A £6.1million boost to transform cycling in and around Nottingham City has been approved by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – with works set to start immediately.
The Nottingham Cycle City Ambition Programme (NCCAP) will significantly improve travel for cyclists; providing high quality surface cycle paths and signals giving priority to cyclists. The projects will include:
- four state-of-the-art commuter cycle corridors, running North-South and East-West;
- improvements to existing city-centre cycleways;
- neighbourhood area cycle improvements;
- a ‘greenway’ for cyclists, including an on-road cycle lane along the River Leen and at Colwick Park, The Embankment, Wollaton Park and Broxtowe County Park.
The Nottingham City Council-managed scheme is due to be completed by March 2017. The £6.1m will come from D2N2’s Local Growth Fund and the scheme will be completed by Nottingham City Council Highway Services, in addition providing contracting jobs and apprenticeships.
Funding from D2N2 – a partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers and community groups which promotes economic growth and jobs creation across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – was officially approved at a meeting of its Infrastructure and Investment Board yesterday (October 15).
Nottingham City Council will begin works to build the Western Corridor cycle path, the flagship development in its Cycle City Ambition Programme, on Monday (October 19).
During this construction the Council says it will have to close the current Castle Boulevard cycle path, from Monday until the Western Corridor’s completion, due by April 29, 2016. The Council apologises for any inconvenience caused and says that cyclists can either use the road or find an alternative route through the cycling website www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cycling
The NCCAP scheme aims to encourage more people to switch to cycling for work and leisure, to:
- improve people’s health – through greater exercise and reducing traffic pollution;
- reduce traffic congestion, which has an overall economic benefit for the city;
- enable those looking for employment, but without a private vehicle or the funds to use public transport, to travel more easily to job locations.
After the cycleway works through the city-centre and Nottingham parks are completed (by spring 2016); the Southern, Western and Eastern cycle corridors will follow. The River Leen cycle path will be completed by March 2017.
The Nottingham Cycle City Ambition Programme will include the creation of 16.4 kilometres of new segregated cycle route both on and off the road, 7.5km of additional off-road cycle paths, and 1.8km of non-segregated on-road cycle lane alongside the River Leen and within Nottingham parks.
Long term, the success of the project – in terms of recorded increases in bike use, reductions in commuting by car, health benefits and traffic pollution levels – will be monitored by Nottingham City Council.
Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The promotion of sustainable transport is one of D2N2’s key commitments, as can be seen by our major investment in this project.
“The Nottingham Cycle City Ambition Programme not only has the potential to make significant health improvements; reduced traffic congestion means quicker movement of goods and people, and less air pollution makes the city more attractive to live in, which both have long term economic benefits.”
Councillor Nick McDonald – Portfolio Holder for Growth, Jobs and Transport at Nottingham City Council – added: “The start of the cycle super-highway roadworks is a really exciting development for the City. The route links up the University of Nottingham to the city centre.
“We know it will prove to be popular with commuters and leisure cyclists, and provide a real showcase to demonstrate how high we are setting our standards for Nottingham’s cycling future.
“Unfortunately, during the works, it will be necessary to introduce temporary traffic measures which will introduce localised restrictions. We will tell residents in advance when works are happening and apologise for any inconvenience that the works cause.”
D2N2’s funding for the Nottingham Cycle City Ambition Programme is drawn from its Local Growth Fund (LGF). For more information on how the LGF is investing in building infrastructure to help the D2N2 area economy see web link www.d2n2lep.org/write/Documents/08_D2N2_Growth_Deal.pdf
For more information about the Nottingham Cycle City Ambition Programme see website http://transport2.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cycle/
Media wanting further information about the work of the D2N2 LEP can contact D2N2 Communications Officer Sean Kirby on 0115 9578749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
