The Transportation Ministry announced Tuesday it will be putting $12.6 million from its 2008 budget towards the development of cycling infrastructure.
The decision was made after Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz met with the heads of the Israel Cycling
Federation. Mofaz further decided on appointing an official in charge of cycling safety within the National Road Safety Authority.
"We want to establish a perennial program to encourage the use of bicycles as a major means of transportation," Transportation Ministry Spokesman Avner Ovadia told Ynet.
The first undertaking by the Transportation Ministry will be the construction of a new 13.5 mile cycling route alongside the Netanya -Tel Aviv highway.
Current infrastructure unsatisfactory (Illustration Photo: Shai Giterman)
"The new route's construction will take about 18 months, providing we won't hit any statutory snags," said Ovadia.
The ministry further pledged to revamp existing urban cycling infrastructure and will offer local municipalities monetary incentive to invest in alternative cycling roads.
"This is a huge step," said Dr. Yoni Yarom, head of the Israel Cycling Federation. "We can finally execute plans to create real cycling roads all across the country."
The current urban cycling infrastructure, added Yarom, is far from satisfactory and has to be "seriously upgraded, including new roads and traffic signs which would make cycling a safer experience."
MK Gilad Erdan (Likud), head of the Knesset's Economics Committee, welcomed Mofaz's decision: "Assuming the budget will be allocated annually, this is an important initiative which will do greatly to decrease urban air pollution and increase the cyclists' safety."
Erdan further added he prefers most of the funds be allocated to urban cycling infrastructure, over interurban one: "We have to spark a change in the urban transportation patterns… only large-scale infrastructure development will encourage residents to abandon their cars in favor of bicycles."
Erdan added he hopes the Transportation Ministry will back his and MK Gideon Sa'ar's proposed bill calling for every future highway paved in Israeli to be followed by the paving of a cycling road.
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