New Coventry cycle lanes to be built in massive roads programme

[dutchman]

Cycleways have proved controversial in Coventry



A mammoth programme of work on Coventry's roads will go ahead, including more cycleways. The £19.2 million package of repairs and improvements to the network was signed off by councillors this week.

But at least at quarter of the money will go on cycle lanes, according to a report for the meeting. A cycleway in Coventry centre will cost £2.3 million, a route linking Coundon to Keresley has a £2.2 million bill and a link to the Binley cycleway will be £500k.

The routes will all paid for by the government's active travel fund via Transport for West Midlands. This funding totals £7.2 million and will also go on a cycleway on Foleshill Road, although the amount for that specific route was not stated in the report.

More cycle lanes could also be on the way. Funding will go on development for schemes including a segregated cycle network for the city with routes to Eastern Green, Keresley and South Coventry areas.

Cycle lanes have attracted controversy in Coventry in recent years. Some people are supportive and have called for more to go across the city, but others oppose the roll-out of routes and dub them a waste of money.

A councillor at Tuesday's meeting stressed that in some quarters the lanes have been welcomed. Councillor Christine Thomas, who chairs the city's Disability Equality Action Panel (DEAP), said people with disabilities - including hearing sight and mobility - are "so grateful" for the cycleways.

"They are saying to me they now feel safer using the pavements," she said. Residents are also "highly delighted with what's going on in New Century Park, Allard Way, Binley and Willenhall, as well as Foleshill, areas of deprivation where people can't always afford to use buses," she told the meeting.

"So despite what some people say, that it's a waste of money, that's not what I'm hearing from people," she added. "I'm hearing how happy they are that this programme's going ahead."

Overall just under half of the council's total spending this year, some £9.4 million, will go on repairing the city's roads and pavements. It includes an extra £4 million from another regional grant, which has been 're-profiled' by officers after a "challenging year" for city roads.

The other half, £9.7 million, will go on so-called improvements to the network. As well as cycle lanes, these include more cameras on the road for average speed enforcement, at a red light and at three school sites in an effort to force drivers stick to restrictions.

A full list of the schemes can be found in papers for Tuesday's cabinet meeting.