PLANS for new walking and cycling routes in Bromsgrove – costing £3.4m – were revealed today by Worcestershire County Council.
The much needed improvements, funded through a Department for Transport initiate, form part of the wider transport and highways plan for the area.
It will see an additional six walking and cycling pathways being introduced over the next two years.
Not only will it make it easier and safer to get from one place to another, but it will also bring health benefits to users by encouraging them to walk or cycle instead of travelling by car.
Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Pollock, said: “The routes will provide new and improved links between the railway station, town centre, schools, as well as employment and residential areas.
“Bromsgrove is a focus for us because making the transport network more efficient, particularly at peak travel times, will help us to reduce congestion.”
As Bromsgrove currently has a very limited infrastructure to support walking and cycling journeys, it often forces local people to drive short distances and therefore creates more traffic.
Coun Ken Pollock added: “The end result of these improvements is to offer attractive, alternative options to car use, especially for these shorter trips.
“The improvements will also complement future planned investment in the A38 and town centre highway networks.”
Blue signs will be put up near each route to tell residents where to go and also how long it will take to get to their desired destination.
The £3.4m funding was achieved through a successful bid submitted to the Department for Transport as part of the National Productivity Investment Fund.
Since last October, when the grant was awarded, the County Council have been conducting large scale reviews of the current routes.
They have also listened to recommendations from the public on how the routes could be improved.
Councillors spoke to road experts and designers to work out how they could make the roads more accessible.
Path and road resurfacing to improve journey comfort, increased lighting, clear signage, and the dropping of kerbs to help mobility scooter users get around easier are all part of the improvement plan.
Cabinet Member with responsibility for Transformation and Commissioning, Coun Karen May, said: “We are very proud to announce these plans and we look forward to easing the traffic congestion in Bromsgrove.
