Council uses Strava to repair damaged roads for cyclists

A UK council is using Strava to identify the best roads to repair to benefit cyclists.

Devon Country Council has an additional £27million to spend on the roads and is using some of the cash to benefit the county’s riders by improving road surfaces.

By using the hugely popular ride-tracking app, the council will identify popular routes to repair road surfaces and fill in potholes.

According to Devon Live, the county faced one of the wettest winter on records, which caused more damage to the road networks than usual.

Devon County Council’s cabinet member for highway management, Councillor Stuart Hughes, said: “Devon’s Covid-19 recovery has also introduced different challenges and new considerations for the improvement of Devon’s highways and the funding will be invaluable in enabling high-usage routes to be safe, properly maintained, and appropriate for active travel, like walking or cycling. We need to ensure the shift in active travel is underpinned in well maintained services and routes.”

The council will spend £58 million this year on the road network, with most of the money being spent on smaller roads.

Around £2 million will also be spent on a new cycle route.

Authorities across the UK are taking fast action to encourage more people to cycle in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

As lockdown restrictions are eased and more people return to work, there are concerns that roads could become gridlocked.

Workers are being urged to avoid public transport where possible, so more people will jump in their cars unless active travel is made more appealing.

The government is trying to get more people on bikes by offering cycle repair vouchers and releasing more funds for cycle networks.

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Councils are also being encouraged to install pop-up cycle lanes.