EFTAG Cycling is the cycling campaign for Epping Forest district, including the towns of Epping, Loughton, Waltham Abbey, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell and Ongar. We campaign for safer cycling facilities for all kinds of people on bikes, working with others to promote this healthy, convenient and cost-effective form of transport. We want a better cycling environment across the district: for getting to shops, schools or work, as well as for leisure cycling in and around the ancient forest. Routes should be suitable for all ages and abilities, for cargo bikes (for instance parents transporting kids) and for cyclists with disabilities.
- We’re asking Essex Highways to prioritise a core network of cycle routes as part of a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan for Loughton, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill;
- We want Essex Highways to work with local schools to implement School Streets wherever it’s practical;
- We’ll campaign for Essex Highways to develop the cycle network further in Epping and Waltham Abbey, and to provide good connections for commuters and leisure cyclists into London.
Designing our roads to be cycle-friendly will help other road users too. When more people choose to use their bike, congestion decreases, which benefits everyone and increases the capacity of the road network to support a thriving local economy. And the best cycling schemes result in huge improvements for people on foot as well.
We want to protect the things that make the area special, too. If more leisure visits to the forest are by bike, the historic landscape will be better protected and more enjoyable for all visitors. Being close to London, Epping Forest should have high quality cycle routes that attract visitors, integrate with the National Cycle Network, and provide a gateway to Essex and Hertfordshire. We work with groups like the Roding Cycle Hub and Sustrans to promote specific routes to, and through, the district.
Above all, we will campaign for high quality infrastructure, over sheer quantity. Money is tight, and no public body should waste taxpayer’s money on highways work that will not provide direct, safe routes that are suitable for all kinds of cyclist.
Get involved now
- sign up to our (occasional) email list (below)
- join our discussion forum Cyclescape
- come along to a meeting (details sent via the email list)