Plans for new cycling, walking and bus routes serving one of Coventry’s major development and growth areas are currently being drawn up following the award of over half a million pounds of funding.
The funding will support the development of sustainable transport links to the growing employment area south of the city including the Battery Industrialisation Centre and the proposed site for a new gigafactory. It will also offer green transport links to a major new housing developments at the Whitley Pumping Station and Allard Way sites.
The scheme will develop:
- a segregated cycle route from Toll Bar End to Coventry City Centre
- remodelled key road junctions to improve bus journey times and provide safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists
- new walking and cycling routes at the Asda roundabout in Whitley
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is working with Coventry City Council to deliver the improvements to offer residents and workers greener transport options and support the new economic and housing development in the area.
£17m of the funding has come from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement awarded to TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), last year. This is being topped up with contributions from developers along this key growth corridor.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said: “The investment in dedicated, segregated cycle routes is a key priority for Coventry. They are good for linking people to jobs in the most sustainable way possible, brilliant for public health and of course for the environment.
“This new route will complement the cycle routes already being built in other parts of the city, and will help people living in the Whitley and Willenhall areas of the city to access jobs, shops and schools by bike and on foot.”
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said: “Last year we secured landmark Government funding worth £1.3 billion to invest in our region’s transport infrastructure. We’ve already seen funding earmarked for a range of projects with many already underway across our rail, bus, Metro and Active Travel networks.
“South Coventry is one area set to benefit – with this City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement package making it safer and easier for local people to walk, cycle and enjoy improved bus services – reducing traffic congestion at the same time as helping our health and environment.
“Modern transport infrastructure helps to transform a place for the better in and of itself but also acts as a catalyst drawing in further investment from companies and developers in the months and years ahead.”
The funding will enable scheme design work to progress with a view to commencing construction of the first elements of the package later this year with completion by 2026.
