There are still a few more weeks remaining for residents in Bridgend county to make your views known on walking and cycling routes – whether that’s improvements to existing routes or completely new routes.
Under the Active Travel Act 2013, Welsh local authorities are legally required to consult on the development and maintenance of walking and cycling routes in urban areas. This is used to produce a map to provide evidence needed to support bids for Welsh Government funding. The goal is to create proper routes between destinations – instead of the stop-start cycle lanes we’ve long been used to – in order to make walking and cycling safer and more convenient.
Bridgend Council is asking residents to add comments to a live map (here) listing what you would like to happen to improve local routes. This phase is open until the end of January 2021.
A draft active travel network map is expected to be produced by March 2021, with a final draft network set to be submitted for Welsh Government approval by October 2021.
Bridgend Council has received several million pounds in Welsh Government funding over the last few years to develop new routes. Some of these projects have lived up to expectations – such as improvements in and around Pencoed – while others have proven controversial – notable examples including works at the Waterton and Coychurch roundabouts and the present temporary cycle lane along Cowbridge Road.
Given the council’s future reduction in the number of students eligible for free home-school or home-college bus travel, the need for proper walking and cycling routes is more urgent to prevent an increase in the number of students being taken by car.
Some of the “hot spots” on the comment map (attracting large numbers of comments as of posting) include the Heol Simonston/Coychurch Road junction, Heol Spencer in Coity, the A4106 between Porthcawl and Laleston, the A48 between Broadlands and Ewenny Road and links between Bettws and the adjoining valleys.
