MK’s Redway network stretches over 150 miles — you can cycle across the entire city without touching a road. The story of one of the UK’s best cycling infrastructures.
Milton Keynes has over 150 miles of dedicated cycle paths called Redways — a network that criss-crosses the entire city completely separate from roads. In theory, you can cycle from one side of MK to the other without once touching a public road.
What Are Redways?
Redways are shared-use paths for cyclists and pedestrians, surfaced in a distinctive red tarmac (hence the name). They run alongside grid roads, through parks, along river corridors and between residential areas, forming a comprehensive network that was built into the city from the very beginning.
Why Were They Built?
When MK was designed in the 1960s and 70s, planners included a segregated cycling network as a core part of the infrastructure — decades before cycling became a mainstream policy priority. The idea was that residents should be able to move around the city safely without needing a car.
Using the Redways Today
The Redway network connects all of MK’s major residential areas, parks, schools, shopping centres and employment areas. It’s genuinely possible to commute by bike across the city without using roads, which makes MK one of the best-planned cities for cycling in the UK.
Bikes can be hired from several locations in central MK. See our Things To Do guide for more outdoor activities.
This is part of our Discover MK series.