West End communities to receive £3.85m active travel investment

Newcastle City Council has been awarded funding by Active Travel England as part of a £17.7m package earmarked for schemes in the North East following a regional bid by Transport North East.

In Newcastle the money will be spent on improvements along Elswick Road to make the area safer for people to walk, wheel and cycle.

The investment will include the development of a new cycle lane, new pedestrian crossings, changes to traffic access on a number of side roads and the installation of secure cycle parking facilities at schools and shops in the area.

Cllr Jane Byrne, cabinet member for a connected, clean city at Newcastle City Council said: “This is fantastic news for residents in this area of the city, which is going to benefit from a significant investment to provide high quality and safer cycling and walking routes.

“As well as helping people get to schools, shops and other local facilities, this will also open up opportunities to access jobs and training and will enable more people to enjoy and feel confident about active travel.

“The new cycle lane will also link up with existing routes helping to further extend our cycling network across the city.

“We want everyone in Newcastle to be able to choose and benefit from active travel. This leads to better physical and mental health; stronger, connected communities and a better, more sustainable environment for future generations.

“Ensuring we have the right infrastructure in place is an important part of achieving this goal.”

People will be invited to have their say on the initial proposals for Elswick Road before detailed designs are finalised.