The Concorde Project

The Concorde Project aims to provide a cycle-based solution to transport problems arising from changes to education provision at secondary schools in South Gloucestershire.

The project is now up and running under the name Cyked.

Schools involved with this project are Bradley Stoke Community School, Patchway Community College, Abbeywood Community School and Filton FE College, including students between 14-19 years of age.

The project aims to provide measures to encourage pupils and staff at the four schools to use the network of new cycle routes that have been built in the local area:

• Cycle Storage
• Pool Bike Scheme
• Incentive Scheme
• Promotional Materials
• Public Art Project

Cycle Storage

New cycle storage has been introduced in Bradley Stoke School, Abbeywood School, and Filton College. Feedback from School Travel Plan surveys and pupil consultation groups revealed that secure and covered storage facilities were ‘essential’ to encouraging increased levels of cycling.

Pool Bike Scheme

Forty pool bikes were provided as part of this project, 10 bikes at each school, to encourage pupils and staff to make sustainable journeys between school sites where possible. Supporting equipment such as pumps, weather-proof clothing, maintenance equipment, high-security locks and data tags are also being given to schools.

Incentive Scheme

An incentive scheme has not yet been established as part of the project and is dependant on further funding.

Promotional Materials

Focus groups were held at Patchway Community College and Bradley Stoke Community School in order to establish a strong identity for the promotion of the Concorde Project. The resulting Cyked brand was developed and will be used in the production of a variety of promotional materials. Leaflets providing maps of the new cycle routes, shuttle bus timetables and information about the use of the pool bike scheme will be progressed and should be available for September 2011 when the project will be launched.

Public Art Project

Pupils from the three secondary schools have been designing art-work as part of their GCSE coursework portfolio. School Council members from Bradley Stoke Community School were involved in the interview and recruitment of the external artist leading the project.

A number of designs were short-listed and these works have now been installed at various locations on the new cycle routes. A website has been created to document the progress of the project: http://cyclepathart.wordpress.com/

Moving Forward

In 2011 the project will expand to include transition work with primary schools within Bradley Stoke/Filton areas, the groundwork for which has already been laid by the Bike It project.

Familiarisation for Year 6 pupils and their parents with new routes between schools will help to promote recreational riding, as well as sustainable home-to-school journeys.