Bid for funds to further improve cycle safety
Cycling safety in Birmingham will receive a further boost if the city council is successful in its bid for £1.6m cycle safety funding for the Birmingham Cycle Revolution scheme from government.
The money would fund a package of safety measures in Edgbaston, including a new cycle track alongside Priory Road and Edgbaston Road to connect to the National Cycle Network route at Cannon Hill Park to the cycle superhighway currently under construction on the A38 at Selly Oak.
The bid is only open to Cycle Ambition Cities – those deemed to be leading the way in promoting cycling as a healthy and environmentally friendly way to travel.
Councillor Stewart Stacey, cabinet member for transport and roads, said: “I know many people have been concerned about cycle and pedestrian safety in this area, and we have listened to what people said to us as part of the consultation on the A38 improvements. While the A38 scheme will take care of cyclist and pedestrian needs at the Bristol Rd and Priory Rd junction, the Pershore Rd and Priory Rd junction has long been seen as an intractable problem. However, we promised to look again and our studies have directly informed our bid for extra funding for cycle safety measures that would also help pedestrians. We remain absolutely committed to achieving Birmingham Cycle Revolution’s vision of 10 per cent of all journeys in the city being made by bike by 2033, and I am hoping to hear soon from the Department for Transport as to the success of our bid.”
