Bedford Council consults on proposal for new £291,000 protected cycle lane on Goldington Road

Bedford Borough Council is carrying out a consultation on the proposal for a protected cycle lane along Goldington Road.

The council received £291,000 from the Department of Transport following a successful bid to the Active Travel Fund.

The proposal is to place a protected cycle lane along Goldington Road, from the existing traffic lights by Lidl/Waitrose to the junction of Norse Road.

A protected cycle lane allocates a section of the road for people on bikes, with physical separation to stop motor vehicles entering the space.

There will also be a pavement dedicated for pedestrians.

As part of the process required by the government, the council is carrying out a consultation.

While there are no houses nearby, the council is consulting with businesses in the area including Elms Farm Industrial Estate, footpath users, shoppers in the local supermarket shoppers, Guide Dogs for the Blind and local cycle groups.

Cllr Charles Royden, portfolio holder for Highways, said: “This proposed protected cycle way and pedestrian path down Goldington Road will make it easier and safer for more people to travel in a greener and healthier way.

“This road was chosen as it fitted the Government criteria, and this proposal is expected to improve journeys for cyclists while not adversely affecting other road users.

"While timing of the funding bid did not allow us the chance to consult beforehand, we want people to have their say and let us know what they think of this proposal.”

The consultation - which can be found here - is now open and will end on Monday, January 18.

The council is looking to extend this cycle lane further in the near future, but due to the way the funding is distributed this phase must be built first and construction is expected to begin before end of March 2021.