New cycle lanes are being installed on Station Road, Yate, to provide a safer route for cyclists and to make sustainable travel a more attractive option.
We have carried out monitoring in the area and found many cyclists currently use the pavement rather than risk riding on the busy road. By creating protected, marked cycle lanes on the road, in both directions from the B&Q roundabout to the junction with Culvert Avenue, we will make this route much safer for those wishing to cycle between the Town centre and Yate station, or to link up with the ring road or Bristol and Bath railway path cycling networks.
The cycle lanes will be separated from the carriageway using white lines, raised kerbs, known as orcas, as well as planters. This will help keep cyclists safe and make it easier for pedestrians to maintain social distancing.
The work is being funded by Government, which has required all councils to take steps to ‘lock in’ the benefits of, and help the increased numbers of people who have chosen to walk and cycle during the coronavirus pandemic, and which will also allow better social distancing.
The Station Road scheme will provide an east-west link with existing cycling routes, which has long been an ambition for cycling access in the town, and will also connect to future schemes in the Yate area and to planned improvements to transport, sustainable travel and better access to open spaces.
The work will establish the new cycle lanes for an initial 18-month period, during which public feedback will be sought on how the scheme is working and to collect data that will inform whether and how it is made permanent and how further improvements might be made to expand the use of cycling as a viable option of travelling around Yate and connecting to the wider cycling network. Phase 2 of the project, which will extend the route right into the heart of Yate Town Centre, will be implemented in the Autumn.
To install the new cycle lanes, we need to close Station Road overnight from the B&Q roundabout to the junction with Culvert Avenue overnight from 8pm to 6am from Monday 24 August to Tuesday 8 September.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and the Strategic Environment, Cllr Steve Reade, said: “We want to encourage sustainable transport options for residents, whether that’s for commuting or leisure, so that we can continue to improve our environment and people’s health.
“During the Covid-19 restrictions many of us have taken advantage of quieter roads to get out more on foot and on two wheels and we want to do our part to help make that a more sustainable way of getting around for the longer term.
“These measures for Yate will link up cycling routes right through the town and connect cyclists to the wider network to make cycling a more viable option for getting to work, school and for leisure. The new lanes will make cycling to the station to commute into Bristol and Bath an even more attractive option.
“For the next 18 months we will be listening carefully to public feedback about the scheme and how it is being used so that we can plan for more improvements in the future, to even better connect Yate and the surrounding areas for cyclists.”
Installation work will be carried out in phases. Access to properties will be maintained at all times. No waiting cones will be in place during the closure and will be enforced between 8pm and 6am, including the authorised removal of vehicles where required.
To make enough space for the cycle lanes, all parking along Station Road will be suspended except for a small, time limited section near Yate Railway Station (two hours, no return within four hours) and a small car park near the Whirlpool factory. There will also be an area designated for loading only during off peak hours (no stopping between 8am and 10am and 4pm and 6pm) opposite the Whirlpool factory. We realise this may cause some disruption to residents and for this we apologise, but we need to do all we can to support social distancing and improve sustainable travel routes.
There will not be any changes to the right hand turns into Cranleigh Court Road and Longs Drive.
A public consultation will start from Monday 24 August and we would like to hear your feedback about the scheme. You can comment on the scheme by searching Station Road, Yate on our consultation webpage www.southglos.gov.uk/consultation
Find out more about our plans for making public places in South Gloucestershire safer visit www.southglos.gov.uk/making-public-places-safer If you have any suggestions for improving social distancing for walkers, cyclists and other road users, you can submit ideas at www.southglos.gov.uk/local-transport-priority-list
Our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which includes details of our plans for Yate (pages 126-7) can be found online at https://travelwest.info/projects/local-cycling-and-walking-infrastructure-plan
