In mid-March 2020 the United Kingdom went into national lockdown, as part of the government’s measures to prevent the spread and reduce the devastating impact of COVID-19. With workplaces, retail, leisure and other outlets all closing transport habits and patterns changed overnight. The hardest hit was public transport, but like most local authorities Telford and Wrekin witnessed a dramatic increase in cycling and walking. This switch came about as people changed from bus and rail, but mostly they turned to cycling and walking as part of their permitted daily exercise.
On 9 May 2020, the Secretary of State for Transport announced a £2 billion package to allow local authorities to plan for increases in active travel and to allow their area to come through the COVID-19 issues. From the package, £250 million was made available for authorities to provide immediate impact schemes that would support active travel by improving safety and aiding social distancing.
On 11 May 2020, the Government published a national COVID-19 recovery strategy, setting out the measures to ease lockdown and outline the steps that will be taken in by local authorities England to enable more activities to take place whilst continuing to control the spread of COVID-19.
On 9 May 2020 it was announced that Telford and Wrekin Council were allocated £76,000 from Tranche 1 of the Emergency Active Travel Fund to deliver the following quick wins:
- 300 cycle stands throughout the borough
- an experimental one way system and cycle lane at The Wrekin and
- an experimental temporary closures in Ironbridge to support social distancing.
Telford and Wrekin Council is working to help pedestrians and cyclists to stay safe and social distance while they're undertaking day to day journeys and enjoy the benefits of Active Travel.
On 13 November 2020 the government announced Tranche 2 of the Active Travel Fund which is aimed at cycling or walking schemes that are permanent and not experiment or pilot schemes subject to public consultation after implementation. Telford and Wrekin Council received a funding allocation of £229,500 for the following scheme:
The A518 Connectivity Package will improve the connectivity of the National Cycle Route 55 through the installation of a permanent footway / cycleway adjacent to the A518.
Last updated: 16/08/2022 10:25
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