Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman cut the ribbon to officially open the first section of the Pedersen Way, a traffic-free route in Dursley which will eventually connect to Cam and Dursley railway station, and eventually Uley.
Originally known as Cam, Dursley and Uley Greenway since its inception in 2007, the aim was to utilise the route of the former railway line in the centre of Dursley. However, the railway route was deemed unsuitable, and work began to find a new route. The scope of the project was expanded to include Uley, and work is underway to explore connections to Coaley and Slimbridge.
The Pedersen Way honours inventor Mikael Pedersen who came to Dursley from Denmark in the late nineteenth century. He found fame with his unique Dursley Pedersen bicycle which was manufactured in Water Street from around 1897 until 1914.
Several Dursley Pedersen bikes were present at the launch, along with more modern versions which use the same frame design. Members of Dursley Road Club were at the launch, along with many other cyclists. Chris Boardman and MP Dr Simon Opher led the ride from Ashton Lane in Littlecombe through to the Vale Hospital.
Phil Littleford, Project Lead of the Pedersen Way, addressed visitors, saying: “I’m overwhelmed by the response to this. I don’t know how to say thank you to so many of you, but the Pedersen way means a huge amount to me. I might not live here anymore, but my wife and I still call Cam and Dursley home.
“It’s just amazing to have him [Chris Boardman] here with his cycling legend hat on, and also the amazing job that he does and the challenges that he tries to overcome for keen walkers and cyclists.”
Olympic gold medallist and Tour de France stage winner Chris Boardman told Stroud Times: “This little cycle path that we’ve just had a go on, it’s so much more than just cycling – it’s kids being able to get to schools independently; it is older people being able to take some exercise; it is more transport choice built in at a time when we need to save some money for fuel.
“Little things like this are so important, particularly when you do them across the whole country, it can be transformative and it makes it a nicer place to live.”
Stroud MP Dr Simon Opher was also at the launch, and along with Chris Boardan, rode a Pedersen bicycle along the new section of the track. He spoke to guests at the launch: “I’ve been a doctor in this town for about 30 years and I’ve also been on the committee to try and get this greenway going for at least 15 years, but not as long as Phil [Littleford] and his dad [Bob Littleford] who stared this over 20 years ago.
“The dream was trying to build the greenway from here, and also in Uley, all the way down to the station. That’s for cyclists, people walking, people with prams, and indeed people with horses as well, so we can have active travel, and we don’t have to sit in our cars.
“I got involved with this as a GP because we all need to get fitter, and we need to help the environment as well – that means we need to get out of our cars and do more active travel. What we need is safe greenways and that is what we are doing here. We’ve only built a small section so far – we’ve got a bit here, a bit further down and a section by the station, and we need to link them up. We need everyone in the community to help finish this. We’ve also got one planned for Wotton, going down to Charfield, and we need help with that as well.
“We need to make the whole of Stroud [District] into a top cycling venue and a place where active travel can come, and we’ll all be healthier and we’ll all live longer – what’s not to like about that?”
Most of the funding for the Pedersen Way will come from housing developers and grant support such as the Community Infrastructure Levy. The project is backed by all local councils and is being delivered in collaboration with Gloucestershire Highways and Stroud District Council.
Pictures and video by Matt Bigwood
