Route Map To Creating UK’s Leading Cycle City Is Released

Cardiff’s ambition to become one of the UK’s leading cycling cities over the next 10 years has been laid out in a new strategy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The City of Cardiff Council’s Cabinet will be asked to agree the Cycling Strategy on Thursday, January 19th. A public consultation exercise will then begin on delivering the City Council’s vision of creating a safer, greener and healthier city. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The City Council hopes half of commuters in the city will get out of their cars and onto public transport, or will take up cycling or walking to work by 2021. And a target of 60% has been set for 2026. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Ramesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Sustainability said: “Cardiff is the perfect city for cycling and walking. It is relatively flat and compact and the opportunities to grow cycling here are huge. There’s little doubt that there are too many cars on our roads and as the city grows our roads can’t support more and more vehicles. This is why we will be investing to make other forms of transport – like cycling – more attractive to residents, visitors and commuters. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We have been working closely with Andreas Røhl and Allison Dutoit from Gehl Architects on our cycling strategy. Andreas was Director of the City of Copenhagen’s Bicycle Programme from 2007 to 2015 and has unique knowledge on promoting cycling. During Andreas’ tenure, cycling in Copenhagen rose to its highest level in more than 50 years. Allison is a Liveable City Advisor, who has a proven track record in making cities more desirable places to live. She specialises in helping cities create people-friendly public spaces. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“In 2005 in Cardiff, only 4.3% of commuters travelled to work by bike. Today 9.2% are cycling to work. Our strategy sets out how we intend to double this figure again to over 18% by 2026. This will mean that the network will have to accommodate an extra 38,000 cycle trips per day. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Research shows us that 52% of car trips made in the Welsh Capital are less than 5km. This is a distance that can be comfortably cycled in 20 minutes. We also know that 28% of Cardiff residents that currently do not cycle would like to do so. When the roads are congested this makes cycling an even more attractive option as travel by bicycle would be quicker than a car during rush hours. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Authority knows that there are too many cars on the road and congestion is an issue, that’s why providing the facilities and promoting sustainable forms of transport is so important. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“80,000 commuters come into Cardiff from outside the city to work every day. Around 64,000 commuters of them do so by car. This means we also have to work with neighbouring authorities and the wider region to put regional solutions in place to cater for this commuter traffic. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It is proven that cycling and walking is good for your health. In fact, it is estimated that if someone cycles regularly, they have the fitness of someone 10 years younger. By displacing cars on the road, local air quality will also increase, reducing Nitrogen Dioxide and small dust particles in the air. We need to re-think how traffic and transportation works and this is what we are doing.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The City Council has recently published maps showing an overview of our aspirations for both cycling and walking and these have been published on our website– www.cardiff.gov.uk/activetravel “ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Cycling Strategy sets out our intentions to improve cycling infrastructure at schools, universities, workplaces and shopping areas. “We are building a new Bus Interchange in Central Square and a new bike hub and storage facility with 600 places for bikes will be included in this development. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The strategy also sets out our vision to invest in two primary routes from Cardiff Bay to North East Cardiff and secondly, from East Cardiff to North West Cardiff. These major routes will be developed along with improvements to routes across the wider network to improve safety and make cycling an attractive travel option.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Patel added, “The Local Development Plan has set out the areas of the city which are available for development. It includes a number of major sites for new housing and employment. It is essential that these sites are well-served by sustainable transport. The two primary routes, along with other routes identified in the cycling strategy and draft cycling network plan will provide vitally important cycling connections that will link new development sites with key destinations such as the City Centre.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The North-South primary route starts in Cardiff Bay providing a link to the Cardiff Enterprise Zone, and City Centre. North of the city centre, the route will connect Cardiff University to Heath Hospital, Heath High Level and Heath Low Level rail stations, before passing through the Nant Fawr corridor to link to the major housing development identified in the Local Development Plan on land between Lisvane and Pontprennau. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The East-West primary route will link the major employment site south of St Mellons Business Park and the City Centre via a new mainly-segregated cycle route connecting to the City Centre via Newport Road. West of the City Centre the primary route will pass through Pontcanna fields and Llandaff before connecting to the major housing sites west and north west of Pentrebane via Llantrisant Road and the line of the disused railway west of Waterhall Road. This route will also benefit existing and new residents. The route will intersect with the North-South primary route in the City Centre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Patel, said: “The proposed public consultation will ask residents their views. We want to know where they want work to begin. It’s the people who use our roads every day who know best the routes that work and the routes that need work. It is clear that there are missing links in the current arrangements, so we want to work with the public to find out their priorities so we can deliver cycling routes which will be used.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

If the report is approved, the City Council will publish an online survey to gather the public’s views and provide public drop in sessions in February publishing the Integrated Network maps for both walking and cycling. The feedback will then be considered as the strategy moves forwards. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

All Welsh Councils have a duty to plan for and make continuous improvements to sustainable forms of transport under the Active Wales Travel Act 2013. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​