Sustrans Connect2 Wins People's Lottery

Good news for anyone interested in sustainable transport, Sustrans Connect2 is the winner of The People's £50 Million Lottery contest, the largest award ever decided by a public vote.

Sustrans Connect2 is a UK-wide project that will create new cycling and walking routes to improve local travel in 79 different communities across the country.

John Grimshaw, CEO and founder of Sustrans said:

"To say I am delighted is such an understatement - this is fantastic news for Sustrans. But, more importantly, it is fantastic for the 79 communities and many other partners and local authorities across the UK with whom we have been working for the last two years.

"We are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported us, but the hard work starts now to build those bridges, tunnels, crossings and networks of paths. Ultimately the real winners will be those millions of people who will now be able to Connect2 their shops, schools, workplaces and each other every day!"

The project won the £50-million award in competition with four other worthy ideas with each being show-cased on an ITV programme and the public being able to vote both by phone and online.

Great news for all of us who believe that legs have a purpose other than stopping sofas blowing away in the wind and pushing down on car control pedals. Work will start on the Connect2 projects in January 2008 with the plan envisaged as a five-year project.

More information at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk. More about Sustrans at www.sustrans.org.uk where you can also find details of which Connect2 schemes are local to you.