On Saturday 14th December, 250 MK residents dressed as Santa will cycle through Central Milton Keynes in a procession of red.
They plan to set a new MK record for cycling Santas (135 last year) and make a statement to MK City Council that they want more redway cycle lanes in the city centre.
The ride will be launched in Station Square at 10.30am with speeches by the MK Mayor and Bicycling Youth Mayor, and city MP Emily Darlington. There will be awards for top-achieving Bikeability schools, with prizes from John Lewis, Decathlon and Madison Cycles, and the Mayor will give out free mince pies and oranges.
As well as creating fun, the event will bring together leaders from business, education and community organisations who are campaigning for better cycle infrastructure.
MK Mayor Marie Bradburn will say: “We all know of the environmental benefits of cycling. Now we need to break down the barriers that prevent people from cycling in MK. That’s why I’ve made this the Mayor’s Year of Cycling.”
Emily Darlington MP will say: “Cycling is not only great for the environment but also great for our physical and mental health. Whether you are a recreational cyclist on weekends or a cyclist commuter, our city is covered in routes to explore. As our city grows, redways are part of the essential infrastructure that makes it uniquely MK.”
Cody Jackson, Bicycling Youth Mayor, will say: “MK is famous for its redways, but they pretty much stop in CMK, where there’s only about 500 metres of redway. This isn’t enough to encourage young people to cycle here. If the Council wants to meet its goal of getting more people cycling, there need to be more safe cycle routes in the city centre.”
The route for the Cycling Santas will be an easy group ride up Midsummer Boulevard to the MK Rose in Campbell Park, suitable for adults and children with parents. All are welcome to join.
More information: http://www.cyclingmk.org/2024/11/27/cycling-santas-ready-to-ride-for-world-record-in-2024/
