Have your say on plans to get more people cycling and walking in Central Bedfordshire
Tuesday, 26 July 2022
The views of residents are being sought to shape plans to make cycling and walking the first choice for local journeys across Central Bedfordshire.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we're launching the latest stage of our project to improve local cycling and walking routes and want the thoughts and ideas of residents and businesses to help shape a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan for Ampthill and Flitwick. Plans for other towns in Central Bedfordshire to follow at a later date.
Find out more about the project, including aspirational cycling maps for the two towns. The proposed routes form a network that avoids busy roads and meandering detours and connects the two town centres. The routes also link to surrounding villages and local amenities such as Ampthill Park, schools, shops, leisure facilities, employment areas, and Flitwick railway station.
People are being asked to add comments on the platform and provide other ideas for where improvements or additional routes are needed.
Two public events are also planned where people can get involved:
- Flitwick Library: Saturday 30 July from 10am to 2pm
- Ampthill Library: Saturday 20 August from 10am to 2pm
The engagement process will run until 5 September 2022 and will help us devise a package of improvement schemes that form a comprehensive cycling and walking network. Residents will have a further opportunity to comment on this Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.
A similar public engagement process will be rolled out for cycling and walking route improvements in Arlesey, Stotfold and Fairfield, Biggleswade, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, Leighton Linslade and Sandy. We will review each area at a time with public engagement expected to start in all towns by the end of 2022.
Councillor Steve Dixon, our Executive Member for Sustainability and Transformation, said:
We aspire to make Central Bedfordshire a mecca for sustainable travel such as cycling and walking. To do this we are developing plans to transform our current provision by creating extensive, easy-to-use routes in our communities so more people want to don their cycling helmets or walking shoes to go to the shops, work, school, and other local journeys.
We know cycling and walking are good exercise and have a positive impact on our health and wellbeing, but sustainable travel is also vital for tackling climate change and cutting CO2 emissions, as reducing the need for car journeys leads to cleaner and greener places. We aim to get half of the journeys in and across our towns to be walked or cycled by 2030.
The local cycling and walking infrastructure plans are one element of our Sustainability Plan, contributing toward making Central Bedfordshire a great place to live and work.