£2.5m plan to improve walking and cycling around Nottingham

QUOTE:
Nottingham City Council has revealed how it plans to use £2.5m of Government funding to encourage walking and cycling.

Extensions of bus lanes for bikes, widening pavements and more 20mph speed limits are just some of the measures that will be introduced as lockdown restrictions start to ease.

Part of the aims are to make social distancing easier as more people return to work, as well as with shops and cafés beginning to reopen.

Many of the changes are improvements to existing facilities that were put on hold at the start of lockdown, particularly to cycle lanes along the ring road.

Additional cycle parking will be added to key destinations and some bus lanes may be extended until permanent lanes can be installed.

The facilities at Park & Ride sites are also looking to be improved to encourage more people to walk or cycle the last leg of their journey.

Changes for motorists will include closures of minor roads for all but essential access, and the addition of more 20mph streets will aim to make environments safer and more attractive to walkers and cylists.

Similarly, some roads outside certain schools could also be closed with a trial planned for September.

Walkers might notice more space on pavements with the removal of some unnecessary barrier rails 'and other clutter' at key areas in the city as well as Bulwell, Clifton and Hyson Green.

In areas of 'high pedestrian flow' such as near supermarkets temporary pavement widening may also be considered.

Adjustments have already been made to crossings throughout the city centre to extend the 'green man' time and shorten traffic signal phasing, to make it easier for pedestrians and reduce crowding.

Wider plans include regular pop-up cycle events for advice and training with Ridewise to start from the end of June.

The council also plans to continue supporting organisations and businesses to help employees commute by bike through Dr Bike sessions, advice on routes and bike maintenance sessions.

And to help people get back into work, a jobseeker package will offer services such as a reconditioned bike and helmet, along with basic mechanics training and journey planning.

Further details will be available when the council has agreed its programme with the Department for Transport. The council has also supported the Nottingham Bike Aid scheme - an initiative to supply key workers with free bikes - and its Citycard bike hire is still operating, with extra cleansing and sanitisation of bikes and docking stations in place.

Councillor Adele Williams, Portfolio Holder for Local Transport, said: “The council has always been committed to the promotion of walking and cycling, with great facilities already in place and even more in the pipeline.

"Now the Government has confirmed Nottingham’s share of the additional Government funding, we can move ahead with temporary arrangements to help keep Nottingham moving safely during this ongoing pandemic.

“Many local households don’t have access to a car, and lots of people in Nottingham can’t work from home and will need to travel when employment starts up again. It’s vital that we clear the way to make cycling and walking safe and accessible options.

“Walking and cycling along with public transport are at the heart of our approaches to economic development, social and health ambitions for our city. Our response to COVID will be underpinned by those principles.

"To keep our city moving, bus lanes will be kept running freely, space made available for people to safely socially distance, and roadspace changes carried out to support walking and cycling that people will start to see in the coming weeks and months.�

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/...ycling-4189862