THE building of controversial cycle lanes in York has been defended after the latest figures showed a seven per cent increase in the number of people using bicycles in the city.

The rise is being attributed to the Cycling City programme, which aims to increase the number of people using bicycles, by holding cycling events and making major investments in road improvements for cyclists.

Steve Galloway, City of York Council’s head of city strategy, said: “There is still a cultural divide to address and we still see the negative comments which greet any proposal to improve cycling facilities in the city.

“Even those that do not affect car drivers – such has those in Beckfield Lane – still attract an unhealthy level of scepticism.

“Car drivers in particular should realise that the more people that chose to use cycles to get around, then the less traffic congestion there will be. That is in the interests of all road users.”

Coun Galloway is due to make a decision next week on whether to extend the Beckfield Lane cycle path, a scheme which has angered residents, who oppose the track going over grass verges and say motorists reversing from the driveways may collide with cyclists.

Speaking in August, Beckfield Lane resident Barry Tait told the council: “You must accept that you cannot force all of York’s residents on to bicycles. For many, it is just not an option available to them.”

However Coun Galloway said this week: “Any project that requires behaviour change is potentially painful to some. With time, people adjust and often begrudgingly admit that the new approach was necessary.”

The figures showing a seven per cent rise were obtained during June, July and August this year and are compared with the same period last year.

A spokesman for Cycling City said the same locations were used and the spokesman said the weather conditions were “mixed” during each period.

Graham Titchener, programme manager for Cycling City York, said: “I’d like to thank all the residents, employers, schools and other organisations in the city who have worked with us this year and contributed to this fantastic increase in the overall cycling rate. I hope that this encourages even more people to get cycling.”