CYCLISTS and pedestrians in Swansea are set to benefit from nine kilometres of new cycle and walking routes in the coming months.
Swansea Council is working to complete a series of off road paths which will eventually form part of the city’s wider cycle network and link up with established national cycle routes.
All the network improvements follow a successful bid for more than £5million of Active Travel funding from the Welsh Government, which was approved in July 2020.
A new 600 metre shared use path is being developed along Swansea’s foreshore between St Helen’s sports ground and the Guildhall, offering an improved route for both cyclists and pedestrians. The route will also include a lower 20mph speed limit along Guildhall Road South.
Work is also being completed along Townhill Road at the junction with Broadway and stretching north for 1.2kms. The route will provide vital links to local schools and offer residents direct links to existing cycle routes nearby.
New off-road routes are also being developed along Mayals Road and along an existing bridleway through Clyne as part of the Sketty & Mayals Network Links scheme where all the new routes will link up with national cycle routes and help create a more extensive network for cyclists to travel around the city.
Swansea’s newest and iconic Copr Bridge has also been part funded by the Active Travel programme and will provide a vital city centre link for cyclists and pedestrians.
Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement and Infrastructure Management, said: “This latest work is part of our long term aims of increasing the numbers of cyclists in our city. If we want numbers to increase and help reduce the need for people to rely on cars, then we need to keep developing the cycle network in Swansea.
“We now have more than 120kms of purpose built cycle network in Swansea and we are seeing more people take up cycling as a way of travelling either to work or simply for pleasure.”
The latest improvements also coincide with a Wales-wide consultation, coordinated by the Welsh Government where the public can give their views on cycling and network provision in their own town or city.
And Swansea Council recently opened a new section of cycle and walking route between Gowerton and Kingsbridge which was funded from previous Active Travel funding.
Cllr Thomas added: “We have seen large numbers of cyclists and walkers using the new route between Gowerton and Kingsbridge and it’s great to see this positive response to our efforts. It’s clear that there is a need for these routes and when they are developed they become very popular.”
To find out more on current active travel schemes visit www.swansea.gov.uk/activetravelschemes
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