The Isle of Wight Council has approved plans to get more people into walking and cycling.
The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) follows on from a national strategy to double the level of cycling by 2025, increase walking activity and the number of school children walking to school and reduce the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on roads.
Set out in 6 stages, the LCWIP maps out ‘ambitious plans’ to increase walking and cycling networks on the Island over a 10-year period, which will help promote the Island as a walking and cycling destination, support and increase sustainable transport and increase the percentage of children and young people using active travel modes.
Focusing on Newport and Ryde to start with, selected as ‘priority settlements’ because they have the biggest populations, the rest of the Island will be done in phases, identifying improvements required at a local level.
The plan sets out 16 cycle and 24 walking routes that will be prioritised, creating new paths or making improvements to old ones, to help support the council’s work on sustainable transport — saying, “which, if implemented, will lead to a transformation in volumes of cycling and walking in Newport and Ryde”.
Once plans have been implemented in the two towns, the LCWIP will be used as a template to replicate results across the Island.
Stakeholders including CycleWight, town and parish councils, and Newport and Ryde regeneration groups have helped develop plans.
The plan was approved yesterday (Thursday) through delegated decision by cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, Councillor Ian Ward.
One of the reasons given for the decision was the potential investment in cycling and walking, which also “supports the delivery of public health outcomes in relation to creating greener and more active communities, improving resident and visitor health and wellbeing.”
Glad to see our Council are focussing on the important issues at this time. I know day-to-day live has to go on, but really, planning for cycling and walking routes for the future!?
Will they include in this training for cyclist?
Motorists are always complaining about cyclist disregard for the rules of the road (and vice-versa), but during the Lockdown, when out walking, I have witnessed people walking and taking care to maintain their distance, but then, along comes a cyclist and just breezes through between separated people with no regard for anyone but the fact that they do not have the patience to wait for a few moments so that spacing is adequate!
Get all cyclists off the Roads, they have no tax or insurance. Last year i had a cyclist damage my car, as he past me and others stopped in traffic on fairlee rd.
My wing mirror got damaged at a cost of £120.86. Which i had to pay, as he just road off.
Agree with you. I’m sure there’s plenty of responsible cyclists, but it does seem the majority consider themselves above all laws,and have little respect for other people. One only needs to walk along Appley promenade to encounter them.
Just wonder where all these new cycle paths are to be, considering it seems every bit of greenland in Ryde is ear marked for development.
Recalling the Ryde generation plans published a few months ago, the cycle paths or modern bridleways in Ryde are to join the new housing developments (Bullen and Westridge areas etc) with the seafront and Ryde town. They’ll be multi use paths but obviously fairly long walks for people living there to get to the front. I don’t think they’ll be used that much by cyclists from these new outer Ryde estates, because people will have a much stronger inclination to jump in their cars to go to the beach or shopping.
I believe irresponsibility is a character trait rather than a trait of cyclists, same for driving. That’s just my opinion.
Oh, I trust this isn’t the Councils solution to upgrading the infrastructure required for the new developments.
As indicated already by Frank, these shared paths are not what they are cracked up to be, and separation of lanes (cyclist and walkers) should be a priority on the same path when possible. But they won’t because its seen as too complicated.
Btw Frank, what does a cyclist do when cycling past walkers on the left and right of the path opposite each other gassing for England? Is it go through the middle and break the spacing rule or wait for them to stop gassing?
I agree, what does a cyclist do…
There does need to be thought and courtesy by walkers/talkers as well
Another thing to consider, the advice on a radio health programme recently was to try to avoid walking behind cyclists, or runners and joggers, because they are expending more breath out into the air, and therefore if they have the virus, or are carriers, they are putting more of it out into the atmosphere and you could be then breathing it in if close behind them, and as rightly pointed out here, they can come close up to you without warning.
And what about the people gassing/gossiping for 10-15 mins with each other a few feet away. How much breath is coming out of their traps in a single area. I really don’t think people understand the risk they are taking by stopping their walk to talk to their regular chums. Some people just can’t change their habits for love nor money. Pat on the back to all those taking it seriously.
This is a great idea if done properly. The council should have a right to create paths for horses, cycles and walkers alongside busy roads on the inner side of hedged fields etc wherever possible.
It is crazy that many fields are used for little the roads busy and only a narrow strip of land would be lost to make safe travel for many people, and encourage tourists to come.
Since CV we have had quite roads, and it has been a pleasure to cycle many roads where in normal times, it is horrid for both the cyclist and the motorist stuck behind a slow cycle labouring up hills using more fuel in a low gear than the ‘cyclist’ is saving.
IF we could have cycle paths alongside as many main existing roads as possible then both motorist, cyclists, the greens, and the NHS from lack of accidents would be happier along with increasing much needed tourism.
Fly in the ointment is the wealthy land owners will not give up an inch of their land without fighting it, and as it is that ‘sort’ in power or mates of theirs are, little will sadly occur.
Nice to dream though.
Yes, Frank – a wonderful dream! Another one – make bicycle-bells compulsory?
They already are – it’s just one of the regulations that are not properly enforced.
Indeed – the law states new bicycles must be fitted with a bell when purchased, but stupidly, there is no current law which makes using the bell compulsory. However, this could change in the light of the current number of pedestrians hurt/hit by cyclists.
I agree many cyclist do come very close to walkers many times, but also the walkers need to realise they need to share the route with others, even if it means walking single file instead of taking up the whole space side by side..
If they make a safe cycleway joining Ryde with Newport, am sure many would use it, for leisure and for work. At present cyclists have to ride along main roads, which is not very safe when large vehicles overtake at speed….. !