The Welsh Government has announced £38m ‘to make Wales a safer place to cycle, scoot and walk’.
Officials said that, together with the £15.4m announced last month, this represents the largest ever investment in local active travel improvements in Wales
The cash will fund projects that aim to make it safer for children and adults to get to school or work on foot, bike or scooter.
Lee Waters, deputy minister for economy and transport, said: ‘Coronavirus has brought much hardship and tragedy. It has also presented us with a golden opportunity for change – one which I am determined to grasp with both hands.
‘More people than ever before are walking and cycling to work, visit friends and pop to the shop. With fewer cars on the road, first-time cyclists have had the confidence to rent, borrow or buy a bike, rather than reaching for the car keys.
‘However, as coronavirus restrictions ease and our roads become busier, it’s vital our roads remain walking and cycle-friendly if a long term change to our travel habits is to succeed. That’s exactly what I hope the £38m I’ve announced today will achieve.
Funded schemes include £259,500 to build a walkway over the railway bridge near Ysgol Ty Fynnon in Shotton and install of cycle friendly traffic calming features along King George Street. The funding will also improve an existing footpath to provide better access to the Job Centre, swimming pool and library.
In Neath Port Talbot, £205,000 will be used to implement 20mph speed limits outside six schools, as well as improving road markings and laying anti-skid surfacing to help protect children walking and cycling to school.
Separately, the South East Wales Transport Commission has said disruption caused by COVID-19 provides a ‘breathing space’ for large road schemes to be reconsidered and alternatives put in place. See our sister publication, Highways for more.
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