Consultation open

Herefordshire Council has launched a consultation on its plans to build a new cycle route along Aylestone Hill.

You can view the plans and leave your comments on a special website https://uk.planengage.com/herefordshireatt/page/Aylestone_Hill-Home

There is also a drop-in event at the Town Hall on Thursday 25th July 2pm-4pm.

What they are proposing

Key points of the proposals include:

• starting by the students accomodation on Station Approach, the pavement on the station side of the railway bridge will be widened and will be for cyclists and pedestrians to share
• cyclists will be able to cycle on this widened shared path over Barrs Court Road. A little way before the Penn Grove Road junction cyclists will get a two-way dedicated cycle track in between the pavement and the road
• cyclists will be able to cycle up hill and down hill on the same side of the road and cross in front of Penn Grove Road and Moreland Avenue
• Aylestone Hill will lose the central zone used by cars turning left and right
• at the top of Aylestone Hill pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross using a “Toucan Crossing” (traffic lights stop the traffic and pedestrians and cyclists can cross)
• cyclists and pedestrians will then share the path on the Broadlands side of Aylestone Hill the shared path will cross Broadlands Lane
• cyclists will cross back across Aylestone Hill just before Walney Lane on a Toucan Crossing, they will then cross Overbury Road and join a two-way cycle route in between the pavement and the road
• the two-way cycle route will have a new access to Aylestone Park a little way before the main gates

Why they are proposing this

This proposal would make it easier for people to get by bike from Aylestone Park to the top of Aylestone Hill (and then to the colleges) and from the train station to the top of Ayleston Hill and the colleges.

I have also been told, though it’s not in this consultation, that the council is working on seperate proposals that would connect to this cycle route at the junction by the student accomodation and have a two-way cycle-route all along Commercial Road up to the Kerry. Those two proposals would make it easier and safer for people to cycle from the Aylestone Hill side of the ward into town and back.

Please do have a look and share your views

If you have seen me out and about you’ll know that I get about a lot on my bike. If the council goes ahead with this proposal I would certainly use it but it isn’t really for me. The test for this should be whether it enables people who currently don’t feel confident to cycle along those routes to start cycling.

It will be a big change to Aylestone Hill if it goes ahead and I really encourage everyone to have a look at the proposals and give your feedback.