Published on Friday 28 August 2020
New posts are being installed to separate a busy cycle lane from traffic and so provide safer cycling routes for all users, including children, students and families. At the same time, prioritised space for walking is being created in and around this major travel route in Bournemouth.
Both measures are temporary and their implementation provides those using the route with the opportunity to experience the changes and to comment on them, as part of a consultation running throughout, before a decision is made on whether to make each scheme permanent.
From next month (7 September 2020), those travelling along Glenferness Avenue by bike will benefit from a protected cycle lane offering improved space where people can cycle more safely. At Leven Avenue temporary measures will also be put in place to remove through traffic, creating better pedestrian and cycling space. Full access for residents will be maintained.
As part of the local cycle network connecting the Talbot University Campus with the town centre, the improved routes will give students travelling to and from the universities safer space to travel by bike and on foot.
The temporary measures contribute to BCP Council’s commitment to develop an eco-friendly and active transport network and develop sustainable infrastructure as part of its corporate strategy.
Councillor Andy Hadley, portfolio holder responsible for transport, BCP Council, said; "I am pleased we are able to put in place these temporary measures at Glenferness Avenue, which aim to support more people travelling sustainably. This matches our vision for vibrant communities with outstanding quality of life where everyone plays an active role.
"By protecting the existing cycle lanes on Glenferness Avenue, which are regularly compromised by parked vehicles, travel by bicycle will become easier and safer.
"As children go back to school, students return to university, and more people head back into the workplace we are expecting to see a significant increase in the number of people travelling on our roads.
"As a key route we know this area will return to being busier and we are absolutely committed in supporting people in making more sustainable travel choices. We know safety is a key barrier to people cycling, and these temporary measures are a step towards giving people the confidence they need to take up cycling and walking for short distances meaning less reliance on the car."
The improved conditions for cycling will connect the routes on Glenferness Avenue with the Bourne Valley Greenway at Bournemouth Upper Gardens to access the town centre and seafront, and with the Talbot Campus of Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth.
The temporary improvements will support children and parents travelling to and from schools making it easier and safer for people to travel by bicycle and on foot where Glenferness Avenue forms part of the route, making it easier for people to choose alternatives to the car if they wish. The temporary scheme will also support journeys from residential areas to the town centre and seafront, now linking with the recent improvement of cycle facilities on Wallisdown Road.
The protected cycle lane will be created using flexible posts which will be spaced at regular intervals to help stop vehicles moving into the cycle lane.
In addition to the protected cycle lane on Glenferness Avenue, temporary measures are also being put in place to discourage through traffic on Leven Avenue. Designated as an advisory cycle route, the temporary measures will remove this route from being used as a cut through by motorists, providing safer space for those travelling by bike and on foot.
The temporary measures are being implemented in response to the government’s emergency active travel fund which aims to support more people cycling and walking.
Councillor Hadley, added, "As part of the funding agreement government urged us to implement these temporary measures quickly using experimental traffic orders. As part of this consultation process we are keen to hear from all those affected, and the feedback received will inform our decision on whether to make the temporary changes permanent. We would ask that people give the scheme a chance to bed in and have their say based on first hand experience.
"Leven Avenue is regularly used by vehicles to cut the corner and avoid the traffic lights. These temporary measures will create safer space for those cycling and walking which should have a positive impact on the local environment through reduced pollution, noise and congestion whilst maintaining access to properties."
An experimental traffic order closure will be implemented for all motor traffic to prioritise walking and cycling on Leven Avenue between the junctions of Benellen Avenue and Walsford Road.
BCP Council has been indicatively awarded around £1.4million from the government’s recent emergency active travel fund to support people cycling and walking as the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding for the emergency active travel measures is allocated in two phases, with the council having already received an initial £312,000 as part of phase one.
A further allocation of £1.1 million is conditional on the council demonstrating its ability to adapt the area’s infrastructure to support more active travel measures, and how quickly these additional measures can be delivered.
The schemes currently in place and open for consultation were shortlisted because they ranked the highest when scored using the following criteria which was based on the text in the government’s guidance letter including:
- impact on walking and cycling to school
- propensity to cycle
- proximity to existing or proposed strategic walking or cycle routes
- potential to improve road safety
- potential to improve bus punctuality and journey time reliability.