Editing National Cycle Network (section)

==History==
The [[Bristol and Bath Railway Path]] (now part of National Route 4) is a {{convert|14|mi|adj=on||abbr=}} walking and cycling path on a disused railway. It opened in 1984 and was the first part of what would later become the NCN.<ref name="network">{{cite web| url=http://www.bikenet.com/articles/the-uk-on-a-bicycle-the-national-cycle-network.html| title=The UK on a bicycle: the National Cycle Network| first=Farah| last=Hesdin| publisher=Bikenet.com| date=2011-11-29| access-date=2012-09-24| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104234217/http://www.bikenet.com/articles/the-uk-on-a-bicycle-the-national-cycle-network.html| archive-date=4 November 2012| df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The National Cycle Network began with a [[National Lottery (UK)|National Lottery]] Grant from the 
[[Millennium Commission]] 
in 1995.<ref>{{citation|title=Paths for everyone: Sustrans’ review of the National Cycle Network 2018|date =November 2018|publisher =Sustrans|url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/media/2804/paths_for_everyone_ncn_review_report_2018.pdf}}</ref>
The original goal was to create {{convert|5000|mi}} of signposted cycle routes by 2005,<ref name="network" /> with 50% of these not being on roads, and all of it being "suitable for an unsupervised twelve year old." By mid-2000, {{convert|5000|mi}} of route was signposted to an "interim" standard, and a new goal was then set to double that to {{convert|10000|mi}} by 2005. August 2005 saw the completion of that goal.

In 2018, Sustrans published the [https://www.sustrans.org.uk/pathsforeveryone National Cycle Network - Paths for Everyone report] which reviewed the quality and usage of the Network and set out a vision for its future. The report rated 42% of the then network as 'very poor' and identified over 12,000 barriers on the network which made it inaccessible by some users. As a result, around a quarter of the network was de-designated.<ref name=":0" />

{{As of|2020|July}}, there were {{convert|12,739|mi||abbr=}} of signed cycle and walking route that are part of the Network.<ref>{{cite web|title=About the National Cycle Network|url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network|access-date=28 July 2020|website=Sustrans Website|publisher=[[Sustrans]]}}</ref>