Active travel route could become permanent
Poster information
Posted on: Monday 14 December 2020
An active travel route which would link Waterton roundabout with the town centre could become permanent.
In June, Bridgend County Borough Council received almost £620,000 from the Welsh Government for temporary and permanent active travel routes. This included a 2.5km section incorporating Kingsway Avenue on the Bridgend Industrial Estate, to Cowbridge Road.
Active travel means walking or cycling for everyday short-distance journeys. It covers trips to school, shops, work, services and transport hubs. Also, it can include the use of electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters. It does not include journeys purely for recreation, or social reasons.
A temporary route has been in place for several weeks along Cowbridge Road and the council now plans to make that permanent if funding is secured from the Welsh Government and plans are approved. The proposal includes creating safer crossings at the York Road junction with Bridgend Industrial Estate.
The route will link up with a new pedestrian and cycle route which is currently being created around Waterton roundabout. This will provide a link to the Brocastle active travel route on the A48 which is currently being built, as well as a number of pedestrian routes in the area, providing safe crossing facilities where there are none at the moment.
This scheme would help to link up the Coychurch roundabout with the town centre and form part of a network of active travel routes across the county borough.
It is hoped that if funding is secured and the plans approved, work could begin next year. Active travel routes aim to improve safety conditions to enable those who want to walk or cycle to leave their cars at home, helping reduce congestion and environmental pollution.
A consultation into turning the Cowbridge Road active travel route into a permanent one will be launched in the new year with residents along the road receiving a letter and drawing of the proposed route and an invitation to share their views.
Cabinet member for communities Richard Young