Council secures £1.25m to get more people walking and cycling in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire County Council will receive £1.25million from the Department of Transport, to get more people cycling and walking, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund is aimed at relieving pressure from public transport through temporary measures to promote walking and cycling, and to enable safe social distancing in town centres and high streets.

The county council has been working with Public Health and its district and borough councils to identify how and where temporary changes to its roads and footpaths can better support social distancing.

The extra funding will be spent on improving and refining the county council’s initial emergency response. This includes replacing some of the temporary traffic management equipment. This measure is aimed at supporting the reopening of town centres and high streets by ensuring everyone can adhere to social distancing guidelines in the best possible way.

Phil Bibby, cabinet member for highways and environment, said: “We welcome this additional funding and will be using it to make improvements across the county. This will include changes to some high streets to reduce car travel and introduce cycle parking, pop-up cycle paths, remove pedestrian pinch points and improve some of our existing cycleways.

“During this pandemic many people have taken up cycling for exercise and leisure, and some have now made the switch to using their bikes as a green and safe way to travel, whilst remaining socially distanced. We are calling on those who can to consider cycling as their transport of choice.”

Hertfordshire County Council will continue to work with its district and borough councils to review where temporary measures are implemented as lockdown requirements and social distancing guidelines change.