First walking and cycling infrastructure improvements announced

The Department for Transport granted Lincolnshire County Council £105,500 from the first round of the emergency active travel fund to support the installation of temporary projects during the recovery from Covid-19.

For the second round of funding, due to take place later this year, the council would like residents to help shape the longer-term projects.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This second tranche of funding is worth over £800,000 for Lincolnshire, so there is more scope for ambitious projects on our roads.

“This is why we’d like residents to let us know where they’d like to see new cycle lanes, widened paths, or road closures.

“Your ideas will help us shape the future of our streets and ensure that any changes we make are the most appropriate and useful to the community.

“You can also give us feedback on the changes we’re making with the first round of funding –whether the temporary measures should be made permanent, or whether you think changes would be better suited elsewhere.”

Residents can submit ideas for pavement widening, new cycleways or road closures online at www.widenmypath.com.

The site allows residents to pinpoint on a map where they would like to see changes.

To further help shape the plans, Lincolnshire County Council will host a virtual cycling summit with invited representatives from each district and local cycling clubs.

Coun Davies continued: “We were disappointed that the Department for Transport only granted us half the funding we had applied for in the first round.

“However we’re already working on our plans for the second round, to make sure we get as much money as possible to make these improvements.

“The virtual cycling summit will be an opportunity to have an open discussion with local representatives from across Lincolnshire.

“Bringing local knowledge into our plans will make sure they will have the most benefit to their area.

“When it comes to upgrading our cycling infrastructure, having a coordinated approach that allows cyclists to reach more destinations will have the biggest impact on increasing the rate of cycling and take traffic off our roads.

“The emergency active travel fund is just a part of our grand plans for cycling infrastructure in Lincolnshire.

“The cycling and walking plans we’re producing for each town – which your suggestions on www.widenmypath.com will also help shape – will further drive forward sustainable travel in Lincolnshire.

“ And we’re working with North and North East Lincolnshire on a Greater Lincolnshire cycling programme to apply for more cycling infrastructure funding through the LEP.”

The announcement of cycling and walking infrastructure improvements comes as the government launches its £50 Fix Your Bike voucher scheme to help further boost cycling.

The Fix Your Bike voucher scheme aims to encourage more people to embrace cycling as an alternative to driving or using public transport.

The scheme will be open to anyone who has an unused bicycle in need of a repair, helping them get it back on the road by providing £50 towards the cost of a service and repair.

Visit www.fixyourbikevoucherscheme.est.org.uk for more information.

Emergency active travel fund

Work will start in the coming weeks on the emergency active travel fund first round interventions, which are as follows:

Road closures and pop-up cycle lanes -

• Market Place (North), Horncastle – pedestrianisation

• Grantham – exploring options for pedestrianisation and temporary road closures in the town centre to provide more space for shoppers and safer routes for cyclists.

• Brayford Wharf East, Lincoln – closed to through traffic

• Wigford Way, Lincoln – close a lane in each direction to create a pop-up cycle lane between the bus station and Newland

• Flaxengate and High Street (south of the level crossing), Lincoln – remove the restrictions to allow cycling.

New cycle parking -

• Boston

• Gainsborough

• Grantham

• Holbeach

• Lincoln

• Skegness

• Sleaford

• Spalding

Other projects

• Low Road and Dysart Road, Grantham – install give way islands to slow traffic and enable a safer cycle route

• Newark Road, North Hykeham – reduce speed limit to 30mph on this heavily used cycle route

• Potential to remove guardrails to provide more space for pedestrians and widen crossing area – at the junction of A52 and A607, Saint~ Augustin Way, Grantham; on Broadgate and Wigford Way, Lincoln; on Southgate in Sleaford; on Swan Street and the A151 at the junction with Winsover Way, Spalding.