Work will begin to establish temporary cycle lanes around Bury St Edmunds this week – and motorists and cyclists can expect them to be in place for at least six months.
Suffolk County Council has confirmed a series of temporary cycle lanes as part of measures for the Covid-19 recovery in supporting people to walk or cycle, rather than using cars or buses.
The council will:
• Close Lancaster Avenue at the Tollgate Lane junction to motor vehicles
• Change the layout at the Northgate Street/Mustow Street junction to allocate more road space for cyclists. It includes a segregated cycle lane stretching back to the Looms Lane junction
• Establish a segregated cycle lane in Risbygate Street between the Parkway junction and St Andrews Street (North) junction. It will eventually lead to improvements from Newmarket Road through Risbygate Street, Brentgovel Street and onto Looms Lane
The council said the changes aim to make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists to travel.
Work will begin on September 29 for four nights for the Lancaster Avenue and Northgate Street works, while the Risbygate Street changes will take two nights starting September 24.
County council cabinet member for highways, Andrew Reid, said: “People’s travel behaviour has transformed during lockdown as more people turn to walking and cycling for their essential journeys.
“We have a real opportunity here to make our roads and pavements, especially in the built up areas in our county’s towns, safer not just for this unprecedented period, but for the future as well.
“Our aim is to embed active travel – walking and cycling - as part of a long-term habit and reap the associated health, air quality and congestion benefits.
“However, it is crucial that any of the measures we put in place work for the majority of people living on or near the streets concerned. We’ve been engaging closely with walking and cycling groups, local communities, and will continue to do so, to make sure accessibility is maintained for businesses, those with mobility issues and the emergency services, and these conversations will help us as we implement our changes.”
The temporary lanes will be in place for at least six months as part of a pilot, with feedback sought during that time to determine whether to implement more permanent changes.
However, if it becomes clear any schemes are not working they can be removed, tweaked or added to at short notice.
It follows changes already introduced in Ipswich to help aid cyclists, and while some have welcomed the measures others have voiced concerns.
Visit the council website here from October 2 to share your feedback.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here