Work to improve Hull’s cycling infrastructure will begin this month.
Plans will include widening existing cycle lanes in areas including Freetown Way and an introduction of additional cycle lanes in roads including Holderness Road, Spring Bank, Anlaby Road and Beverley Road.
The works are being accelerated so Hull City Council can secure the first phase of the £1.36m funding from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) active travel grant.
The schemes will be progressed in line with the local authority’s 10-year local cycling and walking infrastructure plan.
Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic investment, regeneration and planning, said: “If we don’t start work immediately we will lose the Government money. We cannot let precious extra funding for cycling slip through our hands. As such our usual consultation processes are having to be set aside and we will be acting first on a number of these schemes and reviewing the impact afterwards and making changes as necessary.
“That’s why schemes such as the one in Freetown Way are being progressed at speed so that we can meet the requirements for this vital DfT funding. This means we will be changing our usual consultation process and inviting the public for comments once the work has been carried out.
“The city is experiencing a cycling renaissance and we cannot turn down such a fantastic opportunity to transform Hull into a cycling city.
“We want to ensure the upgrades we make to our cycling infrastructure such as segregated lanes and increasing road space for cyclists are measures which allow cyclists to feel safe and confident when using our city’s roads.”
Cycling upgrade to begin in Freetown Way 🚲
Read more here 👇https://t.co/bjV0eU544O
— Hull CC News (@Hullccnews) June 6, 2020
Works will include re-signing and relabelling key routes with green lines, enforcing cycle lanes, protection for cycle lanes with bolt-down kerbs and cycle contraflow provision on all one-way streets in the city centre.
Closures for through traffic on Wright Street and Baker Street at the Prospect Street junction and a temporary lane closure in Spring Bank and both directions in Ferensway between Hull Paragon Interchange and Anlaby Road with the removal of the guard railing, to create a cycle route and additional pedestrian space.
Plans to increase space of pedestrians will also be considered. Parking bays could be suspended on South Street to loading only and Silver Street will be pedestrianised to encourage businesses to make use of the outdoor space, with access for cyclists only.
Plans will also look at options to increase the use of bus lanes for extended periods in order for cyclists to safely use this road space. Cycle storage hubs in the station and on Whitefriargate are also being considered.
Bolt down kerbs will be placed along some cycle routes
The 2011 census data showed that just over 56 per cent of all car journeys were for 5km or less.
The project will be discussed at the council’s overview and scrutiny management committee meeting on Thursday 11 June.
