Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced £12m of additional funding has been secured to build high-quality walking and cycling routes across the Liverpool City Region.

Outlining his ambition to make the region the best place in the country to walk and cycle, he said the new funding would be a down payment on the active travel network he has pledged to deliver for the city region.

Mayor Rotheram was speaking at the city region’s first Active Travel Summit, held at the Combined Authority’s headquarters in Mann Island and attended by advocates, community activists and policymakers.

Speakers at the event included Chris Boardman MBE, Olympic gold medal winning cyclist and Interim Commissioner for Active Travel England, and Rosslyn Colderley, Director in the North of sustainability transport charity Sustrans.

The money will be used to create safe, segregated bike paths and footways and improve junctions across all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:

“For far too long, many in our region have been forced to contend with a fragmented, under-funded public transport system that doesn’t offer them what they deserve – a quality alternative to the car – we’re putting that right.

“I want to start an active travel revolution here in the Liverpool City Region – one that offers better connected, green routes that will make it easier than ever for people to choose cleaner ways to travel. Across all six boroughs, we’ve invested millions to upgrade our walking and cycling routes to the rest of our network, linking entire communities up to areas and opportunities that before seemed out of reach.

“Not only will it do wonders for people’s health – but it’s a massive boost for our local environment too! The more we can encourage people to leave the car at home for shorter journeys, the better we can reduce congestion on our roads – massively improving our carbon footprint and the quality of the air we breathe. The Active Travel Summit is just the beginning of journey to building a healthier, cleaner city region, where no one is left behind.”

There will also be funding to deliver School Streets schemes which reduce traffic congestion and pollution at school gates during pick up and drop off times.

The package includes cash for low traffic ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’, which recent research from Sustrans showed were supported by 69% of people in the city region.

There will also be a “mini-Holland” feasibility study to assess how parts of the region can be made as pedestrian and cycle-friendly as similar neighbourhoods in Dutch towns and cities.

The £12m has been unlocked from the government’s Active Travel Fund and comes in addition to the £30m already invested by the Mayor and Combined Authority in new walking and cycling infrastructure.

It is also on top of more than £200m from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) committed to delivering highway upgrades, from carriageway resurfacing works to streetlights, that will support the improvement of cycling and walking routes.

This pushes the total amount of funding that will help deliver a strong Active Travel network across the Liverpool City Region to close to a quarter of a billion pounds.

Simon O’Brien, Walking and Cycling Commissioner for the Liverpool City Region said:

“It’s fantastic to see these additional funds being awarded to the Liverpool City region, to really help us push forward with our plans to help people travel by bike or foot more safely and with confidence.

“It’s also an amazing opportunity to help change the way we think about travelling around our local area, including to and from schools.

“The kind of schemes that will be delivered by this funding will encourage people to get out of their cars and help to create a whole new generation of walkers and cyclists.”

Originally Posted by editor

The money will be used to create safe, segregated bike paths and footways and improve junctions across all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

Essential, because without segregation, few of the unfit will be tempted from their cars.

The package includes cash for low traffic ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’, which recent research from Sustrans showed were supported by 69% of people in the city region.

Sounds about right, compared to the biased answer you typically get from the average rat-runner of a motorist.

There will also be a “mini-Holland” feasibility study to assess how parts of the region can be made as pedestrian and cycle-friendly as similar neighbourhoods in Dutch towns and cities.

How cool is that!

Fantastic news!
Awaiting the hilarious reaction from the usual trolls.

Originally Posted by donkey22

Fantastic news!
Awaiting the hilarious reaction from the usual trolls.

You and numb nuts have already got there!

Originally Posted by The PNP

Essential, because without segregation, few of the unfit will be tempted from their cars.

Sounds about right, compared to the biased answer you typically get from the average rat-runner of a motorist.

How cool is that!

The package includes cash for low traffic ‘Liveable Neighbourhoods’, which recent research from Sustrans showed were supported by 69% of people in the city region. - Only useful it it creates more parking spaces for those who have to commute out of town i.e 69% of the population.

Originally Posted by Mr B S Sniffer

You and numb nuts have already got there!

Right on cue. Knew one of you bozo’s would take the bait.

Originally Posted by donkey22

Right on cue. Knew one of you bozo’s would take the bait.

"Donkey" The irony!

https://youtu.be/5om1yL7Jxaw

Link to Simons article. Some great developments that prove the benefits to all.

Originally Posted by lawed143

https://youtu.be/5om1yL7Jxaw

Link to Simons article. Some great developments that prove the benefits to all.

To be fair, that was quite an interesting watch, with some excellent initiatives. However, as has already been proven with the Queens Road debacle, Sefton’s Councillors haven’t got a clue when it comes to implementing road safety measures.The shortsightedness of them only sees reducing road space for motorists as a policy.

Going back to Queens Road, the cycle lanes are fine, even though they don’t see a lot of use. However, to ban motorised traffic from entering from either Manchester Road, or Park Crescent, not only serves no sensible purpose, it also put cyclists, (the very people they are supposed to protect) in more danger of being hit by traffic emerging out of the side roads. The latest proposal from Councillor’s is to reduce the often, already gridlocked Preston New Road by 50%. This would cause absolute chaos, and would certainly act as a deterrent to encourage people to visit Southport, thus causing further loss of business for Town Centre retailers.

By all means, introduce low traffic neighbourhoods, and make provision for cyclists and pedestrians, but, leave it to the experts to come up with the plans, Sefton’s Councillor’s shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near such important decision making.

Originally Posted by justbecause

By all means, introduce low traffic neighbourhoods, and make provision for cyclists and pedestrians, but, leave it to the experts to come up with the plans, Sefton’s Councillor’s shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near such important decision making.

They listen to Shrek and his donkey.