Council awarded £6.4million fund for Green Travel Initiatives in Hemel Hempstead and beyond

The grant supports local authorities to create safer, easier to use spaces for pedestrians and cyclists
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Hertfordshire has been awarded £6.4m by the Department for Transport thanks to a successful bid by Hertfordshire County Council for a share of the second phase of the Active Travel Fund grant.

The grant supports local authorities to create safer, easier to use spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as reducing the increased pressure on public transport as a result of social distancing guidelines associated with the Coronavirus pandemic.

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The first phase of funding allocated to Hertfordshire in June (£1.25m) enabled the county council to implement a range of temporary active travel projects, including temporary cycle lanes, closures of road sections to through traffic, new cycle parking, and upgrading of temporary measures to allow for social distancing in town and city centres across the county.

Hertfordshire County Council officesHertfordshire County Council offices
Hertfordshire County Council offices

As the result of the successful bid, Hertfordshire County Council will now receive an additional £6.4m to implement further cycling and walking improvements across the county, as well as upgrading some of the temporary measures to permanent installations.

Hertfordshire’s Emergency Active Travel Fund bid included suggestions for the following schemes:

- Buncefield Lane /Boundary Way (Amazon) Roundabout, Maylands Business Area, Hemel Hempstead - Permanent upgrade to pedestrian and cycle facilities through junction treatment to roundabout adjacent to new Amazon Distribution Centre

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- Wiggenhall Road, Watford – Conversion of the temporary facilities to a permanent segregated cycle lane, as well as improvements to existing crossing

- Cassiobury Estate and Stratford Way Hempstead Road, Watford – Potential junction upgrade for pedestrians, cyclists and buses on key Hempstead Road route and associated low traffic neighbourhood for surrounding area

- Marlborough Road & Upper Marlborough Road, St Albans - cycle lanes and complementary junction improvements providing east west connectivity through the city centre

- London Road, Buntingford – new cycle facility to provide a link between the town centre and schools and residential areas to the south of the town

- North Road, Stevenage – new cycle facility.

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These schemes may be subject to change as further design feasibility work is undertaken and consultation feedback is received.

Phil Bibby, cabinet member for Highways and Environment at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “I am delighted that Hertfordshire has been awarded £6.4m in funding from the Government’s Active Travel Fund to further develop our green travel network.

"These improvements will encourage and empower many more people to travel in an active and environmentally friendly way, which in turn will deliver significant long-term benefits to the health and wellbeing of our residents and reduce our impact on the environment.

“We want everyone in Hertfordshire to be able to walk and cycle safely, and this important investment will allow the development of further access for all, helping to make the county more sustainable and ready for the future.”

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In order to obtain the views of residents, businesses and stakeholders the proposed schemes will be subject to a consultation later this year prior to their implementation.

For more information on the existing initiatives click here.