Latest news with #ActiveTravel
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Plan backed to encourage more walking and cycling
Worcester City Council has approved a plan to encourage more people to walk and cycle rather than use their cars. The place and economic development committee gave the Active Travel Action Plan the green light on Monday, which will be implemented over the coming three years. The local authority's previous plan introduced the Beryl bike scheme, which saw about 52,000 cycle journeys in the city in the past year. "This plan is about making walking, wheeling, and cycling viable and attractive travel choices in Worcester, particularly for shorter journeys," said councillor Robyn Norfolk, chair of the committee. "The previous Active Travel Plan has shown how a project like the Beryl bikes can encourage active travel across our city." She said it would form part of a wider plan for Worcester, with the aim of making it a "healthy and active city". Proposals include a mobility hub being set up in the Arches walkway at Foregate Street. It would be home to a range of sustainable transport options, the council said. The new walkway links the train station, the Hive and the Riverside, and would have secure parking, as well as a Beryl bike bay. The aim is to provide links between different modes of travel in the city centre. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More than 50,000 miles covered in bike hire scheme Cycling and walking schemes get £7m Worcester City Council
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Worcester City Council approves new active travel plan
Worcester City Council has approved a plan to encourage more people to walk and cycle rather than use their place and economic development committee gave the Active Travel Action Plan the green light on Monday, which will be implemented over the coming three local authority's previous plan introduced the Beryl bike scheme, which saw about 52,000 cycle journeys in the city in the past year."This plan is about making walking, wheeling, and cycling viable and attractive travel choices in Worcester, particularly for shorter journeys," said councillor Robyn Norfolk, chair of the committee. "The previous Active Travel Plan has shown how a project like the Beryl bikes can encourage active travel across our city."She said it would form part of a wider plan for Worcester, with the aim of making it a "healthy and active city".Proposals include a mobility hub being set up in the Arches walkway at Foregate Street. It would be home to a range of sustainable transport options, the council new walkway links the train station, the Hive and the Riverside, and would have secure parking, as well as a Beryl bike aim is to provide links between different modes of travel in the city centre. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Wales Online
5 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Artist's impression shows fresh skateboarding vision for Welsh city's park
Artist's impression shows fresh skateboarding vision for Welsh city's park Work will begin in a matter of months and the facility will be ready by the end of the year An artist's impression shows how the new facilities will look (Image: Curve Studio ) Take a first look at the new street plaza-style facility for skateboarding and other wheel sports on its way to Swansea's Victoria Park. Swansea Council will soon be advertising for a contractor to carry out the improvement works at the area of the park where the skate ramp is currently located. .Working closely with experts at Curve Studio, the improvement is part of a £2.8m council investment in wheel sports facilities across the city. The design follows consultation with skateboarders, fans of other wheel sports and local residents, the council says. It's anticipated work will start at Victoria Park in August and be finished by the end of the year. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here . All other areas of the park will be unaffected by the improvements. Swansea Council's cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, councillor Robert Francis-Davies, said: "We want to make Swansea one of the UK's best destinations for outdoor sports and recreation, including skateboarding and other wheel sports, to meet the needs and aspirations of the community and for our young people - our possible future olympians. "It's why an investment worth close to £3m is now ongoing throughout the city that means people in most parts of Swansea won't have to travel more than two miles to reach an improved facility. Article continues below "Our partners at Curve Studio have a proven track record in delivering high-quality wheel sports facilities elsewhere in the UK and beyond. "The work planned for Victoria Park is among many similar projects which are either complete or in the pipeline for the near future." Elsewhere, upgraded neighbourhood skate parks are now available for use at both Coed Bach Park in Pontarddulais and Parc Melin Mynach in Gorseinon. Other sites already announced for neighbourhood skate park improvements include Mynydd Newydd in Penlan and the Phoenix Centre in Townhill. There are also plans for a new pump track for novice and junior BMXers at Melin Mynach and the existing pump track at Clyne Valley will be undergoing a refurbishment. Consultation is ongoing for an improved skate park in Ynystawe, a small cycling facility in Blaenymaes, a BMX focussed facility in Gowerton and a pump track in Bishopston. Article continues below Details on other sites to benefit will be announced in due course, the council says. The overall investment includes funding from ward members, the community investment fund, community and town councils, and the Welsh Government through an Active Travel grant.
Irish Independent
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
New bus routes vital to improve ‘connectivity over Castletown River'
Cllr. Ciaran Fisher said the traffic problems that emerged from the roadworks being carried out has 'once more drawn attention to the poor connectivity across the Castletown River.' Speaking after the meeting, he told 'While I welcome the improvements to Bridge Street and Linenhall Street, and I think they provide a much nicer approach to the town over the Newry bridge, I'm wary that anti-car design may cause it to be a traffic hotspot. Time will tell on that one, but one thing that is for sure, is that the lack of bus connectivity forces thousands of people every week to use their cars to get around.' 'The roadworks will only be finished at Bridge Street and we'll be looking at the Lisdoo junction and Armagh road improvements, so there is more congestion in the same area to come.' Cllr. Fisher pointed to a recent survey of traffic which estimated that on a typical workday, Newry bridge had 5000 plus cars on it. 'The Táin bridge has traffic of 16000+ cars on a similar given day. Approximately 4000 people a day leave the 'northern region' of the Dundalk area to come south into its other parts.' He added: 'If Transport Ireland wants to make an instant improvement in how people travel, and to reduce the traffic, a new bus route servicing the north of the town is needed.' He highlighted gaps in the bus services in the south of the town, saying there are 'no stops on the Avenue Road or Tom Bellew Avenue, not to mention the sprawl of houses on the south west of the town.' "Ath Lethan and the Lisdoo/Armagh Road are crying out for a bus service and have an enormous two way bus demand, in and out of the town.' He explained: 'This is why I have resurrected this with the Active Travel team and implored them to get behind these proposed routes. There was a proposal to do so in the Local Transport Plan and I think it should be not just looked at, but enacted.' At the Municipal meeting he asked about the prospect of this happening, and mentioned how this would take cars off the road and reduce traffic. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The meeting heard that the Council have been recently in touch with Transport Ireland about making this a reality. "The conversations have centred around routes and road ownership so far. And while there is a way to go yet, it's a stepping stone in the right direction.' He added: 'Meanwhile, the population on this side of the town is only going to grow. There is considerable strain on the water infrastructure on the south of town and planning has been granted for a sizable development out the Lisdoo Road in recent times, this only strengthens the case to get the transport infrastructure in place.' The Dundalk Councillor said: 'I'm asking for a carrot before stick approach, make it easier to people to choose not to take the car and sit in traffic, before talking about reducing road space, reducing car parking spaces and making it constantly more expensive to run a car.' Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme
Daily Record
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Two major roads through Bathgate will see upgrades and resurfacing work
Work starts during the school holidays on Menzies Road, while Edinburgh Road will have cycle lanes introduced, in works scheduled to get under way by the turn of the year. Two major roads through Bathgate will see upgrades and resurfacing work this year, starting in the summer. Work starts during the school holidays on Menzies Road, while Edinburgh Road will have cycle lanes introduced, in works scheduled to get under way by the turn of the year. Councillors on the town's local area committee also asked for more speed reduction measures in the town. Senior roads engineers attended the Bathgate committee after the chair, councillor Harry Cartmill, complained about the poor state of main roads through the town. Graeme Burton, Design Engineering Manager, told the meeting that the aim is to have a contractor in place to resurface Menzies Road from the Menzies roundabout to North Bridge Street during the school holidays. The road passes St Mary's Primary and the Aldi supermarket. Design plans are expected to be in place for Edinburgh Road in the Autumn; these will see installation of cycle lanes running from Guildiehaugh roundabout to the King Street car park. This work will also include partial resurfacing, but the bulk of the costs, around £750,000, will be met from the Scottish Government's Active Travel funding. A report to the committee added: 'The scheme also includes removal of existing central refuge islands, which are uncontrolled pedestrian crossings, to be replaced with new signalised crossing points. The design will maintain north side parking lay-bys wherever possible, and will involve removal of the existing on-road cycle lane markings and red textured surfacing.' Mr Burton's report concluded: 'The project will be progressed during Summer and Autumn 2025, with procurement following shortly after. A start date on site will depend on responses from the statutory consultation, available road space and procurement times.' Councillor Willie Boyle asked for traffic survey returns on Edinburgh Road before the work starts. He said Kirk Road and Marjoribanks Street had seen many accidents because they had become rat run for drivers keen to escape Edinburgh Road. He called for more safety warning signs on those roads. Councillor Boyle said: 'I'm not against the changes going in but I think we need a comparison. If there's going to be an impact then it has to be addressed. It's not necessarily about spending thousands but something has to be done to address speeds. There's very little traffic calming on Marjoribanks Street.' Councillor Cartmill agreed that the number of accidents was high, including one where a car had hit a house. Thanking the engineers for their report Councillor Cartmill said: 'I'm sure everyone in Bathgate will welcome this. Menzies Road was pretty much uncyclable, and undriveable. 'With Edinburgh Road, at least now we are seeing things starting to move.'
