Plymouth City Council has secured £945,250 for local walking and cycling improvements, through the second phase of the Government’s Active Travel Fund.
Active Travel Fund Survey
Our survey has now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part.
A summary of the results of the survey is available to download below.
The Active Travel Fund Programme
The programme complements the £249,000 awarded to the Council last summer, for the delivery of our Emergency Active Travel Fund programme which delivered a number of measures to encourage walking and cycling, as well as support social distancing, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governments emphasis on the second phase of funding is on schemes that support cycling and walking in the longer term.
Our Active Travel Fund programme is designed to help Plymouth’s walking and cycling network be more connected, direct, safe, comfortable and attractive. It is framed around the core themes set out in the Government’s ‘Gear Change: A bold vision for cycling and walking’.
The programme includes:
- walking and cycling improvements in the city centre
- a contribution towards further tidal flood defence works which will incorporate permanent improvements to the existing shared-use, off-road pedestrian and cycle way between Arnolds Point and Blagdon’s Meadow on the Embankment
- installation of lighting on an east-west cycle route through Central Park,
- safety improvements at the roundabout on Millbay Road, near the international ferryport
- two new 20mph zones; one in Laira and one in Plympton
- installation of ‘20mph when lights show’ signage near a further 15 schools
- eight new cycle contraflows allowing cyclists to travel in both directions in one-way streets
- installation of cycle detection equipment at 7 junctions, so that cyclists can be accurately detected at traffic signals and ‘call’ the lights
- a pedestrian crossing in Larkham Lane, Plympton
- a traffic calming scheme near Thornbury Primary School on Miller Way
- providing free adult cycle training, bike maintenance and eCargo bike loan scheme for businesses, supporting this key infrastructure investment, through Plymotion.
- further steps to tackle physical barriers on walking and cycling routes, for example by reducing street furniture, sign posts and other obstructions
- cycleway improvement scheme along Billacombe Road and Elburton Road
As part of the programme to remove barriers to walking and cycling, consultations on proposed changes to the mandatory cycle lane on the A379 have been completed.
The cycle lane was made mandatory in September 2020. The reason for the change was to ensure the safety of cyclists using the cycle lane who had to swerve into the main traffic lane when cars were parked in the cycle lane and also to avoid car doors opening, both of which can pose serious safety hazards to cyclists.
Although most residences on both roads have off street parking provision, there are some that do not and others that have only limited parking available.
In response to concerns raised by residents and businesses over the effects of the mandatory lane, a scheme has been designed which will allow parking to take place at a number of locations along the route and provide a protective buffer between parked vehicles and the cycle lane. The locations have been chosen to address where the majority of concerns have been expressed and relieve parking pressure in those areas whilst providing a safe route for cyclists.
A map showing the location of both the Emergency Active Travel Fund schemes and Active Travel Fund schemes is available below.
Public engagement on the various measures started in January 2021 and the majority of schemes are due to be delivered between summer 2021 and spring 2022.
The high-level Stakeholder and Community Engagement Plan is available to download below.