cycled along the Thames, it was amazing.”
Mother and daughter on a cycle training session at Crisp Street Community Cycle Hub. Credit: Alison Litherland
Felicity Scott at Poplar HARCA said:
“We have been impressed with Sustrans’ skills for supporting behaviour change, their local knowledge and passion for Tower Hamlets, and their grasp of the bigger picture in terms of national policy.
“Sustrans has delivered cycle training for our residents, organised numerous play streets, implemented a school street on one of our estates and supported a wide range of active travel campaigns.
“We’ve also partnered with Sustrans to apply for grants to fund a bike library in a local primary school and to start our community cycling hub.
“The Chrisp Street Community Cycle Hub has been hugely successful in reaching our often under-represented communities and supporting hundreds of people to make the transition to cycling as a main mode of transport.
“This would not have been possible without the excellent Sustrans delivery team who were on the ground engaging the community and leading the skills sessions.
“Their experience of designing and delivering cycle skills programmes has been key to the hub’s success.
“Participants consistently tell us that it’s the safe, welcoming and nurturing environment created by Sustrans which enables them to begin their journey to cycling more.”
Ripple Greenway, Creating Better Places category
We transformed an underused (and to many unsafe) place into a beautiful linear park.
We worked with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and other organisations including the Greater London Authority, local schools and Trees for Cities, as well as residents and community groups.
A local resident commented:
“I’ve lived next to this place for 12 years and I never used to come down here.
“There was no path and it didn’t feel safe.
“Kind of amazing how something so simple can make such a big difference.
“Everyone comes here now, families, runners, cyclists. I come here to work out.
“You’ve brought this place to life.”
Children from Thames View Junior School enjoying the group swing on the Ripple Greenway. Credit: Kois Miah
Ripple Greenway is a 1.3km green route to school and work for thousands of people in Barking.
It is a safer and healthier alternative route to the busy and polluted Thames Road nearby.
The Ripple Greenaway also provides a green link between the existing communities and the newer communities in the emerging Barking and Riverside housing development.
Sustrans worked with Trees for Cites and residents to:
- plant hundreds of trees
- design a natural ‘play on the way’ trail
- install lighting and seating
- commission six corten steel artworks with nature writer Robert Macfarlane and sculptor Katy Hallett.
Beautiful oak picnic tables and benches on the Ripple Greenway. Credit Paul Scott
Sustrans London director James Cleeton said:
“We are proud and thrilled to be shortlisted for two CIHT awards.
“We’re the charity that makes it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle.
“Central to this vision is creating beautiful and engaging public spaces for people to enjoy and feel comfortable in.
“Chrisp Street Community Cycle Hub is a safe and sociable space offering all the tools that people need to make a positive change to using a cycle as an enjoyable way to get around.
“And transforming Ripple Greenway so it’s a stunning park for everyone’s benefit, encourages people to get out and walk, wheel or cycle in their day.
“Huge thanks go to the many partners we've worked with on these projects.
“It’s with them that the quality and aspiration of these projects becomes possible.”
Why not visit the Ripple Greenway and walk, wheel or cycle along the path to see for yourself the beautiful art and play equipment
You could also visit the Chrisp Street Community Cycle Hub in Tower Hamlets.
If you're interested in transforming public spaces or increasing access to cycles in the community, get in touch.
