Two Doncaster communities to get low-traffic 'school streets' and 'cycle superhighway'

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released Active Travel funding to install segregated cycle lanes, low traffic neighbourhoods and ‘school streets’ to give people more opportunities to choose cycling and walking for day to day journeys.

The council, in partnership with Sheffield City Region (SCR), has been allocated a funding opportunity of £1.38 million subject to submission and approval of an outline business case and a full business case.

The council has identified two schemes in Thorne and another linking Conisbrough to Warmsworth.

West Road in Thorne as part of the ‘Schools Street’ project will see the installation of a temporary restriction on traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times.

The council hopes this will boost the levels of cycling and walking to school, increase perceptions of road safety along West Road whilst cutting levels of air pollution.

Thorne and Moorends have been selected for these trials as the ‘topography’ of the ward makes active travel ‘more appealing’.

The work on the physical infrastructure that is being delivered through the Transforming Cities Fund and bosses said Thorne and Moorends has one of the ‘highest propensities to cycle within South Yorkshire’ which provides an opportunity to increase active travel.

The council are aware of a number of complaints that ‘rat running’ is an issue within the Thorne and installing an ‘active neighbourhood’ will help to prevent this from taking place.

A new bi-directional cycling and walking lane is proposed between Conisbrough and Warmsworth creating a ‘larger more strategic active travel route’ from the town centre to the west of the borough.

The ‘cycle superhighway’ is the second phase of works with the first phase delivered along the A630 in Warmsworth.

The scheme will run adjacent to the A630 between Woodfield Greenway and the Quarry entrance and involves widening the existing footpath and grass verge to create bi-directionalcycle route and pedestrian improvements.

The scheme will result in no loss of capacity for general traffic.

Coun Blackham, cabinet member for highways, said: “Given the time restraints, the degree of consultation with the public has not been able to be carried out in the manner that we would like.

“But recognising the constraints, I believe we should support what’s proposed but it does allow us to, while further funding streams become available, to engage in a more meaningful consultation process, not just with communities, but other interested parties within the council.

Coun Phil Cole, cabinet member for finance, added: “I look forward to seeing the results of the experiment on the school streets – I think this could be part of the wider solution to tackle the problems around parking at a lot of schools where parents are dropping off their children.

“If it leads to encouraging more children to walk a certain distance to school then I think that would be a great success and I look forward to it.”

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