Improvements for walking and cycling routes

Mary
Authored by Mary
Posted: Saturday, March 21, 2015 - 10:23

Plymouth City Council has been awarded £2.46 million from the Department for Transport to improve walking and cycling routes to and from the Derriford area.

The project will see a total investment of £3.51 million over the next five years and deliver more than four kilometres of the city’s Strategic Cycle Network.

Improved on- and off-road cycling routes will be provided along a number of roads, including Plymbridge Road, Southway Drive and Tavistock Road and will benefit people with mobility problems as well as pedestrians and cyclists.

The programme, which will also see enhancements to walking and cycling facilities in Honicknowle, is part of a ‘master plan’ of highway improvements that will help unlock development and deliver more than 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city.

It will link in with other transport improvements being made in the area, including the Marjon Link Road and the Derriford Transport Scheme. Full consultation on each element of the walking and cycling programme will be completed before works start on the ground.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We are committed to promoting active travel and the health, economic, environmental and quality of life benefits that come with it. Cycling in Plymouth has gone up by over 40 per cent in the last four years and doubled along the routes where we have targeted investment. This programme will improve walking and cycling routes to and from the Derriford area and deliver another section of our citywide network.”

Councillor Philippa Davey, Plymouth’s Cycling Commissioner, added: “In 2007, 67.4 per cent of cyclists who took part in a consultation exercise said they found it difficult to cycle on our Northern Corridor. Some of the issues they raised were a lack of continuous cycle paths and lanes, concerns about safety and the high volume of traffic. These improvements look to address these concerns and provide better facilities for both experienced and inexperienced cyclists.”

Tags