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2 Jul 2025

MPs have called on Amazon and eBay to tighten controls after e-bikes and chargers flagged as serious fire risks were found for sale on their platforms.

25 Jun 2025

The E-Bike Positive campaign has seen major success in the first half of 2025, with its message reaching nearly 8 million people across the UK through high-profile media coverage and growing...

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on...

20 Jun 2025

Activate Cycle Academy has reopened its Cytech training facility in Darlington, offering a full range of courses from Home Mechanic up to Cytech Technical Three.
 

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.

16 Jun 2025

The ACT has welcomed the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking's report "Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes", which calls for urgent Government action to...

11 Jun 2025

A new academic study has found that overzealous pro-cycling campaigners on social media may be inadvertently damaging the case for better cycling infrastructure across the UK.

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street...

10 Jun 2025

Bike thefts across England and Wales have continued their steady decline, according to new data released by cycle insurance specialist Bikmo.

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring...

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Sustrans reveals new software to help design more inclusive cycling routes

Posted on in Brands & Products News , Cycles News

cycle pathSustrans have recently announced that they have adapted the AutoTURN® software which will help engineers and town planners design streets that make cycling convenient and accessible to more people.

The AutoTURN® software was originally designed to analyse and accommodate movement of motor vehicles but has now been adapted to simulate accurate real-life movements of people who cycle. This software will play a key role in identifying potential barriers on paths as well as ensuring smooth flow and turn for different types of cycles, including tricycles, tandems and cargo bikes.

As a result, engineers get real-time feedback at the design stage on whether a path or a cycle track is accessible and practical for different types of cycles.

Sustrans carried out a series of field tests to help assess the turning characteristics of cycles manoeuvrability, this included: how quickly someone can steer from a straight-line path into a curve, how fast someone can travel around a tight bend, and how far they need to lean to do so.

The purpose of this new software is to ensure that cycling infrastructure is designed to consistently high standards and help make cycling inclusive for everyone.


Giulio Ferrini, Head of Built Environment at Sustrans said: "The lack of consistent, high-quality cycling infrastructure across the UK means that many people don't see cycling as an everyday means of transport.

"Currently, only 7% of disabled people cycle in the UK but 33% would like to start.

"We believe this tool can play an instrumental role in opening up cycling to more people, as it clearly displays in a user-friendly way how different cycles move through space and their varying space requirements.

"This will ensure that local authorities and partners design streets and urban environments that are more practical, accessible and inclusive."

Isabelle Clement, Director of Wheels for Wellbeing, said the new tool will help to transform designers' thinking around cycling and inclusivity:

"Too often we find that cycle infrastructure fails to accommodate the needs of non-standard cycles, which not only excludes many disabled cyclists but also family and freight cyclists who use larger cycles.

"With this exciting new piece of software, however, we have something that could radically change designers' perception of cycling, and which could ultimately lead to more accessible and inclusive cycle infrastructure."

Our designers are currently using AutoTURN® to ensure that designs are accessible and practical for more people.

According to Sustrans, the bike simulation tools will be commercially available next year.

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