FAQs

Enabling cycling will help Exeter tackle its challenges of pollution, congestion and unhealthy lifestyles.

A comprehensive, convenient and connected network of cycle infrastructure enables people to choose cycling as the safe, natural choice for a large proportion of everyday journeys. This frees up road space for essential car journeys.

What is the Exeter Cycling Charter?

The Exeter Cycling Charter is a simple statement of support for ‘cycling’ as the means of making Exeter a better city.

It outlines the benefits cycling can bring to our city and is something that businesses, schools, the health sector, shops and individuals can readily support.

What are we trying to achieve with the Charter?

The Charter enables organisations across the city to express their support for cycling, showing they understand that cycling is good for business, good for our health, good for the economy and builds a better city for us to live in.

Charter signatories demonstrate to Exeter and Devon’s leaders that there is wide support for cycling and a growing consensus for investment in better cycling infrastructure.

Why doesn’t the Charter talk about segregated infrastructure, reducing traffic, filtered permeability and other cycling infrastructure solutions?

The Charter is about the principle of enabling cycling rather than the specific road design solutions.

The wording deliberately stays away from stating specific design or policy measures that will get people to cycle (e.g. segregated paths). These design discussions will come later when engaging with Council Officers and Councillors.

Is the Charter just for businesses or can individuals support it too?

Individuals are encouraged to support the Charter.

The Charter was created to enable businesses / organisations to show their support for cycling. Organisations can range from large employers in the city, businesses, shops, schools, colleges, health practices, gyms, churches, youth clubs, emergency services.

By signing the Charter are organisations showing support for the Exeter Cycling Campaign?

No. We recognise that many organisations will be happy to support a call for better cycling provision without needing to align themselves with the Exeter Cycling Campaign.

Will the organisations who support the Charter be made public?

Yes. The purpose is to enable organisations to visibly support the Charter’s aims. Organisations may also wish to issue a press release and Tweet to express their support for the Charter.

The Charter will echo many organisations’ sustainability policies and we anticipate most organisations will welcome the opportunity to publicly support this initiative.

How do organisations and individuals indicate their support for the Charter?

There are three ways:

1. Online: use the links on this page to register your support for the Charter.

2. Verbally: Speak to the person who brought the Charter to your attention and indicate your support. They will then register this onto the website.

3. Go public: draft a press release indicating your organisation’s support for the Charter. Some suggested wording for a press release can be found here. Tweet out your support, including #ExeterCyclingCharter or @exetercycling. Quotes and copy for a press releases can be made available by emailing info@exetercyclingcharter.org.uk or using examples from here.

How will the support for the Charter be publicised?

As organisations indicate their support for the Charter this will be shared through social and other media. There may be Charter events to create newsworthy interest in the growing support for the Charter. To express our thanks for your support we may occasionally quote your organisation as a signatory and use your logo. Let us know at exetercyclingcharter@gmail.com if you’d rather we didn’t do this.

Does the Exeter Cycling Charter have an underpinning of fact and research?

Yes. The supporting research and Council/government strategies are summarised in the links below.

What will this achieve?

Enabling cycling will help Exeter tackle its challenges of pollution, congestion and unhealthy lifestyles.

A comprehensive, convenient and connected network of cycle infrastructure enables people to choose cycling as the safe, natural choice for a large proportion of everyday journeys. This frees up road space for essential car journeys.