Yet more good news for cyclists and walkers in the B&NES area as the authority will share in another £850,000-plus – secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority – to support new schemes to encourage more people to leave the car at home.
Plans include new pedestrian crossings on Concorde Way and a new parallel crossing off New Road as well as free cycle training lessons for adults, children and families at venues across the West of England, grants to promote walking and cycling, plus other Bath and NE Somerset schemes in the works.
Over half of people in Bath and NE Somerset think there should be more investment in walking and cycling schemes, according to the charity Sustrans.
Dan Norris, who leads the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, has invested more than £14 million in boosting walking and cycling since his election in May 2021. He said:
“A major priority for the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is encouraging as many locals as possible to walk and cycle, especially for shorter everyday journeys.
“This is yet more great news for local people who want to hop on two wheels or get from A to B by taking a stroll and getting some fresh air in the process.
“I am proud that the Mayoral Combined Authority is getting on delivering vital schemes to promote and boost walking and cycling for the health and other reasons we all know about, not least to cut those traffic jams and slash our emissions at pace.”
Schemes already funded by Mr Norris’s West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to boost cycling and walking include schemes improving the region’s cycle routes such as via the Scholars Way route in Bath, and Keynsham Road route (connecting the Bristol and Bath Railway Path at Bitton Station to Keynsham Train Station).
“Over half of people in Bath & NE Somerset think there should be more investment in walking & cycling schemes” SUSTRANS.
1. How did they come by that statistic ?
2. “Well, Lord Sustrans would say that, wouldn’t he”, as Mandy Rice-Davies once remarked.
And if our Council is getting ‘free money’ from WECA, why not squander it on the minorities that cycle through Bath. (Oh, and those that wheel, walk, eScooter, pogo and cartwheel). Always heartening to see our taxes being spent on minority interests.
Come to India and see traffic jchaos. Here’s to bikes!
Has it ever occured to some people that many elderly people don’t want to risk their health in their latter years cycling, for many reasons or is this an idea to reduce the elderly population?Perhaps the £850.000 budget could be split between those who need a bicycle and those that need food and heating.