The City Council is consulting on Phase 2 of the proposed Binley Cycleway. There was previous consultation on phase one last year.
The overall plan is for a 6km (3.75 mile) long segregated cycleway from the city centre to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire via the Binley Business Park on Harry Weston Road. This consultation is for the section between Brinklow Road and the hospital.
A cycleway is a section of the highway dedicated for the use of people on cycles. It will be positioned between the path and the road and will be physically separated from both using kerbs.
The cycleway has been developed and designed to accommodate the needs of people that do not usually cycle. The results of the Phase1 consultation told us that the main reason people don’t cycle is because they don’t feel safe on the roads. These proposals aim to reduce those concerns and encourage more people to cycle.
People on cycles will have priority over traffic entering and leaving side roads. At traffic light junctions and roundabouts, the cycleway will by-pass them or have its own set of traffic lights to ensure safety through them.
Bus stops and parking lay-bys will be repositioned within the overall highway to make space for the cycleway.
New Parallel Crossings (zebra crossings for people on foot and cycle) will be installed and roads will be narrowed.
Cycling is being promoted in Coventry because it:
• Improves physical health – regular cycling can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. It can also reduce the risks caused by an inactive lifestyle such as obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
• Improves social inclusion – access to safe cycling facilities enables more people to take part in society by improving the ability and opportunity to travel
• Improves mental health – Cycling can reduce stress, ease anxiety and reduce the risk of depression. Cycling also helps you sleep better, improves your memory and helps you feel good.
• Improves air quality – less car trips being made means less pollution. Poor air quality is one of the top five risks to public health in the UK.
• Improves access to employment, education and leisure – cycling takes you from door to door. It opens up opportunities to households without a car and increases the number of possible destinations available compared to bus users.
The new cycleway will run from the City centre via Coventry University, Far Gosford Street, Gosford Green, Stoke Green, Stoke Park, Empress Shopping Arcade, Iceland, Lidl, Binley Business Park, Tesco and ending at Walsgrave Hospital.
Click here for more information and to respond to the consultation
