Cooper Park Active Travel Hub launches in Elgin
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A NEW hub aiming to get people of all ages taking part in active travel has launched in Elgin.
Cooper Park Active Travel Hub officially opened on Saturday, March 4, at a well-attended three-hour long launch event.
A number of local groups, including Bike Revolution, Highland Bikes, Outfit Moray, Moray Council and Tyred and Cranky, hosted stalls at the event.
There was a led bike ride, as well as a health walk, and people were given the chance to try out a vast array of bicycles.
The aim of the hub, which consists of two big containers holding a multitude of bikes, is to get people of all ages walking or peddling more regularly.
Janet MacDonald, sustainable travel officer at Moray Council, said: "We have a new active travel strategy at the council and it's about increasing provision and infrastructure in Moray.
"We want to increase cycling and walking to work, and cycling and walking to education. It also links in with the council's commitment to climate change and Net Zero.
"The idea of the hub is to have accessible and inclusive cycling available to everyone in Moray.
"It's open for all age groups. Families, kids, teenagers, people of working age and pensioners. Anyone who needs access to a bike, confidence on a bike, or wants to join in a health walk or find out walking routes."
The hub will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 3pm, as well as every second Saturday.
On top of the rides and walks available, e-bikes and adapted bikes will be available for people to try, and there will also be maintenance checks.
Suzanne Forup, head of development Scotland at Cycling UK, said: "It's fantastic to see this hub launch.
"It makes such a difference to have something like this in the centre of town where people can come and see the full range of bikes in an accessible place.
"It's a comfortable environment to learn to cycle. This is going to provide a resource to people in Moray and we'd like to be able to have this in every local authority in Scotland, and that's what we are working towards."
Emily Farquhar, senior project officer for the Rural Connections Project, through which the hub has been delivered, said: "This provides a good place for children and people who are less confident to start learning.
"It's a really good place to get comfortable with cycling. It's very much a judgement-free zone. Absolutely anybody can get involved."
The containers themselves were funded by Hi-Trans, while Paths for All funded the project.
Iain Barber, who will deliver the project in Moray for Cycling UK, was keen to highlight that the hub is for locals who are interested in getting involved in active travel, to give them a chance to try out different bicycles.
Volunteers – available either on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – are being sought to help out at the hub.
For more information, visit Cooper Park Active Travel Hub on Facebook.
