Cars dropped in favour of cycling

There has been an increase in pedal power in Darlington

People in Darlington are increasingly leaving the car behind and opting for walking or cycling, according to a council survey.

As part of the town's "local motion" scheme, advisors met residents in some areas to assess transport habits and discuss what changes could be made.

A later survey found that car journeys in those areas had fallen by 11.5%.

It also revealed a 24% increase in journeys by foot, and a 79% rise in cycling trips.

Cut congestion

The survey showed that in those areas not visited by travel advisors, car use had fallen by 6.6%, walking by 8.3% and cycling by 54%.

Local motion was set up last year after Darlington Council became one of three in the country to secure £3.24m in Government funding.

The town is also one of only six Cycling Demonstration Towns and was awarded £1.5m for a series of initiatives helping cyclists.

Nick Wallis, Darlington Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "Many residents have been using alternative forms of transport and this will be beneficial not only to our on-going efforts to tackle traffic congestion, but also to the environment."