£3.5m boost for active travel across the region

The West of England is set to invest a further £3.5 million in walking, cycling, and wheeling projects across the region.

Plans coming to the new Mayor and council leaders’ next joint meeting on 18 July include the following proposed investment:

• £1.3 million for cycle training and maintenance, grants, and bike loan schemes for people who want to take up cycling;
• £710,000 to develop plans for a new walking and cycling structure at Temple Island/Bath Bridges in Bristol;
• £600,000 to change arrangements on Prince Street Bridge in Bristol with the western side to be used by pedestrians and the eastern side by cyclists, giving more space to both groups;
• £250,000 for six new Schools Streets, making pick-up and drop-off times safer for parents, carers, and children;
• £230,000 for 21 new cycle hangars, offering secure cycle storage for 126 more bikes – adding to the 85 hangars (20 in Bath & North East Somerset, 55 in Bristol, and 10 in South Gloucestershire) recently funded by the regional authority and installed by local councils;
• £100,000 to design better walking and cycling routes, such as crossings and wider footways, from Oldfield Park to Bear Flat;
• £100,000 to design better walking and cycling routes in Twerton, including on the high street and to the infant school and the RUH;
• £50,000 to design better cycling routes, including lighting, between Bristol Parkway and the Bristol & Bath Science Park;
• £50,000 to design better walking routes, such as crossings and wider footways, between Staple Hill and Kingswood.

The West has already invested in active travel improvements for Park Row, Upper Bristol Road, and Kingswood Town Centre, with a further 20 projects in development, working with local communities.

These plans follow the new Mayor’s pledge, with England’s other mayors, to create a new national walking, wheeling, and cycling network, enabling millions more happy, healthy, and green journeys.

Helen Godwin, the new Mayor of the West of England, said:

“Walking, cycling, and wheeling are an important part of how people get around, with real health benefits. School Streets are something I backed as a councillor and continue to support as the new Mayor, working with council leaders and learning from England’s other Mayors too.

“Active travel is greener, cutting pollution, which people in the West Country really care about – and the better buses, more trains, and mass transit unlocked by unprecedented government funding for transport in our part of the world which will also be better for our planet.

“Getting the basics right now will lay the foundations for a better transport system overall for the West of England. We secured £752 million for that next stage in the recent Spending Review. That means that the West can get out of the slow lane on transport and start to catch up with other city-regions.”

Councillor Sarah Warren, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Bath and North East Somerset, said:

“With nearly £600,000 secured for Bath & North East Somerset through the Consolidated Active Travel Fund, we’re investing in high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure, alongside behaviour change programmes that make active travel a real choice for more people.

“Bath & North East Somerset Council has been working hard to improve travel choices by creating an active travel network for everybody. These projects, alongside developing future active travel schemes, will help us improve air quality, reduce congestion, get more children walking, wheeling and cycling to school, and provide greater connectivity. With our bicycle hangars in Bath almost at capacity, and fantastic behavioural change results through our Bikeability sessions, the demand for sustainable transport is there. This fund supports our objective in improving travel choices for all.”

Councillor Tony Dyer, the Leader of Bristol City Council, said:

“In partnership with the Mayoral Combined Authority, we are working on plans to invest almost £5 million of Active Travel Funding into a range of projects across the city.

“These projects include adding to our network of segregated cycleways and improving walking routes, increasing the number of School Streets in Bristol, ramping up our programme to encourage more people to try out sustainable forms of transport, and increasing the number of cycle hangars that provide secure cycle storage for our residents.

“By making walking, wheeling and cycling easier, safer and more attractive, we can boost health and fitness while helping to reduce congestion and improve local air quality.“

Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, the Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, and Councillor Ian Boulton, the Co-leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said:

“This investment furthers our commitment to enhancing active travel options, including walking, cycling, and wheeling. These investments are a testament to our efforts to promote healthier and more inclusive ways to travel. Our investments will focus on improving existing cycle routes on the A4174 ring road, school street schemes and developing preliminary designs to remove pinch points, prevent footway parking, widen footways, and improve crossing points between Staple Hill and Kingswood. Staple Hill and Kingswood are key local centres for our community. By focusing on people-centred travel, we aim to create a healthier, more inclusive, and sustainable environment, making enhancements to the bustling high streets.”

Press release by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.